Fortec Motorsports’ Jordyn Martin was firmly amongst the midfield during the GB4 Championship season opener at Silverstone, her first weekend in both GB4 and British motorsport.
The young American qualified 14th in her debut qualifying, and only 1.3 seconds away from pole around the longest circuit of the year. That performance also meant she was the quickest of the five female contenders on this season’s grid, and the second highest Rookie.
Her best race performance of the event came in race two as she secured 14th once more, and underlined her competitiveness with 16th in race three.
“I really enjoyed the first round at Silverstone” Martin comments. “It was an amazing experience and a huge learning step. Every session I learned something new and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
“I was happy with the pace we brought into qualifying. Although 14th is not where I want to be in the long run, it was a great start to the season. Being competitive was very encouraging, especially in my first GB4 weekend. My main goal is to keep improving in each session and to score as high as I can.”
The 15-year-old has joined Fortec for her first season in the UK, a team with a huge track record in single-seaters, and she’s already benefiting from the environment within the squad, and from the benchmark provided by teammate Thomas Ingram Hill.
“Being with Fortec has been more than amazing. Their experience and knowledge is huge, and they’ve helped me develop a lot already. Both technically and mentally. I’m learning so much and I continue to learn every day and every time I’m in the car.
“Having Thomas as a teammate has helped guide me a lot. He has a lot of experience in GB4, so being able to compare video and data has been a huge help on adapting quicker.”
Jordyn is combining life at home in Florida with her racing commitments in the UK, and while it’s a challenge, she’s appreciative of the support network she has around her.
“It can definitely be challenging balancing life in the USA with racing in the UK, especially with travel and time away from home, but having such a supportive family makes a huge difference,” she comments. “They’ve sacrificed a lot to help me chase this opportunity, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Oulton Park is the next stop on the calendar, and Martin is keen to get back on track at a venue she enjoyed in pre-season testing.
“I’m really looking forward to Oulton Park, it’s one of my favourite tracks, and it’s a very different challenge compared to Silverstone.
“My targets are to keep improving, continue learning the car, and to fight for the strongest results throughout the weekend.”
While already operating in the midfield, Jordyn has set her sights on competing higher up the field as the year progresses.
“My overall targets for the season are to keep developing as a driver and to keep closing the gap to the front.
“This is my first full season in open-wheel racing, so the focus is on building experience while also pushing for the strongest positions possible.”
