At the British F4 pre-season media event, Deagen Fairclough had one goal for the 2023 season: to finish in the top five. As the season has come to an end, the Brit has overachieved, bringing home 296 points for a comfortable top-three finish behind Rodin Carlin’s Louis Sharp and Hitech’s Will Macintyre.

By Gerren Scapens

After winning the ROKiT Racing Stars simulator competition in 2022, the expectation for the beginning of Fairclough’s single-seater career had been up in the air. This had not been done before, but his pace was quickly apparent, making his way to the podium in only his second race weekend.

The year grew ever stronger for the JHR Developments driver, as he went from zero wins to a win in each of the final three race weekends. In the end, Fairclough grew a 70-point margin to Dion Gowda in fourth after an initial tight battle. His season was topped off by winning the final round of the season.

“Fantastic way to end the season, and I’m dedicating it towards ROKiT, they’ve got me into this position, and I’m so, so grateful,” Fairclough told Feeder Series. “Also the team, JHR, have produced a fantastic car on that final weekend for me. 

“We’ve been able to show our potential that we’ve had all year, and we’ve put it all together for the final and ended on a very high note.”

As it was his debut season in single-seaters, Fairclough’s expectation was to have a ‘learning year’. This has certainly been the case after he had a win taken away through a penalty and a deduction in points through his accumulation of penalty points. However, his patience paid off, as his confidence as the season ended was at an all-time high.

“Yeah, I’m confident whatever I step into, really, this year was just a learning year. I didn’t really expect to be in the top five. Well, I was aiming for the top five at the start of the year but to be top three already is… 

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, really, and it’s those little mistakes that cost us big time in the long run. So, who knows, if we had a better start and middle of the season, then we could have been fighting for the championship lead going into the final.

“I’m so happy, what a way to end the season, and it’s gone by so quick, and it’s quite sad to say that the season’s done. Last race of the season is ours, so I’m very happy.”

The battle for third was an ongoing battle throughout the season, as Gowda led by 13 points after round seven before an 83-point swing in those final three rounds. Fairclough’s form in those rounds is momentum he wishes to utilise no matter where he ends up in 2024.

“I really want to carry the momentum on. I can’t wait to see what’s in the future, what’s in the pipeline, and we can only wait. We’ve got to be patient and see what comes along.”

Header photo credit: Jakob Ebrey