Lubricant supplier Motul is to continue as official lubricant supplier to the ROKiT British F4 Championship for the 2023 season.
The extended partnership was announced at the Autosport International show. This is the second year of the UK series running the Tatuus chassis and Abarth engine, and is Motul’s third season providing lubricants for the FIA-certified championship.
The British F4 Championship is a key first rung on the ladder of single-seater racing for many drivers aspiring to reach F1. Last year demonstrated how much faster and more exciting the racing was with the new car. It features the Tatuus T-421 chassis, complete with state-of-the-art safety measures, such as a Halo-style cockpit protection device, reinforced side anti-intrusion panels and on-board safety signalling systems.
The engine is the 1.4 litre turbocharged, Abarth 414-F4 dry sump four-cylinder engine which produces around 160BHP and comes courtesy of Abarth, the brand that has long been responsible for fast Fiat-derived ‘hot-hatch models.
British F4 Championship proving ground for Motul
The ROKiT British F4 Championship requires a ‘controlled engine oil’ that is supplied to all teams equally. For the 2023 season, Motul will again supply its 8100 X-Power 10w/60.
Like most of Motul’s lubricant range, 8100 X-Power owes much to Motul’s motorsport heritage and the company is using the heat of motorsport competition to help develop and test its new product. However, unlike Motul’s legendary 300V – the world’s first fully synthetic car engine oil – the 8100 range is designed for everyday motoring.
Motorsport is a great arena for testing of automotive components, lubricants and systems, especially those that will end up in normal roadgoing cars. The slightest problem or imperfection can cost teams points, wins, even championships. With this pressure, the product used has to be good from the off, and in a closely fought competition, such as the British F4 Championship, the products used have to be reliable. If they can prove themselves on track, they are good enough off it.
“We are delighted to be continuing as the mandated motor oil for the ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA again this year,” explained Richard Barrett, Senior Brand Manager of MDL, distributors of Motul products into the UK’s Powersport and Motorsport sectors. “Motul 8100 X-Power, the lubricant of choice for the series, is a remarkable oil. It is unusual having a passenger car oil in a race series, but it will continue to demonstrate that if it can deal with the demands of this high-pressure race series, with all its extreme demands, then it is a great option for everyday road use.
Providing an equal playing field
Neil Brown Engineering will provide the British F4 championship’s technical knowledge, which means giving support to teams and drivers at each of the rounds. Neil Brown Engineering (NBE) are also again responsible for engine equalisation during the year for F4, which includes monitoring performance throughout the season to help ensure all competitors race from a level playing field.
Motul’s long-established relationship with Neil Brown also has a positive impact on this work in maintaining parity of performance between all cars and this means that driver ability is the prime determining factor in achieving success in F4.
“We are also delighted that Motul is continuing to work with Neil Brown Engineering, as they have long been convinced of the merits of Motul’s product range and are as professional an engine preparation outfit as it is possible to find,” added Barrett.
“Motul’s products provide exactly the performance required to help maintain parity within the strict limits of the championship and our use of their products in our workshop is extensive. We’re confident therefore that Motul will continue to give us everything we need to maintain what are acknowledged as industry-leading engine equalisation programmes,” explains NBE Workshop Manager Wayne Mathurin. The tight window in which we operate for parity of performance on the engines means that no two individual competitors should be discernible from one another in the ROKiT British F4 Championship.”
“We are delighted to be working, once again, with Motul as the Official Lubricants Partner to ROKiT British F4,” said Hugh Chambers, Motorsport UK’s Chief Executive Officer (left of main picture). “Our vision to build Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series into a global leader at this level of the sport continues, and the foundation of this is a strong technical infrastructure, both in terms of scrutineering and the quality of the components and products that we use.”
The 2023 ROKiT British F4 Championship certified by FIA kicks off at Donington Park on April 22, as part of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) programme. It runs through to Brands Hatch over the weekend of October 6-7. Action from the series will be broadcast live and free-to-air on ITV4 throughout the season.
For further details of Motul’s products, its history and partnerships, and the latest Motul news, visit www.motul.com
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