2026 British F4 | Round 9: Silverstone | Van Langendonck doubles up and extends title lead to 72 points

The 2026 Wera Tools F4 British Championship, certified by FIA, returned to Silverstone for its penultimate round as Dries Van Langendonck took another major step towards the Drivers’ Championship with two victories. The Rodin Motorsport driver arrived at the National circuit with a 33-point advantage over Lewis Wherrell after winning twice during Round 8 at Croft, but Silverstone provided an even larger championship swing.

Van Langendonck claimed pole before winning Races 1 and 3, while he also finished ahead of Wherrell in the reverse-grid contest. Wherrell briefly led the opening race and initially looked capable of reducing the championship deficit, but his spin into the gravel after the first Safety Car restart turned the weekend in Van Langendonck’s favour. The JHR Developments driver recovered with seventh in Race 2 and second in Race 3, but his rival still increased the championship gap from 33 to 72 points with only the Brands Hatch finale remaining.

Tommy Harfield prevented another Van Langendonck clean sweep by controlling Race 2 for Chris Dittmann Racing. The Briton became the 13th different winner of the 2026 season, while Theo Palmer continued his strong form with two podiums and moved to within only 8.5 points of Wherrell in the fight for second.

2026 British F4 Round 9: Silverstone: Qualifying: Van Langendonck takes fourth pole of 2026

The penultimate British F4 round brought the championship back to Silverstone for the second time in 2026, although the shorter National circuit provided a significantly different challenge from the Grand Prix layout used earlier in the year. A 31-car field prompted organisers to split Qualifying into two 15-minute groups, with the driver who set the quicker overall time determining which group occupied the odd-numbered grid positions.

Wherrell immediately did what he needed in Group 1, topping the session with a 54.698s and securing himself a place on the front row. Van Langendonck responded in Group 2 and produced a 54.457s to claim his fourth CADOLA Watches Pole Position Award of the year, giving himself pole for the first conventional-grid race.

Palmer actually lapped faster than Wherrell with a 54.492s, but the split-grid format placed him third. Ethan Lennon secured fourth for Rodin Motorsport, while Jaber Alsabah and Joseph Smith completed the top six. Haarni Sadiq qualified seventh ahead of Chiara Bättig, Jarrett Clark and Adam Al Azhari, while Harfield took 12th and consequently secured reverse-grid pole for Sunday morning’s second race.

Qualifying results

1. #51 Dries Van Langendonck — Rodin Motorsport — 54.457s
2. #10 Lewis Wherrell — JHR Developments — 54.698s
3. #7 Theo Palmer — Hitech — 54.492s
4. #32 Ethan Lennon — Rodin Motorsport — 54.739s
5. #83 Jaber Alsabah — Xcel Motorsport — 54.703s
6. #15 Joseph Smith — Virtuosi Racing — 54.880s
7. #12 Haarni Sadiq — JHR Developments — 54.808s
8. #6 Chiara Bättig — Hitech — 54.895s
9. #55 Jarrett Clark — Virtuosi Racing — 54.866s
10. #3 Adam Al Azhari — Hitech — 54.916s
11. #62 Arjen Kraling — Argenti Motorsport — 54.876s
12. #21 Tommy Harfield — Chris Dittmann Racing — 54.922s
13. #40 Piotr Orzechowski — Chris Dittmann Racing — 54.895s
14. #44 Mate Kobakhidze — Xcel Motorsport — 54.947s
15. #73 Roman Felber — Fortec Motorsport — 54.959s
16. #8 George Proudford-Nalder — Virtuosi Racing — 54.977s
17. #78 Charlie Smith — Virtuosi Racing — 55.000s
18. #33 Cole Hewetson — Xcel Motorsport — 54.988s
19. #22 Cameron Nelson — JHR Developments — 55.064s
20. #27 Alfie Slater — Rodin Motorsport — 55.002s
21. #45 Archie Owen — Hitech — 55.179s
22. #2 Timo Jüngling — JHR Developments — 55.030s
23. #96 Jackson Wolny — Xcel Motorsport — 55.237s
24. #13 Henry Mercier — Chris Dittmann Racing — 55.096s
25. #24 Sun Anzhe — Argenti Motorsport — 55.347s
26. #53 Ethan Carney — Fortec Motorsport — 55.218s
27. #43 Daniella Sutton — Chris Dittmann Racing — 55.442s
28. #4 Leon Hedfors — Argenti Motorsport — 55.224s
29. #71 Qarrar Firhand — Fortec Motorsport — 55.647s
30. #11 Cash Felber — Fortec Motorsport — 55.250s
31. #23 Justin Di Lucia — Argenti Motorsport — 55.405s

Race 1: Wherrell takes early lead before costly restart spin

Wherrell made the better start from the outside of the front row and immediately placed himself alongside Van Langendonck into Copse. The JHR Developments driver emerged ahead and retained the lead as Van Langendonck attacked along the Wellington Straight, defending the inside line into Brooklands and initially giving himself the opportunity to make a substantial dent in the 33-point pre-event deficit.

An early Safety Car compressed the field and left Wherrell facing another immediate challenge from Van Langendonck, with Palmer following closely behind. The restart then produced the defining moment of both the race and the championship weekend. Wherrell and Van Langendonck ran side-by-side across the start-finish line, but Wherrell moved towards the outside through Copse, reached the dirt and marbles away from the racing line and lost control. His spin into the gravel ended his race and turned a potential championship gain into another opportunity for Van Langendonck.

Wherrell’s retirement triggered a second Safety Car period, but Van Langendonck remained composed when racing resumed. Palmer stayed within striking distance through the closing stages, yet the Rodin driver controlled the final restart and took his seventh victory of the season by only 0.540s.

The Silverstone Race 1 victory also brought Van Langendonck the Lotus Fastest Lap Award, maximising his points from the opening contest. Smith completed the podium ahead of Clark and Bättig, while Sadiq, Harfield, Hewetson, Kraling and Slater rounded out the top 10. Wherrell’s non-finish proved particularly costly, with Van Langendonck increasing his championship advantage from 33 to 61 points in a single race.

Race 1 results

1. #51 Dries Van Langendonck — Rodin Motorsport — 20:55.044
2. #7 Theo Palmer — Hitech — +0.540s
3. #15 Joseph Smith — Virtuosi Racing — +2.459s
4. #55 Jarrett Clark — Virtuosi Racing — +2.776s
5. #6 Chiara Bättig — Hitech — +2.972s
6. #12 Haarni Sadiq — JHR Developments — +4.504s
7. #21 Tommy Harfield — Chris Dittmann Racing — +5.438s
8. #33 Cole Hewetson — Xcel Motorsport — +5.901s
9. #62 Arjen Kraling — Argenti Motorsport — +6.595s
10. #27 Alfie Slater — Rodin Motorsport — +7.276s
11. #40 Piotr Orzechowski — Chris Dittmann Racing — +7.845s
12. #8 George Proudford-Nalder — Virtuosi Racing — +8.331s
13. #13 Henry Mercier — Chris Dittmann Racing — +9.214s
14. #44 Mate Kobakhidze — Xcel Motorsport — +9.579s
15. #78 Charlie Smith — Virtuosi Racing — +9.627s
16. #43 Daniella Sutton — Chris Dittmann Racing — +10.711s
17. #96 Jackson Wolny — Xcel Motorsport — +12.333s
18. #11 Cash Felber — Fortec Motorsport — +12.410s
19. #23 Justin Di Lucia — Argenti Motorsport — +13.139s
20. #2 Timo Jüngling — JHR Developments — +13.782s
21. #22 Cameron Nelson — JHR Developments — +14.173s
22. #73 Roman Felber — Fortec Motorsport — +14.240s
23. #45 Archie Owen — Hitech — +14.592s
24. #4 Leon Hedfors — Argenti Motorsport — +14.931s
25. #24 Sun Anzhe — Argenti Motorsport — +15.328s
26. #53 Ethan Carney — Fortec Motorsport — +15.711s
27. #71 Qarrar Firhand — Fortec Motorsport — +16.344s
    NC. #10 Lewis Wherrell — JHR Developments — 6 laps
    NC. #32 Ethan Lennon — Rodin Motorsport — 1 lap
    NC. #83 Jaber Alsabah — Xcel Motorsport — 1 lap
    NC. #3 Adam Al Azhari — Hitech — 0 laps

Fastest lap: Dries Van Langendonck — 55.005s

Race 2: Harfield converts reverse-grid pole into maiden 2026 victory

Harfield started Sunday morning’s reverse-grid race from pole after qualifying 12th and immediately took advantage of the opportunity. The Chris Dittmann Racing driver made a clean launch and retained the lead, while Kraling initially established himself as his closest challenger and several drivers behind began making progress through the tightly packed midfield.

Harfield maintained a gap of around one second through much of the race and avoided the incidents unfolding behind, while the battle for the remaining podium positions proved significantly closer. Clark, Bättig and Palmer all moved into contention as the race developed, while Van Langendonck and Wherrell started 12th and 11th respectively and found themselves fighting through the same section of the field.

Wherrell initially made stronger progress and moved towards Lennon in the battle around the top six, with Van Langendonck following closely. However, another mistake proved costly for the championship challenger when he attacked Lennon late in the race at Brooklands and dropped behind Van Langendonck. The Belgian therefore crossed the line ahead of Wherrell despite starting one position behind him, gaining further championship ground on a race where the reverse-grid format had initially offered his rival an opportunity.

At the front, Harfield completed a controlled performance to secure his first victory of the campaign and become the 13th different winner of 2026. Kraling crossed the line second but received a five-second track-limits penalty, dropping him to eighth and promoting Clark and Bättig onto the podium. Palmer took fourth ahead of Lennon, while Van Langendonck and Wherrell finished sixth and seventh.

Race 2 results

1. #21 Tommy Harfield — Chris Dittmann Racing — 20:25.927
2. #55 Jarrett Clark — Virtuosi Racing — +1.365s
3. #6 Chiara Bättig — Hitech — +1.818s
4. #7 Theo Palmer — Hitech — +2.102s
5. #32 Ethan Lennon — Rodin Motorsport — +4.699s
6. #51 Dries Van Langendonck — Rodin Motorsport — +5.159s
7. #10 Lewis Wherrell — JHR Developments — +5.940s
8. #62 Arjen Kraling — Argenti Motorsport — +6.007s
9. #33 Cole Hewetson — Xcel Motorsport — +6.791s
10. #12 Haarni Sadiq — JHR Developments — +7.249s
11. #3 Adam Al Azhari — Hitech — +7.935s
12. #15 Joseph Smith — Virtuosi Racing — +8.462s
13. #8 George Proudford-Nalder — Virtuosi Racing — +8.697s
14. #73 Roman Felber — Fortec Motorsport — +9.803s
15. #22 Cameron Nelson — JHR Developments — +10.302s
16. #13 Henry Mercier — Chris Dittmann Racing — +11.302s
17. #83 Jaber Alsabah — Xcel Motorsport — +12.072s
18. #27 Alfie Slater — Rodin Motorsport — +13.411s
19. #96 Jackson Wolny — Xcel Motorsport — +15.469s
20. #78 Charlie Smith — Virtuosi Racing — +16.158s
21. #44 Mate Kobakhidze — Xcel Motorsport — +17.462s
22. #53 Ethan Carney — Fortec Motorsport — +17.799s
23. #2 Timo Jüngling — JHR Developments — +19.137s
24. #43 Daniella Sutton — Chris Dittmann Racing — +21.151s
25. #40 Piotr Orzechowski — Chris Dittmann Racing — +22.162s
26. #23 Justin Di Lucia — Argenti Motorsport — +22.354s
27. #45 Archie Owen — Hitech — +23.010s
28. #4 Leon Hedfors — Argenti Motorsport — +24.073s
29. #24 Sun Anzhe — Argenti Motorsport — +25.815s
30. #11 Cash Felber — Fortec Motorsport — +30.570s
31. #71 Qarrar Firhand — Fortec Motorsport — 5 laps

Fastest lap: Haarni Sadiq — 54.961s

Race 3: Van Langendonck completes second consecutive double

The final race placed Van Langendonck and Wherrell back together on the front row, creating one last opportunity for the JHR Developments driver to reduce his championship deficit before Brands Hatch. However, the contest was interrupted almost immediately when Bättig stalled on the grid and Cameron Nelson struck the stationary Hitech car as the field attempted to avoid her. Debris spread across the start-finish straight and officials stopped the race, with both drivers retiring before completing a lap.

Once racing resumed, Van Langendonck retained the advantage at the front and Wherrell slotted into second, while Palmer moved past Lennon to take third. Unlike Race 1, Wherrell could not find a route past his championship rival and instead had to concentrate on keeping Palmer behind as Van Langendonck gradually extended his advantage.

Palmer appeared capable of closing on Wherrell during the middle stages, but the JHR driver responded and maintained enough of a margin to protect second. Van Langendonck remained untroubled at the front and eventually crossed the line after 25 laps to secure his eighth victory of the season and his second consecutive double-win weekend following Croft.

Wherrell finished 1.124s behind in second, while Palmer completed another strong weekend with third. Lennon took fourth ahead of Smith, Al Azhari and Clark, while Race 2 winner Harfield finished eighth. Van Langendonck also set the fastest lap with a 54.922s, completing another maximum conventional-grid performance.

The result underlined how dramatically the championship had changed since Round 7 at Donington Park, where Wherrell had reduced Van Langendonck’s lead to only four points during the Belgian’s one-event suspension. Four victories from six races at Croft and Silverstone have since transformed that margin into 72 points.

Race 3 results

1. #51 Dries Van Langendonck — Rodin Motorsport — 23:03.253
2. #10 Lewis Wherrell — JHR Developments — +1.124s
3. #7 Theo Palmer — Hitech — +1.688s
4. #32 Ethan Lennon — Rodin Motorsport — +2.290s
5. #15 Joseph Smith — Virtuosi Racing — +8.213s
6. #3 Adam Al Azhari — Hitech — +9.135s
7. #55 Jarrett Clark — Virtuosi Racing — +9.795s
8. #21 Tommy Harfield — Chris Dittmann Racing — +11.204s
9. #62 Arjen Kraling — Argenti Motorsport — +14.674s
10. #44 Mate Kobakhidze — Xcel Motorsport — +16.806s
11. #78 Charlie Smith — Virtuosi Racing — +19.898s
12. #33 Cole Hewetson — Xcel Motorsport — +20.999s
13. #73 Roman Felber — Fortec Motorsport — +22.567s
14. #45 Archie Owen — Hitech — +23.498s
15. #13 Henry Mercier — Chris Dittmann Racing — +23.986s
16. #27 Alfie Slater — Rodin Motorsport — +24.773s
17. #53 Ethan Carney — Fortec Motorsport — +25.277s
18. #4 Leon Hedfors — Argenti Motorsport — +27.001s
19. #96 Jackson Wolny — Xcel Motorsport — +28.072s
20. #24 Sun Anzhe — Argenti Motorsport — +30.617s
21. #71 Qarrar Firhand — Fortec Motorsport — +32.394s
22. #23 Justin Di Lucia — Argenti Motorsport — 1 lap
23. #8 George Proudford-Nalder — Virtuosi Racing — 1 lap
24. #43 Daniella Sutton — Chris Dittmann Racing — 1 lap
25. #12 Haarni Sadiq — JHR Developments — 4 laps
    NC. #6 Chiara Bättig — Hitech — 0 laps
    NC. #11 Cash Felber — Fortec Motorsport — 0 laps
    NC. #22 Cameron Nelson — JHR Developments — 0 laps
    NC. #40 Piotr Orzechowski — Chris Dittmann Racing — 0 laps
    NC. #83 Jaber Alsabah — Xcel Motorsport — 0 laps

Fastest lap: Dries Van Langendonck — 54.922s

Van Langendonck moves within touching distance of British F4 title

Van Langendonck arrived at Silverstone on 257 points, 33 ahead of Wherrell, but his combination of two victories, pole position, fastest laps and sixth place in the reverse-grid race produced another major championship swing. He added 63 points across the weekend and moves to 320 with only Brands Hatch remaining.

Wherrell’s Silverstone round produced only 24 points, with his Race 1 retirement causing most of the damage. Finishing behind Van Langendonck in the reverse-grid contest prevented him from recovering immediately, while second in Race 3 limited the final loss but could not stop his deficit increasing to 72 points.

With only 75 points available at Brands Hatch, Wherrell remains Van Langendonck’s only mathematical challenger. Palmer’s excellent weekend moves him from 195.5 to 239.5, only 8.5 points behind Wherrell, but his 80.5-point deficit to the championship leader removes him from overall title contention.

The official Drivers’ Championship standings therefore leave Van Langendonck on the verge of securing the title after an emphatic response to the pressure Wherrell had applied earlier in the summer.

Palmer closes significantly on second place

Palmer arguably produced the strongest Silverstone weekend outside Van Langendonck. The Hitech driver qualified third before finishing second in Race 1, fourth in the reverse-grid contest and third in Race 3, giving him a 44-point haul that dramatically strengthens his position in the fight for second.

He now sits on 239.5 points, reducing a 28.5-point post-Croft deficit to Wherrell to only 8.5. Ethan Jeff-Hall remains fourth on 181.5 after failing to add to his total, while George Proudford-Nalder stays fifth on 159.5.

Lennon’s strong Sunday lifts him to 150 and moves him ahead of the absent Scott Kin Lindblom, while Harfield’s Race 2 victory takes him to 131 and eighth overall. Al Azhari and Clark complete the top 10, with Smith also moving closer after his Race 1 podium and fifth-place finish in Race 3.

Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 9

1. Dries Van Langendonck — Rodin Motorsport — 320 points
2. Lewis Wherrell — JHR Developments — 248
3. Theo Palmer — Hitech — 239.5
4. Ethan Jeff-Hall — Argenti Motorsport — 181.5
5. George Proudford-Nalder — Virtuosi Racing — 159.5
6. Ethan Lennon — Rodin Motorsport — 150
7. Scott Kin Lindblom — Hitech — 144
8. Tommy Harfield — Chris Dittmann Racing — 131
9. Adam Al Azhari — Hitech — 111
10. Jarrett Clark — Virtuosi Racing — 107

The complete British F4 Drivers’ Championship classification contains the full season standings heading into Brands Hatch.

Van Langendonck takes Rookie Cup lead from Wherrell

The overall championship was not the only contest to swing towards Van Langendonck at Silverstone. Wherrell arrived with a 10.5-point Rookie Cup advantage after moving ahead during Van Langendonck’s Donington absence and retaining that lead at Croft, but the Belgian’s two overall victories also delivered two major Rookie Cup scores.

Van Langendonck now leads the classification on 366 points, while Wherrell sits second on 342.5. The 34-point swing across Silverstone consequently leaves the Rodin driver 23.5 ahead going into the final round.

Alsabah remains third on 248 despite failing to score during the weekend, while Nelson holds fourth with 225.5. Kobakhidze moves to 159 after his Race 3 top-10 finish, only one ahead of Hedfors, with Wolny and Jüngling following.

The Rookie Cup therefore remains mathematically open alongside the overall championship, giving Wherrell another opportunity to fight back at Brands Hatch despite the substantial swing at Silverstone.

Rookie Cup standings after Round 9

1. Dries Van Langendonck — Rodin Motorsport — 366 points
2. Lewis Wherrell — JHR Developments — 342.5
3. Jaber Alsabah — Xcel Motorsport — 248
4. Cameron Nelson — JHR Developments — 225.5
5. Mate Kobakhidze — Xcel Motorsport — 159
6. Leon Hedfors — Argenti Motorsport — 158
7. Jackson Wolny — Xcel Motorsport — 117
8. Timo Jüngling — JHR Developments — 116
9. Piotr Orzechowski — Chris Dittmann Racing — 75
10. Haarni Sadiq — JHR Developments — 70

Hitech retains Teams’ lead as Rodin closes slightly

Hitech entered Silverstone with a commanding Teams’ Championship advantage after building a 91.5-point gap over Rodin Motorsport through the opening eight rounds. Palmer again provided the team’s largest contribution, with second and third in the conventional-grid races and fourth in Race 2, while Bättig added fifth and third before her Race 3 retirement. Al Azhari’s sixth in the final contest also supplied another useful score.

Hitech consequently adds 62 points and reaches 510.5, but Rodin still outscores the championship leader during the weekend. Van Langendonck’s two victories combined with Lennon’s fifth and fourth places to add 70 points, moving the defending Teams’ champion onto 427 and reducing the deficit by eight to 83.5 points.

Virtuosi Racing strengthens third on 340.5 after Smith and Clark both reached the podium during the weekend, while JHR Developments follows on 314. Argenti Motorsport remains fifth, and Harfield’s victory helps Chris Dittmann Racing move ahead of Xcel Motorsport into sixth.

Teams’ Championship standings after Round 9

1. Hitech — 510.5 points
2. Rodin Motorsport — 427
3. Virtuosi Racing — 340.5
4. JHR Developments — 314
5. Argenti Motorsport — 182.5
6. Chris Dittmann Racing — 127
7. Xcel Motorsport — 117
8. Fortec Motorsport — 100

Conclusion

Silverstone produced the largest championship swing since Van Langendonck returned from his Donington Park absence. The Belgian arrived with a healthy but far from decisive 33-point advantage, while Wherrell initially appeared capable of reducing it when he took the lead at the start of Race 1. His restart spin changed the complexion of the weekend, and Van Langendonck capitalised immediately before finishing ahead of his rival again in the reverse-grid contest.

Wherrell responded with second in Race 3, but Van Langendonck proved untouchable at the front and completed his second consecutive double. Four wins from the past six races have consequently transformed the championship from a four-point contest after Donington into a 72-point advantage with only three races remaining.

Harfield provided Silverstone’s other major story by becoming the 13th different winner of 2026, while Bättig added another podium and Palmer quietly produced one of the strongest overall weekends. His two podiums move him within 8.5 points of Wherrell in the battle for second, adding another significant fight to the Brands Hatch finale.

Van Langendonck also leaves Silverstone leading the Rookie Cup, while Hitech retains control of the Teams’ Championship despite Rodin trimming eight points from its advantage. British F4 now heads to the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit for its season finale on 10–11 October, with the Drivers’, Rookie and Teams’ titles all still mathematically unresolved.