Malvern caps season with Festival win, pays tribute to Wheldon

Scott Malvern took victory in Sunday's Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch to cap a stunning season of dominance for the Essex-born racer.

22-year-old Malvern has enjoyed a record-breaking campaign, picking up 18 British series wins on his way to the title, the inaugural Formula Ford Eurocup and now the prestigious Festival crown.

Malvern qualified on pole and won his heat, quarter final and semi-final races before beating Dutch driver Steijn Schothorst to the chequered flag by 0.4s in the final. He joins the likes of F1 world champion Jenson Button and grand prix winners Eddie Irvin and Johnny Herbert as a Festival winner.

“It couldn’t have gone any better for me,” Malvern said afterwards. “This was the one I wanted to win all year.

"The plan was to try to run away and hide and I nearly achieved that. I struggled a bit for pace early on in the final but was just able to keep Steijn behind. It’s a great end to my Formula Ford season.”

However Malvern later admitted that his win had been soured by news of Dan Wheldon's death in Sunday's Indycar season-closer. Brit Wheldon was a Formula Ford front-runner before hitting it big in America, finishing as runner-up to Button at the '98 Festival.

“I went to bed last night over the moon,” Scott said on Monday, “and woke up to the news about Dan. It’s very hard to take and a double blow coming so soon after the death of Martin Hines.

“They will both be missed by British motorsport,” he added.

Watch Formula Ford Festival highlights on Motors TV


James Weeks