Radcliffe Inherits Junior Win, Hibbert Shines in Mini, Whitticombe Masters the Wet
A first full race day, changing conditions, and early statements across all categories.
The first official race day of the Champions of the Future Academy Program UK marked a turning point for the field, as drivers finally took to a clean, dry track after rain-affected free practice. With grip evolving throughout the day, the action built from timed qualifying into two qualifying heats and decisive finals. While most categories enjoyed stable conditions, the Senior drivers faced an added challenge, dealing with rain on the grid and during one of their heats — the only class to tackle mixed conditions on Saturday.
Radcliffe Leads Junior Top Five After Penalty Twist
Josef Davies secured pole position in timed qualifying, setting the early reference for the Junior field. In the qualifying heats, Colbe Pattison and Lucien Smith were the most consistent at the front, combining strong finishes to lead the standings heading into the final, with Lorenzo Zucchetto and Harley Musk also remaining close behind.
Lucien Smith crossed the line first in the final, but a post-race penalty dropped him to third, handing victory to Louis Radcliffe. Harley Musk was promoted to second, while Sukhmani Khera finished fourth, and Pattison completed the top five after staying in contention throughout the race.
Hibbert Heads Mini Top Five After Controlling Performance
Benjamin Karajkovic took pole position in timed qualifying, leading a tightly packed Mini field into the heats. Across the qualifying heats, Alfie Davidson and James Roots were the most consistent performers, with Mikas Toro and Chester Forkes also running at the front and securing strong positions for the final.
In the final, Mayson Hibbert moved to the front and controlled the race to take victory. Forkes finished second ahead of Davidson, with Charles Clough in fourth and Roots completing the top five after a close fight across the 13 laps.
Whitticombe Controls Senior Top Five In Mixed Conditions
Harrison Whitticombe led the way in timed qualifying, taking pole position at the start of the day. He maintained that form through the qualifying heats, including one run in wet conditions, where he remained at the front ahead of Noah Barham and Lizzy Mentier despite the changing grip levels.
Whitticombe converted that into victory in the final, controlling the race to finish ahead of Mentier and Barham. Connor Large followed in fourth, with Eva Morris completing the top five after navigating the mixed conditions.
All to Play for on Sunday
One day down, one to go for the opening round.
The action continues tomorrow with another full day of racing ahead. Make sure to follow it live, and if you missed any of today’s action, you can catch it all back on YouTube.
11:15 - STREAM COUNTDOWN - 11:20 / OK-N JUNIOR Qualifying Heat 1 / 11:40 - MINI 60 Qualifying Heat 1 / 12:00 - OK-N SENIOR Qualifying Heat 1 / 13:00 - OK-N JUNIOR Qualifying Heat 2 / 13:20 - MINI 60 Qualifying Heat 2 / 13:40 - OK-N SENIOR Qualifying Heat 2 / 15:00 - OK-N JUNIOR Final / 15:30 - MINI 60 Final / 16:00 - OK-N SENIOR Final.