GRAHAM REIGNS SUPREME AT SOGGY SNETTERTON
Matty Graham’s BRDC Formula 4 Winter Series campaign got off to a perfect start yesterday, as he recorded two wins and two pole positions around Norfolk’s Snetterton circuit to take an early series lead.
Getting underway with an early morning qualifying session, Graham showed an impressive degree of car control as he mastered the cold, damp track conditions to secure pole position for the day’s first race with a time two seconds faster than his nearest rival, Falco Wauer.
As race one got under way, a still damp track saw Graham drop from first to third after bogging down with wheel-spin as the lights went out.
With the car and driver in complete sync however, he immediately set about hunting down the two places lost.
After re-passing second placed Sennan Fielding in a matter of corners, Graham closed in on race leader Wauer at a rate of over a second a lap, before a committed move into the first corner, on the fourth lap regained the lead.
Going on to win by two seconds, Graham also secured pole for race two of the day by setting a fastest race lap of 2mins 08.9.
In soaking conditions, the race started by giving the Co Durham racer a severe sense of de-ja-vu, as a second slow start saw him again drop to third.
Once again, the setback was only temporary. Second placed man Wauer was overhauled after the Norwegian slid off the track while race leader Fielding fell victim to another lap 4 overtake by Graham.
After regaining the lead, Graham set about dominating the race and crossed the line with an 11.1 second margin of victory, a new record in F4.
Speaking post-race, Graham said; “Conditions were tricky out there and we were having to adapt to what the track was doing. I picked up a lot of wheel-spin off the line in both races with the rain and there being so much rubber down from previous races, but I pulled off a few overtakes and managed to take both wins.”
Graham added; “This track hasn’t always been my favourite but so far this weekend it couldn’t be any better! The team have prepared a brilliant car and I’m looking forward to day two’s qualifying session and races”