The GB4 Championship in Partnership with the BRDC has already attracted 11 teams ahead of its inaugural season in 2022, and all are reporting strong levels of driver interest.
Teams from single-seaters, karting and GT racing are among those to have committed to the new championship, and here’s how seven of them are feeling as preparations start to ramp up.
Elite Motorsport highlights GB4’s affordability as being a key attraction for drivers.
“It’s going to hit the sweet spot in terms of budget for entry level single seaters,” says Team Principal Eddie Ives.
“We’ve had plenty of interest. We’ve got quite a few people just waiting for us to get hold of a car, and then we’ll be out testing and we’ll see from there.”
Fortec Motorsports, an internationally-renowned powerhouse when it comes to single-seater competition, is also branching out into GB4. Team Principal Richard Dutton is enthusiastic about the levels of enquiries his team has already received.
“We’ve got quite a bit of interest,” he commented.
“It looks like the grids are going to be very positive. We intend to do both GB4 and FIA Formula 4 and there’s a different market for both. It should feed in nicely. We’re looking forward to getting the car, getting going and getting out there running.”
Hart GT is looking to expand its interests from karting and sports cars into GB4, and Team Principal Nick Hart believes GB4 is a much-needed series for young drivers.
“Motorsport has been straining and shouting for something like this; the budget, age eligibility and the ladder,” he says. “It’s going to be the next stage from Ginetta Juniors that we’ve been screaming for.”
Hillspeed’s Richard Ollerenshaw is another to report high interest from drivers from home and abroad.
“I think there is a very good pool of drivers who want to want to make the transition into modern single-seaters,” he said. “Unfortunately, the perceived high costs and the lack of the correct championship before now has previously stopped this from happening.
“It now looks like several drivers are re-evaluating their options for 2022 and will get the opportunity to drive an open-wheel car. Overseas drivers are already eyeing GB4 as a very attractive option as there is nothing similar being operated in the vast majority of the major motorsport countries.”
Reigning British F4 champion squad JHR Developments has already raced in the GB3 Championship, and will expand into GB4 next year.
“At this moment in time it looks a very popular series and I don’t think it’ll be difficult to get quite a few cars on the grid,” Team Principal Steven Hunter said.
“The interest is very strong, there’s no question on that. It certainly fits the budget of a lot of drivers and it fulfils a very large gap in the market.
“It fits in exceptionally well with what we do already, and I think it’s an area that there has been a gap for quite some time.”
GB4 has provided Formula Ford team Oldfield Motorsport with an opportunity to expand into slicks and wings racing, something Team Principal James Oldfield has been keen to do for some time.
“It’s the first series that’s come along in the UK since MSV ran the original BRDC F4 that has been realistic and gives genuine potential for my team to step up into,” he commented.
“I’ve worked in British F4 with other teams, I know what goes on inside that championship and what level of preparation, dedication, commitment and investment you need at that level, but we just weren’t at that point.
“GB3 is obviously the pinnacle of the single-seater championships in the UK and that’s ultimately the end target for us, and GB4 helps me get a second step on the ladder as a team owner. From a smaller team’s point of view it was financially viable and suitable for us to compete in, so it was a no nonsense decision to compete in from my point. It came along and I wanted to jump at it as soon as it came along.”
Richardson Racing meanwhile look to transfer their race-winning form from Ginetta Juniors and British F4 into GB4, with Team Principal Gwyn Richardson in favour of the ‘bigger and more flowing circuits’ in particular.
He commented: “The bigger circuits are an attraction with GB4, to run on the more open flowing circuits like Silverstone GP, Brands GP, Donington GP.
“There are a lot of drivers in Ginetta Junior, and the odd one or two has the budget to go and do F4 and F3 and probably about as far as that. But a lot of them have got the budget to do GB4 in the way it’s been forecast to work out.”
