Spa sessions show Charlie has the Hart for racetrack
The 16-year-old arrived in Belgium with his RAFA Racing by Race Lab team fresh off the back of a fighting display at Zandvoort, where he and co-driver Callum Davies both charged forward through the pack in their McLaren Artura GT4.
The third of the six GT4 European Series events was the biggest one yet for the teenager, as the series supported the infamous Spa 24 Hours race at the historic Formula One circuit located within the Ardennes.
Hart was among a massive field of cars competing for glory, held over two 60-minute races in front of massive crowds of 128,000 fans.
A highlight of the event was the highly-regarded 'Spa Parade' which saw almost 200 GT3 and GT4 cars descend on the local town in the build-up to the race weekend itself.
It was a hit with the fans, who gathered to take photos with the drivers and scoop up their very own limited edition signed posters of the pair.
The Lancashire rookie then instantly showed his speed throughout the week's action on track.
Hart went fastest of anyone during practice by a comfortable margin to lay his marker in the sand, backing it up with a close third in pre-qualifying.
Conditions turned for the worst in qualifying as the rain arrived for Hart's 20-minute session. He tamed the spray and treacherous weather in style however, finishing second and only narrowly 0.086secs away from his first pole position in the series. The car would also start third for race two.
Come the opening race of the week, Hart was given the task of starting the RAFA McLaren.
On the outside line, he was edged down to fourth but still right in the fight for the lead throughout his stint. Two safety-car periods were frustrating, however, for Hart, who wanted to get back to racing against his rivals ahead sooner rather than later. He handed over to Davies in fourth, whereafter the car came home for a season-best fifth-placed finish.
Hoping to better that again the following day, Hart was given the second stint on this occasion. They almost climbed up to P2 on the road after a strong start, but the race was soon neutralised after a heavy crash for several cars behind them in the pack.
The clean-up operation meant only 30 minutes of racing could be achieved to fit the schedule, Hart jumping in the car while the number 812 sat third.
He instantly went into battle with the BMW of Ricardo Van Der Ende, almost managing to pass the Dutchman around the outside at Les Combes, but being forced to take to the run-off area and slot in behind. He continued the chase all race, delayed in the battle as pit-stops cycled through.
Finishing narrowly behind the podium finishers, the Silver-rated driver came home a similarly impressive fifth to match the race one result, again adding crucial points to move the crew up to ninth in the competitive Silver class standings with three meetings to go.
Hart said: 'It was a really good weekend for us at Spa. We were definitely I'd say one of the quickest out there, and we were on it from the word go.
'I managed to top a session in practice, and then thought we had a good chance in qualifying, even in the conditions we had to deal with.
'I would have loved to have been on that pole position! But it was still a great result, and I'm sure that we'll have more chances to get that in the future.
'We were careful at the start as it's always going to be a bit messy with so many cars going into La Source and then Eau Rouge, but I would really have liked more green flag running in the car to try and make a difference in that first stint.
'We both did a solid job, and we can't complain too much with two good finishes. We're closing in on those podiums and wins now.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hopefully I will be back – Lewis Hamilton dejected after Hungaroring nightmare
A dejected Lewis Hamilton said he will 'hopefully' return for Formula One's next race – after he cryptically claimed 'there is a lot going on in the background that is not great' following the Hungarian Grand Prix. A day after Hamilton described himself as 'absolutely useless', and called on his own Ferrari team to replace him, the seven-time world champion started 12th and finished in the same position at the Hungaroring, a lap behind winner Lando Norris. Charles Leclerc was fourth in the other Ferrari. Fronting up to TV cameras after the conclusion of the 14th race of his Ferrari career which has so far failed to live up to its pre-season hype, Hamilton was asked to reflect on his post-qualifying comments. 'When you have a feeling, you have a feeling,' he told Sky Sports. 'There is a lot going on in the background that is not great.' Asked if he had fallen out of love with racing, Hamilton replied: 'No, I still love the team.' Hamilton then headed for his session with the print media. Quizzed on how he felt a day on from being eliminated in Q2 – a performance made all the more harrowing after Leclerc took pole position, he replied: 'Same.' Put to him that his remarks suggesting that Ferrari 'need a new driver' would worry his fans, the British driver again replied: 'Same.' Asked if he had anything else to say other than 'the same', Hamilton said: 'I have got nothing else to say.' The sport now breaks for three weeks for its mid-season shutdown. The next race takes place in the Netherlands on August 31. 'Very much so,' said Hamilton, who was then asked if he was looking forward to the summer break. Quizzed as to whether he will definitely be driving at the next round in Zandvoort, Hamilton replied: 'I look forward to coming back… Hopefully I will be back, yeah.' Hamilton has won a record eight times at the Hungaroring but this has been an alarming weekend for the 40-year-old. Hamilton stood largely on his own for the drivers' parade, which takes place before every race, and was later accompanied by Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli. By the end of the first lap, he dropped behind Carlos Sainz and Antonelli and was 14th. At the end of the eighth lap, he was 20 seconds behind Leclerc, then leading, in the other Ferrari, and at the end of lap 14 he trailed his team-mate by half a minute. When he left the pits on lap 43 for his sole change of tyres, Hamilton was a lap down on the leaders. Hamilton fought back past Alpine's Pierre Gasly and then Sainz to cross the line in 12th. However, he is 42 points behind Leclerc, has been out-qualified by his team-mate at 10 of the 14 rounds, beaten him in only two races, at Imola and Silverstone, and is still awaiting his first podium in Ferrari colours. But Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who oversaw six of Hamilton's record-equalling seven titles, said: 'Lewis is wearing his heart on his sleeve. 'It was very raw what he said. He was hard on himself. We have seen it before when he felt he had not met his own expectations. He's been that emotionally transparent since he was a young adult. 'But he is the GOAT. He will always be the GOAT. And nobody is going to take it away for any single weekends or a race season that hasn't gone to plan. That is something he always needs to remember – that he is the greatest of all time.' Hamilton's Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur added: 'I don't need to motivate him (Hamilton). He is frustrated but not demotivated, that is a different story. I can perfectly understand the situation.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Norris relishing combat with McLaren teammate Piastri
Lando Norris said he was looking forward to "more of the same" thrilling wheel-to-wheel duels with team-mate Oscar Piastri after Sunday's McLaren 1-2 in the Hungarian Grand Prix. The 25-year-old Briton, who trimmed Piastri's lead in the tile race to nine points, finished the race just 0.698 seconds ahead as they crossed the line to secure the team's 200th victory in Formula One and record 13th in Hungary. "I'm dead!" said Norris, who had switched to a one-stop strategy after a poor opening lap and then battled to resist Piastri's attacks in the closing laps. "It was tough, we weren't really planning on a one-stop at the beginning, but after the first lap it was kind of our only option to get back into things. "It was tough in the final stint, with Oscar catching. I was pushing flat out, you know, so my voice has gone a little bit!" Piastri stayed with his two-stop strategy and had a tyre advantage, but on the tight and technical Hungaroring track found it impossible to pass his team-mate. "I didn't think it would probably get us to win. I thought it would get us into second, but I knew if I had some clean air, and I could push, I could maybe make things work and that's what we did. "It's always a bit of a gamble with these things, but it also requires no mistakes, good laps, good strategy -- all these things -- and that's what we had today so I'm very happy." He said his win, which moved him within reach of overhauling Piastri when the season resumes after F1's August break, had been fun, but was not in any way decisive. "We're so tightly fought, it's hard to say that momentum is on anyone's side, but we're fighting hard, both of us, and it's fun. It's tough, but fun racing with Oscar. - 'Credit to Oscar' - "And it's great for us as a team, another 1-2 and our 200th win in Formula One. "Credit to Oscar, he put up a good charge and I just about held on, so I look forward to many more of these." Piastri, who was within a second,said: "I pushed as hard as I could. I saw Lando going for a one (stop) so I knew I was going to have to overtake on track, which is easier said then done around here. "I tried a few things, but it was a gamble either way and, unfortunately, we were just on the other side of it. Piastri questioned his team's decision to try to 'undercut' pole sitter and early leader Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in the early stages of the race. "I'm not sure that was the right call in the end,' he said. That call ensured Piastri would be on a two-stop strategy while Norris kept his options open – and as Leclerc fell away from leading, Mercedes' George Russell stormed through to finish third ahead of him in a frustrated fourth place for Ferrari. The outcome was McLaren's fourth consecutive 1-2 in succession and Norris's fifth win this year and ninth of his career. McLaren now lead Ferrari by 299 points in the constructors' championship ahead of the final 10 races of the season starting at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31. str/nr
Newsweek
7 hours ago
- Newsweek
Yuki Tsunoda Suffers Hungarian GP Setback With Pit Lane Start Penalty
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda will be starting from the pit lane for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Tsunoda secured a P16 race start in qualifying, but his team had to replace his RB21 F1 car's power unit in parc ferme. The Japanese driver's car was fitted with a fifth internal combustion engine, while the regulations allow up to four in a year, which attracted a pit lane penalty. In addition, his RB21 also received a new MGU-H, MGU-K, a turbocharger, and a new exhaust. Tsunoda complained about the lack of traction in qualifying, leading to a Q1 exit. His teammate Max Verstappen secured a P8 start for the Grand Prix. Speaking about the challenge he faced with the car, and ruling out a balance issue, Tsunoda said: "If we knew there was a problem, probably we would not struggle that much. We don't know yet. The car balance itself is not that bad. But just the grip level that the car is providing is very, very low. It's not the level that we normally feel. Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the paddock during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 2, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing walks in the paddock during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 2, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary."Throughout the week, I think there was a positive from our side of the garage that we are consistently closer to Max. Some sessions we were ahead. So, something to take a positive, but at the same time, it is not easy for our team." Tsunoda linked the setback to a change Red Bull made to his car before the third practice session. He explained: "I don't think we were able to fix the major issue. To be honest, something we changed to in FP3. We were able to make a little bit of a back step with our side of the garage. Some bit of issue that we think we can avoid. It was fully in our control. "That's something that we shouldn't happen. We definitely have to improve for the future. Because that kind of made ourselves a bit clouded idea: What kind of car are we getting for qualifying? Which is a bit frustrating." However, there was one positive point Tsunoda noticed in qualifying. Speaking about matching Verstappen's pace, he said: "Yeah, I think definitely. Obviously, Max is Max. But at the same time, yeah. Definitely positive, like I said. I was very close to Max throughout the week. Some sessions I had. And I noticed some peaks come from my side of the car. So, I think, obviously frustrating that missing Q1. But also, he was almost out as well. So, something that I can be proud of."
