Maloney’s momentum disrupted as Alvarez stars
British Formula 4
Somebody needed to step up to the plate to prevent Zane Maloney from running away with the British Formula 4 title. And, at Snetterton, Sebastian Alvarez took centre stage.
The Mexican halted Maloney’s winning streak at four, taking two victories that sandwiched Tommy Foster’s maiden triumph for Arden in a wild encounter.
“Our pace was mega,” said Double R’s Alvarez, who also grabbed pole position on a weekend where championship rival Maloney faltered.
The first of two lights-to-flag Alvarez victories came with brief pressure from JHR rookie Carter Williams, who secured a personal best result. Alvarez’s race three win was more emphatic, romping 14 seconds clear of the pack.
The single blot on Alvarez’s copybook came in a lurid second race, the title contenders all slipping up.
Josh Skelton fought a determined rear guard action for much of the race, Bart Horsten twice attempting bold around-the-outside moves to clear the JHR driver, without success.
Maloney joined the party on lap five of 11, but his lunge on Horsten ended in contact at Murray’s that eliminated the Carlin man with suspension damage.
Alvarez gained but also found trouble a corner later, outbraking himself at Riches in his attack of leader Skelton. In seconds, sixth-placed Luke Browning had swept by his scattering rivals to grab the spoils, but a 10s jump start penalty demoted him, handing Foster his maiden win by the narrowest of margins from Skelton.
“We picked up damage on the first lap, so we were actually nursing it home,” said Foster, after contact with Williams at Agostini hairpin.
Team-mate Horsten fought degrading tyres to pip a charging Skelton in their final race dice for second, the Aussie beating the Brit in their own Ashes tribute by 0.034s. Maloney maintained a 54-point title lead, salvaging results of third and fourth.