Exciting single-seater talent Marcus Luzio will make the step-up to the GB3 Championship with multiple race winners Hillspeed, having agreed a surprise deal with the Markham Vale squad during this weekend’s GB4 event at Donington Park.
The 17-year-old, from Lichfield, has enjoyed a strong start to the GB4 Championship season where Richard Ollerenshaw’s Hillspeed team has been providing the privateer runner with key engineering expertise.
Yesterday, (Sunday), the two parties finalised an agreement to propel the GB4 podium finisher into GB3 as soon as this weekend (1/2 June), when the series resumes for its third event of 2024 at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
The deal, which will see Luzio join Aditya Kulkarni in Hillspeed’s GB3 line-up at Spa and also the remaining UK-based rounds at Silverstone, Donington Park and Brands Hatch, was revealed on the live stream broadcast on Sunday afternoon ahead of the weekend’s final GB4 race at Donington.
Hard work is already underway behind the scenes to secure outside funding to enable Luzio to also race as team-mate to Kulkarni in the two other overseas GB3 events – the trips to the Hungaroring in late June and the visit to Zandvoort in mid-July. Additionally, Hillspeed is hoping to make a further announcement in the not-too-distant future regarding a third car in GB3.
Luzio started his maiden season of single-seaters in GB4 at Oulton Park over Easter weekend with a very strong best result of eighth position. For the next event at Silverstone he enlisted the assistance of Hillspeed and the partnership immediately shone, as he scorched to a maiden GB4 podium with third in the opening race of the weekend – an incredible drive from 11th on the grid.
This weekend at Donington, an excellent qualifying performance delivered fourth on the grid for round seven, only 0.3 seconds shy of pole position, and such was Luzio’s consistency his second quickest lap secured a front-row start for round eight.
Just missing another podium in the opening contest with fourth, with the GB3 deal affirmed before race two, the youngster knew he had to post a race finish in order to achieve the signatures required on his race licence to compete at Spa. With that in mind, Luzio drove a reserved race and didn’t take any risks on his way to ninth place – his eye on the bigger prize of climbing the ladder to GB3.
Richard Ollerenshaw, Hillspeed Team Principal said: “We are absolutely delighted to have completed this deal with Marcus and his father Gian to make the step-up with Hillspeed into GB3. Marcus has shown tremendous ability and speed during the few races he has had in GB4, and since we began working with him at Silverstone we have been mightily impressed by his exceptional performances with so little single-seater experience.
“It’s certainly an ask for Marcus, making his GB3 debut at a track like Spa, but the test he did with us in the GB3 car recently was outstanding. The plan for the Luzio family was to use this year as a learning year, achieve the necessary signatures on the racing licence, and then look to move into GB3 in 2025. Things have obviously developed a little faster than that, we can’t wait for Spa!”
Marcus Luzio said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Hillspeed in GB3. I only stepped into a single-seater car for the first time eight weeks ago at Oulton Park, and the guys at Hillspeed were very helpful in my first privateer race. Despite having such limited experience as a driver, Hillspeed has managed to bring me on significantly.
“I was given the opportunity to test the GB3 car at Donington two weeks ago and it was an amazing experience. It was a fantastic test and driving that car made me realise I wanted to move up as quickly as I could. Although I know it is going to be extremely challenging racing against the experienced GB3 grid, I cannot wait to be at Spa. We are so thankful for all the coaching, set-up work and support that Hillspeed has provided so far, and I can’t wait to get onto the grid with the team in this new challenge.”
