Richardson Racing enjoyed a solid return to the F4 British Championship certified by FIA, powered by Ford EcoBoost with an impressive victory during the second meeting of the year at Snetterton.
The weekend marked the Corby-based team’s return to single-seater competition after driver Georgi Dimitrov was forced to miss the season opener at Thruxton on medical grounds after undergoing minor surgery.
Having graduated from the Ginetta Junior Championship over the winter, Georgi put in a solid performance in Friday testing but was left out of position on the grid having posted the 16th fastest time, with both team and driver aware that there was plenty more to come in the three races.
Staying out of trouble in the first 20 minute long encounter, Georgi brought his car to the finish in the same position he had started, before the reverse grid second race provided the teenager with a chance to shine.
Lining up in third on the grid, Georgi would slip back a place during the opening lap before getting ahead of David Morales on lap two to run in third spot before he became embroiled in a three-way fight for the lead with Thomas Ikin and Kai Askey.
A stunning move at Palmer saw him take both of his rivals in one swoop to secure the lead, and from that point on he was able to pull away at the front to take victory by more than five seconds.
Starting race three from 17th on the grid by virtue of his second quickest time in qualifying, Georgi avoided a stalled car when the lights went out to make up one spot, and then grabbed another spot when Dougie Bolger suffered a spin at turn one.
Continuing to make up places, Georgi then moved into the top ten when two of his rivals clashed to bring out the safety car, and he raced hard in the pack after the restart to heap pressure on Joseph Loake ahead before taking the flag in tenth spot having made up an impressive seven places.
Despite missing round one, Georgi ends the weekend sitting eleventh in the championship standings ahead of round three at Brands Hatch in two weeks time.
“We should have been higher up in qualifying and the first race wasn’t too great, but we made a lot of changes ahead of race two,” he said. “To win the reverse grid from third on the grid was an amazing result after the disappointment of missing Thruxton, and then what happened in qualifying.
“I could see the two ahead squabbling and had to take my chance when it came along and from there on, I was able to build a gap and secure the win. P10 was then a strong result from the back of the grid in race three to finish it off.
“Having missed a meeting, I’m not really thinking about the championship and just want to fight for the best results I can each weekend. This is a good start.”