17-year-old motorsport driver Rowan Campbell-Pilling, from Sheffield, has picked up a further four trophies in a remarkable first year in F4.
This was at a weekend at Donington Park, which is renowned as the fastest circuit in the UK: with F4 cars hitting speeds of over 145mph in front of over 20,000 spectators.
It also saw Campbell-Pilling drive a new car for the very first time on a full Grand Prix circuit: the Italian Tatuus Formula 4 car.
Qualifying was on a very wet track for the drivers, but the young Sheffield native worked well in the tough conditions and he improved from a second-place finish in Race 1 of the Rookie cups to win the second and third races, before grabbing an official podium place by finishing third in the final race.
This is his first British F4 podium, and was achieved despite falling back from a front-row start into fourth place – he battled back ahead of Ella Lloyd to secure a fantastic third-place.
Rowan said: “It’s been a real treat to be back at Donington Park – it’s a great place to race with Rokit British F4. I love driving the high-speed and technical parts of the circuit, but to have had such a successful weekend too is incredible. We’ve achieved and learned so much this round.
“I’m so grateful for the continued support of all the team, our family, our friends, and my wonderful fans. It’s great to see everyone enjoying the journey we’re on! Thank you.”
This comes after two trophies in his F4 debut at Donington Park earlier this year – and brings his total up to 16 trophies.
Currently in the Rookie tournament, for drivers competing for the first time, the 17-year-old is looking to continue his progression – with a pathway to Formula 1 in his sights.
Michael Meadows, Argenti Motorsport Team Principal, said: “Rowan has had a fantastic round at Donington this weekend. His race positions and his timings are super impressive – he is regularly topping the timesheets – especially for someone his age and in his rookie year in F4.
“We can’t wait to see what he achieves in the next two rounds of the season.”
During the weekend at Donington, Rowan also announced his role as Children’s Champion for The Children’s Hospital Charity.
Children’s Champions donate regularly towards enhancements to Sheffield’s Children’s, funding hundreds of thousands of pounds of equipment, research and new facilities.
What an amazing weekend @DoningtonParkUK!
It was amazing to announce that I have become a Children’s Champion for @SheffChildrens 🌟
To top the weekend off, I got back on the podium taking third in race three and two rookie wins!
Absolutely #buzzing after this weekend pic.twitter.com/JDKkuKX1MZ
— Rowan Campbell-Pilling (@officialrowancp) August 28, 2024
A huge advocate for the charity, Rowan has been raising money for them for over 18 months between F4 races, an intense training programme and school.
He raised £10,000 in 2023, and by September 2024, aims to have raised a total of over £25,000 to help support the hospital’s patients and their families.
Rowan added: “I’m honoured to be a Children’s Champion for The Children’s Hospital Charity and to continue to raise money and awareness for the wonderful work they do.
“It was amazing to welcome members of the charity team to Donington to celebrate.”
His next race will take place at Silverstone, where the F4 tournament continues on 20-22 September.
That’s one of just two more rounds in this year’s F4 Championship, and you can follow all the action, as British F4 races are broadcast live on ITV4.
Featured image credit: Jakob Ebrey
