Lily-May Watkins entered GB4 this year as one of the most inexperienced drivers the series had yet featured. The 18-year-old had only tested a single-seater on a handful of occasions before committing to a season with multiple champions KMR Sport, but emerged from it as much more rounded competitor, with promising turns of pace throughout the year.
"Until February I hadn’t even tested the car!" she admits. "Thanks to KMR, my sponsors and the impression I made in my first couple of days in the car, we came to the conclusion that racing in GB4 this year was possible for me."
With a big mountain to climb compared to her rivals, there was plenty of work behind the scenes that brought her closer to the pace, with perhaps a bit of pain thrown in too, after breaking her hand in a crash at Oulton Park. But she recovered from that to claim regular points while moving closer to the pace.
"I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made this year. From having injuries at the start of the season and being towards the back of the grid, to the end of the year being able to fight with people who have far more race experience than me was beyond what I thought was possible for me."
As she built her speed, Watkins reckons building confidence on track was the main area where gains were made in 2025.
"I feel like I improved the most due to my increased confidence in my abilities. My technique has always been good due to my background of sim training, however now that I am believing in myself more I’m able to show my technique more and more. I think my continued work on this will just further improve my progress."
While being a total car racing newcomer, Lily made the step up into cars with the multiple reigning champions KMR Sport, something she was hugely grateful for.
"They have helped me out so much. Tom [Mills] has been a great help both on the sim and going through data which helps me to know where to improve every session. And the team atmosphere is amazing, always being positive and you can tell we are always working towards making everything the best it can be."
With a full season now completed, she's hoping to come back in 2026, and move further up the order while challenging for one of the key prizes on offer in GB4.
"Next year I hope to be back in GB4. The main goal for me next year has to be to win the top female prize, and hoping to make my way further up the grid. This year was all about progress, but next year is when I want to start seeing some results."
