British F4: Ella Lloyd scores two Challenge Cup podiums, Alba Larsen fights her way up to P15 in Knockhill
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- 6 hours ago
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Ella Lloyd and Alba Larsen battled just outside the points at Knockhill, with Lloyd scoring two Challenge Cup podiums and Larsen salvaging a strong P15 in the final race after a weekend of setbacks.
The seventh round of the British F4 Championship at Knockhill in Scotland saw Ella Lloyd and Alba Larsen — both competing in the Challenge Cup as part of a dual campaign alongside their F1 Academy programs — battling just outside the points-scoring positions overall, with Lloyd securing two Challenge Cup podiums in third place.
Both drivers were unlucky not to capitalize further: Larsen was taken out in Race 2, while Lloyd was also hit by another competitor in the final contest of the weekend despite running solidly inside the top ten.
The Wera Tools British Formula 4 Championship returned to action following the Zandvoort round, where six female drivers had been entered. The Dutch venue will in fact also host the only European round of the F1 Academy series later this month. Lloyd had been coming off her first overall podium of the season at Zandvoort, while Larsen continued to show steady progress throughout the year.
The Scottish circuit of Knockhill hosted round seven, and it was a positive start to the weekend for both Lloyd and Larsen. The Danish driver was ninth fastest in the opening Friday practice session — just four tenths off the top spot — while Lloyd followed in 12th. In the second session, Lloyd improved to eighth, only two tenths off leader Campbell-Pilling, while Larsen continued to find time with a 49.249 that placed her 16th.
Qualifying on Saturday proved more challenging. Ella Lloyd set competitive early laps, but the session was red-flagged after incidents involving Guy Albag. When running resumed, Lloyd posted a 48.767 to sit P11, just outside the top ten. Larsen meanwhile recorded a 49.079, which initially placed her 20th, before both drivers improved again in the final minutes. Lloyd managed a 48.758 to finish 13th, while Larsen broke into the 48s with a 48.862 to qualify 18th.
At lights out, Rowan Campbell-Pilling led Thomas Bearman from the front row, although the polesitter had jumped the start. Fionn McLaughlin moved into second and James Piszcyk gained two spots to run fourth.
Lloyd gained two places on the opening lap, slotting into P11 as Al Azhari dropped back. Larsen also picked up one place to run 17th, once Al Azhari eventually retired with a technical issue. When Avramides pitted, Lloyd moved up into the top ten.
By lap six, Larsen had climbed to 16th, while Campbell-Pilling — under investigation for his jump start — attempted to extend his lead to over three seconds from McLaughlin. Lloyd continued to pressure Palmer but the latter held his ground.
However, Larsen’s charge was halted on lap eight when contact forced her to pit for a new front wing. She rejoined a lap down, and was eventually classified 20th at the chequered flag.
Meanwhile, Lloyd remained within a second of Palmer and set her personal best lap in the 49.2s. She opened a small gap to Hewetson behind and then moved into ninth place on lap 20 after a strong battle with Bansal.
However, drama struck on lap 21 when a series of collisions unfolded. Lloyd was caught up, sustaining damage, and the race was red-flagged with two minutes left. With the result rolled back one lap, Lloyd was provisionally classified ninth. A post-race penalty for her involvement in the contact dropped her to P14 overall, although she still secured third in the Challenge Cup classification.
On Sunday morning, Lloyd lined up P13, while Larsen started P18.
Lloyd made a strong getaway, climbing to P11 immediately. Larsen’s race soon ended in heartbreak on the opening lap when she was collected by Joslyn’s Fortec car, which had been pushed onto the grass and rejoined out of control. Bearman was also involved, and the Safety Car was deployed.
Racing resumed with nine minutes left. Lloyd immediately attacked Campbell-Pilling for tenth, while Jeff-Hall pressured her from behind. The pair ran wheel-to-wheel on the main straight, with Lloyd bravely holding the inside line through the chicane to stay ahead.
The duel continued over the next lap as Fu joined the fight, forcing Hall to defend and giving Lloyd a moment to breathe. Further up the road, Campbell-Pilling passed McLaughlin, and Lloyd closed in on the battle but couldn’t quite insert herself into the mix.
The Welsh driver was then part of a thrilling five-car scrap, at one point going three-wide with McLaughlin before having to slot back behind. On the final lap, she defended strongly from Fu to secure P11 at the flag, narrowly missing out on points but showing great fighting spirit.
The final race of the weekend — the 21st race of the 2025 British F4 season — saw Lloyd start P13 from row seven, with Larsen in P18.
When the lights went out, Jeff Hall stalled on the grid, while Campbell-Pilling jumped Bearman to take the lead. Lloyd produced an incredible launch, gaining five positions to climb into P8 by the first corner. Larsen avoided the stationary Argenti car and held 18th. The Safety Car was deployed after a chaotic opening lap.
On the restart, Lloyd pressured Piszcyk while also fending off Joslyn in a frantic top-ten battle. She stayed with the front runners and looked for a way through on the Australian, before Mercier’s off triggered another Safety Car on lap eight.
When racing resumed, Lloyd and Joslyn went side by side into Turn 2, making contact that forced Lloyd off into the grass. She rejoined but dropped to 15th before eventually pitting with damage.
Larsen meanwhile lost a place early but regained it to run 18th, then gained another spot when Lloyd pitted. When Albag went off into the gravel, Larsen climbed to 17th and battled Smith while keeping Kraling in sight.
On lap 22, a multi-car incident unfolded on the main straight when Molnar and McLaughlin collided at the final corner, triggering chaos as others tried to avoid them. Larsen seized the opportunity to rise to P15, though Smith retook the position on the same lap.
With two minutes remaining, Lloyd’s race came to a premature end as she spun into the gravel after rejoining at the back. The race was red-flagged and ended with Larsen classified P15, gaining three positions from her starting spot.
Despite their misfortune at Knockhill, both Ella Lloyd and Alba Larsen collected valuable Challenge Cup points. McLaren junior Lloyd now sits second in the class standings with 218.5 points, while Larsen is fourth with 167 points.
Both drivers will return to action in F1 Academy at Zandvoort on 30–31 August and will therefore miss the next British F4 round at Donington. They are expected to return to the British series on 20–21 September at Silverstone.
