Dodds makes surprise F4 graduation

BRITISH F4

Former Ginetta Junior driver Maxwell Dodds is set to make a surprise return to racing this year after securing a British Formula 4 seat with Virtuosi.

Dodds was 13th in the Ginetta standings in 2021, but spent the following two years on the sidelines when he was unable to obtain the budget to continue. He now has the funding in place to become Virtuosi’s third recruit for 2024, although Dodds admitted that he has faced a huge learning curve given how late the deal was agreed.

“My first test was two weeks ago,” he said. “I’m barely going to drive the car before the season, it’s just going to be straight into it.

“It was always something I wanted to do and with the opportunity to do it, we couldn’t say no. I still haven’t processed it really!

“Having these two years out reignites that fire and going back to school was almost like a reality check – because I’d done all the European [karting] races,

I didn’t spend much time at school. To come back, I want to be fighting at the front, I want to be fighting for podiums, I want to be fighting for wins.”

Dodds initially struggled when he first began testing the Tatuus F4 machinery, but felt a Silverstone run last week was key to unlocking performance. He finished ninth on the leaderboard, fewer than three tenths off the ultimate pace, and said that he is now beginning to trust the car more.

“Trying to get out of the

Ginetta mindset of just fighting the car all the time, that’s the bit that’s going to take a bit of time to get used to,” Dodds (above) added.