GB3 Championship

Open-wheel motorsport formula based in the United Kingdom From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The GB3 Championship is a single seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. The championship is the UK's premier single-seater category, and is aimed at young racing drivers moving up from FIA Formula 4 championships, the GB4 Championship or Karting. Having previously been known since 2013 as the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, the championship was renamed the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with the backing of the FIA in March 2016.[1] The championship was rebranded to GB3 Championship in August 2021.[2]

Inaugural season2013
ConstructorsTatuus
Quick facts Category, Country ...
GB3 Championship
CategorySingle seaters
CountryUnited Kingdom
Inaugural season2013
ConstructorsTatuus
Engine suppliersFord Duratec
Tyre suppliersPirelli
Drivers' championAustralia Alex Ninovic
Teams' championNew Zealand Rodin Motorsport
Official websitewww.gb-3.net
Current season
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Like most junior formula series, it is a spec series, meaning all competitors use identical cars, engines, and tyres. While not officially branded as a Formula Regional series, the car specification for the 2025 season conforms to that of Formula Regional. Previous cars have been similar in performance to FR.[3]

History

The predecessor of the GB3 Championship was the Formula 4 racing series operated by the 750 Motor Club. The series was awarded to MotorSport Vision from the 2013 season. Under the BRDC F4 moniker, British driver Jake Hughes was the first champion of the series in 2013, driving for Lanan Racing. The championship top three of Hughes, vice-champion Seb Morris and Charlie Robertson were all finalists in that year's McLaren Autosport BRDC Award.

In 2014, George Russell was crowned champion following a dramatic victory in the season finale at Snetterton. Russell beat his Lanan Racing teammate Arjun Maini by just three points and went on to win the 2014 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award later in the year.

Will Palmer was crowned the 2015, champion after a dominant campaign in which he took 12 victories from the 24 races. His HHC Motorsport teammate Harri Newey finished as runner-up, with Palmer subsequently named as the winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in December.

On 23 March 2016, the FIA and MSA revealed to the FIA World Motor Sport Council that an agreement had been reached the day prior to rebrand the BRDC Formula 4 Championship in order to reflect the increased pace of the new car designed for the 2016 season, and to fill the void left after the British Formula 3 Championship folded in 2014.[4]

In the first season of BRDC British F3, Matheus Leist secured the championship in the final weekend of the season, while British driver Lando Norris won three races and was named the winner of the 2016 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in December.

Enaam Ahmed claimed the title after a dominant campaign in 2017 which saw him win a total of 13 races.

Linus Lundqvist won the championship in 2018, which also saw him claim a prize drive at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona. Subsequent champions were Clement Novalak and Kaylen Frederick, both driving for Carlin.

In August 2021 the series was renamed as GB3 Championship, after the FIA decided to restrict the use of "F3" to the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and the 2021 car did not meet FIA standards for Formula Regional accreditation.[5] British racing driver Zak O'Sullivan was the first to win the title under the new name.[6] The following month, MSV announced a new support series would be launched with the GB4 Championship.[7]

Shortly after the rebrand, the series announced a new car would be used for 2022, the Tatuus MSV-022, with performance and safety upgrades including the addition of the halo.[8] The new car has proven to be around two to three seconds a lap quicker than its predecessor.[9]

For 2025, the series will introduce the Tatuus MSV GB3-025, which will feature "F1-inspired aero", DRS and a new Mountune 2.0L generating 280bhp, among other changes.[10]

Points system

Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race, except the reverse grid race two, using the following system in 2013:

More information Place, Points ...
Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Points 30 25 20 18 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Points are awarded to all finishing drivers in each race, using the following system since 2014:

More information Races, Position, points per race ...
Races Position, points per race
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th
Races 1 & 3 35 29 24 21 19 17 15 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Reverse grid race (2) 25 22 20 18 16 15 14
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In the reverse grid races, an extra point is awarded per position gained compared to each drivers' starting position.

Champions

Operating under 750 Motor Club

All champions were British-registered.

More information Season, Champion ...
Season Champion Class A2 Class B Class C Class D Class E
2006 United Kingdom Chris Lewis United Kingdom Chris Vinall United Kingdom Peter Monk United Kingdom Paul Rider United Kingdom Malcolm Scott
2007 United Kingdom Steve Savage United Kingdom Chris Kite United Kingdom Clive Yorath United Kingdom Stuart Wright United Kingdom Jennifer Scott
2008 United Kingdom Jeremy Walker United Kingdom Clive Yorath United Kingdom Oliver Sirrell
2009 United Kingdom Jonathan Weston-Taylor[11] United Kingdom Will Thompson (as Revelation Series) United Kingdom Charles Adrian United Kingdom Paul Presgraves
2010 United Kingdom Malcolm Scott United Kingdom David Woodsworth-Dale United Kingdom Clive Yorath United Kingdom Paul Presgraves United Kingdom John Whitbourn
2011 United Kingdom Oliver Sirrell United Kingdom Charles Adrian United Kingdom Ashley Dibden United Kingdom Scott Moakes
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BRDC Formula 4 Championship

More information Season, Champion ...
Season Champion Jack Cavill Pole Position Cup Winter Series Champion Autumn Trophy Champion The Who Zooms Award
2013 United Kingdom Jake Hughes United Kingdom Jake Hughes United Kingdom Matthew Graham not awarded Poland Gosia Rdest
2014 United Kingdom George Russell United Kingdom George Russell United Kingdom Will Palmer not awarded
2015 (2015 AT) United Kingdom Will Palmer United Kingdom Will Palmer not awarded United Kingdom Ben Barnicoat
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BRDC British Formula 3 Championship

More information Season, Champion ...
Season Champion Secondary champion
2016 Brazil Matheus Leist J: United Kingdom Ricky Collard
A:United Kingdom Enaam Ahmed
2017 United Kingdom Enaam Ahmed J: United Kingdom Enaam Ahmed
D:United Kingdom Carlin
2018 Sweden Linus Lundqvist not awarded
2019 United Kingdom Clément Novalak[a]
2020 United States Kaylen Frederick
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GB3 Championship

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Notes

  1. Clément Novalak is a Franco-Swiss driver who competed under a British licence.

References

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