As the GB4 campaign went on, the obvious headlines were generated by Tom Mills and his nearest challengers for the title, but further down the grid, a number of other drivers showed big improvements, as they adapted to single-seater competition, and racing in general.
For single-seater rookie Thomas Lee, it was a year of strong progression as he adapted not only to slicks and wings, but also a new country and circuits he’d never seen before.
Based on the Supertimes method outlined in our Fast Five article, it’s clear to see just how much Lee improved as the season went on.
At Oulton Park, the Taiwanese-American’s pace at the event was at 106.984% of the outright fastest lap times, but he made giant leaps as the season went on, until he was just 103.218% off the best efforts at the Donington Park finale.
That equates to an approximate 3.389 second gain per lap (over an example 1m30s lap) compared to his rivals, underlining the learning potential on offer in a category like GB4, something Lee himself was keen to emphasise.
“The biggest factor on my improvement would definitely be seat time” he said. “Every minute that I was behind the wheel was a learning experience which really helped me progress my driving style in open wheeled cars.”
His progress left him in emphatic mood.
“I was beyond pleased with my results at the end of the season. To be quite frank, the excitement was non-stop but each race taught me something new, which totally progressed my driving.”
His progress came despite the complexities of life that don’t yet affect his younger on track rivals!
“As you know, I am a father and have a family back in Taiwan, this made it harder to get behind the wheel of a GB4 car to get as much practice as the other drivers.
“If I’d had more ability to get more seat time, understand the abilities of the car, this would greatly improve my overall confidence, which I’m sure could have improved my results even more.
“This doesn’t take away from how much fun and excitement the series brought me. It was an honour to compete against so much amazing talent on the grid. The series has taught me so much and I just can’t wait to see what we get on to next!”
There were big gains witnessed with other drivers too, privateer Dylan Hotchin edged 1.5 seconds closer to the pace throughout the campaign, having improved his average from 105.351% to 103.634%, while Fox Motorsport’s Sid Smith and KMR Sport’s Jack Clifford also made big progress, on average more than a second closer to the pace at the end of the year compared to the start.
GB4 pace big gainers:
1. Thomas Lee, Evans GP, 106.984% to 103.218% (equivalent to 3.389 seconds around a 90 second lap)
2. Dylan Hotchin, Dylan Hotchin, 105.351% to 103.634% (1.545s)
3. Sid Smith, Fox Motorsport, 102.009% to 100.641% (1.232s)
4. Jack Clifford, KMR Sport, 102.065% to 100.766% (1.169s)
