Foster survives late-race clash with Joe Turney at Redgate to extend championship lead.

Alex Connor ends debut weekend victorious in the Rookie Cup stakes for Arden.

Foster, Maloney and Double R lead in their respective championships as the series heads next to Thruxton.

Double R Racing’s Louis Foster won a dramatic final F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost race at Donington Park after surviving a collision at Redgate on the final lap with Carlin’s Joe Turney.

It was team-mate Sebastian Alvarez who made the better start from the front row, seizing the lead on the outside of Redgate and leaving Foster to hold off a charging Luke Browning (Richardson Racing) into the Old Hairpin.

That battle was halted at the end of the opening lap after Arden Motorsport’s Tommy Foster hit the inside kerb at Robert’s Chicane and ran out wide into the barrier at the exit of the corner, bringing out the safety car.

When the action resumed with ten minutes left on the clock, it was Alvarez who retained the advantage, soaking up the pressure lap-on-lap from Foster behind. The duo made wheel-to-wheel contact on one occasion at Schwantz Curve, whilst behind erstwhile Rookie Cup points leader Turney continued his rise through the field to third after passing Browning at Hollywood.

The status quo at the front was broken shortly after, with Foster and Alvarez running wide on successive corners at McLeans and Coppice to allow Turney through into the lead at the final chicane, and in pursuit of the £5,000 prize for winning the Ford Rookie Award and taking a win outright.

That sequence also allowed Foster to finally dispatch Alvarez for second and give chase to the former British and World X30 karting champion.

Foster struck back and finally moved into the lead of the race at Roberts as the field began the final lap, before disaster struck moments later as the pair made contact as Turney attempted to get the cut-back at Redgate, ending the Carlin racer’s weekend in the gravel with a non-score.

That left Foster to take the chequered flag a mere 0.6 seconds clear of Alvarez in a 1-2 finish for reigning champions Double R Racing, extending his lead at the top of the standings to 17 points.

“It’s an awesome way to end the weekend,” commented Foster.

“After winning race one, finishing third in race two and now winning race three, it’s an amazing points haul, which is the main concern.

“I just knew I had to send it in [on his move for the lead]. It was second to last corner on the penultimate lap and I knew I had to make that move, so I just went for it and hope it stuck and it did stick. A bit of luck there probably, luckily he didn’t turn in on me. I really hope that was televised because I’ll be watching that back!

“I’m over the moon with these results and hopefully we can continue this success into Thruxton.”

Luke Browning salvaged a third podium finish of the season behind Alvarez, with Josh Skelton eventually fourth in a rollercoaster of a race for the JHR Developments driver.

Arden’s Alex Connor ended his debut weekend in the Ford EcoBoost-powered series with a maiden Rookie Cup success, taking fifth on the road with the second Carlin car of Zane Maloney behind in sixth.

Carter Williams bounced back from his disappointment in the middle contest to take seventh, the American holding off race two winner Bart Horsten (Arden) after the Australian was forced to pit early doors for a new nose cone.

Fortec Motorsport’s Mariano Martinez and Roberto Faria complete the points-paying positions in ninth and tenth, with Reema Juffali eleventh.

The championship returns to action in three weeks’ time at the UK’s fastest circuit – Thruxton – on 18th-19th May.

Provisional Result – Round 6