Fortec Motorsports recorded two more podiums in the Wera Tools British F4 Championship, certified by FIA, as Henry Joslyn secured pole position and a pair of third places during a competitive weekend at Thruxton (6–8 June).
The team began with practice sessions on Friday, though newcomers Tom Ingram Hill and Ary Bansal missed the opening session due to academic exams. Saturday morning’s qualifying session brought success as Henry left it late to deliver a series of strong laps, topping the timesheets to take pole. Ary qualified 19th and Tom 21st. “It was a tricky session as it was damp, so we stayed in the pits a bit longer,” said Henry. “It worked — I had the peak of the tyre later than everyone else and got pole.”
Race one followed a few hours later in mostly dry conditions. Henry dropped to fourth at the start, while Tom retired at the chicane on lap one. A Safety Car was deployed on lap three, with Henry in third and Ary impressively up to 15th on his debut — shortly followed by a red flag.
After a brief stoppage, racing resumed behind the Safety Car for a reduced 10-minute sprint as light rain began to fall. The green flag lasted less than a lap before further incidents brought the Safety Car back out. Henry held fourth and Ary moved up to an excellent eighth place on debut before the race ended prematurely. “There was a lot of crashing in front of me, so it was difficult to judge where to go and how to avoid it,” said Ary.
The second race was delayed by nearly an hour due to heavy rain, eventually starting behind the Safety Car. Ary gained two places once the race went green, but Henry dropped back and finished 14th. Ary battled well to take 20th, with Tom making a late move into 23rd. “I live down the road, so it’s great to see so many people here,” said Tom. “It’s been a tough weekend, but I’ve learned a lot. We only had one day in the car — last Thursday — but we maximised everything, and that’s all we can ask for.”
Sunday’s final race took place in far more favourable conditions. Henry was slow off the line but fought back to third by the third corner. Ary also made a strong start, gaining three positions, with Tom likewise climbing early on. A Safety Car was called soon after, with the trio running third, 12th, and 16th respectively.
When racing resumed, Tom gained two more positions, and Henry briefly moved into second at the chicane before being repassed. Ary continued to make progress, breaking into the top 10 with a bold move at the chicane and holding the position to the flag. Tom finished 17th, while Henry completed his second podium of the weekend in third place. “I had a poor start but stayed composed and managed to fight back through,” said Henry. “I think it would’ve been tough to stay ahead of them, so I’m really happy with P3.”
Fortec Motorsports will be back in Wera Tools British F4 action in two weeks’ time, as the championship heads to Oulton Park in Cheshire (20–22 June). Meanwhile, the team’s GB3 and GB4 campaigns will resume in July.
#26 Henry Joslyn
Grid 1 – 1, Race 1 – 3
Grid 2 – 12, Race 2 – 14
Grid 3 – 1, Race 3 – 3
Championship: 5 (89 points)
#46 Ary Bansal
Grid 1 – 17, Race 1 – 8
Grid 2 – 19, Race 2 – 20
Grid 3 – 19, Race 3 – 10
Challenge Cup: 7 (39 points)
#8 Thomas Ingram Hill
Grid 1 – 20, Race 1 – DNF
Grid 2 – 21, Race 2 – 23
Grid 3 – 21, Race 3 – 17
Challenge Cup: 8 (14 points)
