Joel has scored a breakthrough maiden win in international single-seater racing, battling spectacularly from tenth on the Race 2 grid to snatch victory in yet another British F4 thriller at Thruxton.
Joel stormed through from tenth to fifth on the opening lap alone, setting up his victory charge, and then continued to pick off his rivals one by one until snatching the lead from Abbi Pulling on lap nine.
Pulling fought back, with the pair even making contact in the chicane on lap 13, but Joel was able to maintain the lead in a race which saw the top six covered at one point by just 1.3 seconds in a sensational display.
Joel underpinned his pace by setting the fastest lap of the race, netting him an additional bonus point to combine with those already scored for positions gained – and for the win itself – in the fully reversed-grid event.
“Wow! What a race, absolutely crazy. I thought we were going to crash on the first lap already, going four-five wide through the Complex, but somehow I managed to get around all that and slot into P5. Then I pushed with all the pace I had and managed to take the lead. We’ve been working hard for this, so I’m super happy – and big thanks to the guys on the team as well. Fantastic!”
The victory now hauls Joel to within 38 points of the championship lead. The British F4 weekend concludes on Sunday with Race 3.