Beauly racing driver Ollie Stewart earns three more podiums at F4 British Championship
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Ollie Stewart continued his good form in the F4 British Championship by adding three more rookie podium finishes at Brands Hatch in Kent.
The Beauly teenager had finished inside the top three in the rookie category twice at the first meet of the season at Donington Park, and he made it five out of six overall in tricky weather conditions.
It could have been even better for Stewart, who finished fifth in the final race of the weekend before being forced down the classification by a penalty.
Lining up 11th on the grid, a stall further up the field allowed the 15-year-old to move up the pack early on.
With consistently quick lap times, he was able to move into eighth position by the time the chequered flag was waved for race one, which also ranked him second in the rookie category.
The second race saw Stewart embark in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Aiden Neate going into the first corner. Stewart was able to keep his rival at bay, though, and set the fastest lap of the race to finish ninth overall – and second again among the rookies.
While the conditions had been good to that point, overcast skies rolled in which meant that the final race brought the prospect of Stewart running the car in the wet for the first time.
A safety car was needed by the time the race entered its third lap. The key was to avoid the drama unfolding, which Stewart did well to cross the line fifth overall.
However, a 10-second penalty dropped the teenager back down to eighth, still enough to finish third among the rookie drivers for another podium.
“It was great to be back on the rookie podium (in race one),” Stewart said.
“It was amazing to get the fastest lap (in lap two) on just my second race weekend. It’s a big confidence boost to know I’ve got the pace.
“To get fifth place on the road in race three was the best result I’ve had so far this season. It’s just such a shame we had the post-race penalty, but apart from that I couldn’t wish for a better race.
“There are a few ifs and buts, but overall, I’m happy with my race performances.”
