Driver Academy report: Ollie Gray bags hat-trick of podiums at Brands Hatch

Formula One might not have been in action this weekend after its Miami adventures, but the on-track action continued for Williams Racing as Ollie Gray tackled British F4 at Brands Hatch.

Our teenage Academy driver will need to find more space in his trophy cabinet after scooping silverware in each of the three races.

Although Ollie's first win of 2022 is still to come, he demonstrated patience and consistency while his title rivals faltered. His superb driving at the Kent circuit saw him slice the championship deficit from 37 to just 15 points, catapulting the young Brit back into contention for the title.

Ollie's results are even more impressive considering a frustrating qualifying that saw him finish the session in sixth place. However, there was some cause for celebration as the Carlin driver's second-fastest time, used to set the grid for Race 3, was good enough for a front-row start on the weekend's final race.

The teenager got the better of his teammate Ugo Ugochukwu on the opening lap of Race 1 to gain two places by the time he completed a lap of Brands Hatch's Indy layout.

Aiden Neate had stalled from second place, meaning the Williams Academy driver jumped from P6 to P4, where he would remain for the race duration, soaking up pressure from the chasing Ugochukwu.

After crossing the line in P2, Georgi Dimitrov received a 10-second penalty for a jump start, and Ollie improved to third place for his first trophy of the weekend.

The reverse grid Race 2 saw a P5 start for our young driver, but again, he immediately improved on the first lap. After gaining two positions off the starting line, Ollie took second place by the time the pack reached Turn 3 with a move around the outside of Druids.

Again, his incredible opening lap proved crucial as he established his position to bring home a P2 finish while championship leader Alex Dunne retired.

With the Carlin racer starting in P2 for the wet final race, another opening lap overtake meant one thing – he was the race leader after Dunne's poor getaway had the Irishman slip to third.

Ugochukwu also made it past Dunne and up to second place. However, a mid-race safety car allowed Ollie’s American teammate to close the gap and pounce on a rare error from our Driver Academy member on the restart. The duo would finish in that order.

Nonetheless, Ollie's consecutive second-place finish meant the Williams Academy driver was the highest points scorer over the Brands Hatch weekend.

With championship leader Dunne enduring another disappointing race, it's all to play for at Thruxton in two weeks.