Hitech GP kicks off the defence of its GB3 Championship title this weekend [8-10 April] with a trip to Oulton Park’s International circuit for the curtain-raiser.
The Silverstone-based squad enjoyed a stellar year in 2022, with a collective seven victories and 19 podium finishes across the trio of Cian Shields, Bryce Aron and eventual champion, Luke Browning.
But that was then, and this is now. Armed with a fresh trio of rising stars making the graduation to GB3 from Formula 4, the focus now shifts from winning the championship, to retaining it, after a promising winter programme.
Introducing the next wave of rising stars…
Reigning ROKiT British F4 champion Alex Dunne is undoubtedly one to watch, the Irishman storming to the title by 79 points and setting a new record with eleven wins in a single season.
Dunne also finished runner-up with Hitech’s support in the Italian F4 equivalent, cementing his status as a likely championship contender this time around.
Continuing Hitech GP’s relationship with the Red Bull Junior Team at all levels of the single seater ladder, Japanese talent Souta Arao also makes the step up to GB3 with Hitech.
The 17-year-old was another impressive talent in Formula 4 last term, finishing third in the French series with victories at Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps and on the famous streets of Pau.
Completing the trio is Michael Shin. The 18-year-old raced opposite Dunne in British F4 last season, winning on only his fifth time out at Brands Hatch against a host of the chief title protagonists.
Shin then concluded the year with an appearance at the second edition of the FIA Motorsport Games, racing a Hitech-run FIA F4 Cup machine under the flag of his native South Korea.
View from the Cockpit..
Souta Arao (#21):
“I’ve tested a few times at Silverstone and Oulton Park, and it’s gone really well. I’m definitely improving along with the team, and really looking forward to the year ahead.
“The biggest difference from F4 is definitely the speed and the downforce, but it makes the car very enjoyable to drive.”
Alex Dunne (#22):
“I’m really looking forward to the start of the season. I think we have a little bit more time to find, from what I’ve seen in testing, but I’m sure with time and experience, we’ll be in the mix.
“Last year was fantastic, breaking records and enjoying plenty of success, but nothing in motorsport is guaranteed and I’m expecting it to be trickier this time around, having gone up another level.
“In my opinion, there are at least 15 drivers on this grid who can be up there regularly fighting for race wins, and the times in testing have reinforced that. It’s going to be a very close championship, but I’m looking forward to the fight.”
Michael Shin (#23):
“The important thing for me this year is just to progress, from now until the end of the year at Donington Park. Hopefully we can finish within the top ten and keep building every round.”
“As team-mates, we’re learning a lot from each other, on setup and driving. It’s really good to have two strong drivers as team-mates. As drivers, we all have different techniques, they might be faster in other corners, so it’s helpful to compare.”
Catch all the action live!
Oulton Park begins an eight-event, 24-race schedule comprising all of the UK’s major venues, as well as overseas trips to Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort.
Races are broadcast live on MSV TV’s YouTube channel, and are free to access. Live timing throughout the event is available at www.tsl-timing.com.
The timetable for the weekend is as follows:
Saturday
Qualifying – 11:10
Race 1 – 15:00
Monday
Race 2 – 09:35
Race 3 – 13:50
