Ginetta Junior Championship
British automobile racing series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ginetta Junior Championship is a British one-make junior motor racing championship organised around Ginetta sports cars. It is designed as an entry-level car racing series for young drivers moving from karting into circuit racing, with eligibility centred on drivers aged 14 to 17.[3][2] From the 2010 season, the championship has used the Ginetta G40, having previously used the Ginetta G20.[4] In 2026, SRO Motorsports Group took over operational management of the series.[5]
| Category | One-make racing by Ginetta |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Affiliations | SRO Motorsports Group |
| Inaugural season | 2005 |
| Constructors | Ginetta |
| Engine suppliers | Ford Zetec |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli[1][2] |
| Drivers' champion |  Rocco Coronel |
| Teams' champion |  R Racing |
| Official website | www |
| Current season | |
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The championship has acted as a development category for drivers who later progressed into touring cars, GT racing, single-seaters and international motorsport.[3][5] Alumni include Lando Norris, Tom Ingram, Jamie Chadwick, Tom Gamble, Luke Browning, Freddie Slater and Abbi Pulling.
Race format
The championship is a one-make series, with drivers competing in Ginetta-built junior racing cars.[3] Race meetings usually consist of multiple races across a race weekend. The 2025 sporting regulations state that each driver's fastest qualifying lap determines the grid for race one, while the second-fastest qualifying lap determines the grid for race two. Where a third race is scheduled, the grid is formed from the finishing order of race two.[2]
Cars
The championship originally used the Ginetta G20, before switching to the Ginetta G40 from the 2010 season.[4] The G40 Junior uses a sealed 1.8-litre Ford Zetec engine, a sealed Quaife six-speed sequential gearbox, a T45 tubular chassis and integral safety cage built to FIA standards, and controlled Pirelli road tyres.[4][2]
History
The championship began in 2005 and became one of Ginetta's main junior racing categories in the United Kingdom.[3][6] The series initially used the Ginetta G20 before the Ginetta G40 was introduced for the 2010 season.[4] Over time, the championship became established as a pathway for drivers graduating from karting into circuit racing.[3][5]
The 2025 season was the championship's 20th anniversary season, during which the series reached its 500th race.[7][6]
In 2026, operational management of the championship moved to SRO Motorsports Group, as part of a wider change to Ginetta's UK one-make racing structure.[5]
Scholarship
The Ginetta Junior Scholarship is an annual selection process associated with the championship. The competition assesses young drivers across areas including on-track driving, media and communication skills, and fitness. The winner receives support towards a season in the Ginetta Junior Championship, including championship entry, use of a G40 Junior Evo, insurance, tyres, fuel and professional car preparation.[8]
Development pathway and racing families
The Ginetta Junior Championship has been used as an early car-racing category by drivers who later progressed into single-seaters, touring cars, GT racing, endurance racing and international motorsport. Ginetta has highlighted the series as part of the early careers of drivers including Lando Norris, Tom Ingram, Jamie Chadwick, Tom Gamble, Luke Browning, Freddie Slater and Abbi Pulling.[9]
The championship has also featured drivers from established motorsport families. Ginetta reported in 2026 that descendants of three Formula One world champions had competed in the series: Henry Surtees, son of John Surtees; Josh Hill, son of Damon Hill and grandson of Graham Hill; and Enzo Fittipaldi, grandson of Emerson Fittipaldi.[10]
Other drivers whose family backgrounds were noted by Ginetta include Will Palmer, son of former Formula One driver Jonathan Palmer; Sebastian Priaulx, son of touring car champion Andy Priaulx; Louis Foster, son of former British Touring Car Championship driver Nick Foster; and Rocco Coronel, son of touring car driver Tom Coronel and racing driver Paulien Zwart.[10]
Champions
| Season | Drivers' champion | Champion's team | Winter Series winner | Scholarship winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Toby Newton |
|||
| 2006 | James Harrison |
|||
| 2007 | Nigel Moore |
Hepworth International | Kieran Vernon |
|
| 2008 | Dino Zamparelli |
Muzz Racing | Josh Hill |
|
| 2009 | Sarah Moore |
Tockwith Motorsport | Aaron Williamson |
|
| 2010 | Tom Ingram |
Hillspeed | Seb Morris |
|
| 2011 | Seb Morris |
Hillspeed | George Gamble |
Sennan Fielding |
| 2012 | Charlie Robertson |
HHC Motorsport | Harry Woodhead |
Oli Basey-Fisher |
| 2013 | Harry Woodhead |
HHC Motorsport | James Kellett |
Jamie Chadwick |
| 2014 | Jack Mitchell |
JHR Developments | Jamie Caroline |
Alex Sedgwick |
| 2015 | Jamie Caroline |
HHC Motorsport | Stuart Middleton |
Stuart Middleton |
| 2016 | Will Tregurtha |
HHC Motorsport | Sebastian Priaulx |
Daniel Harper |
| 2017 | Tom Gamble |
JHR Developments / Elite Motorsport | Adam Smalley |
Adam Smalley |
| 2018 | Adam Smalley |
Elite Motorsport | James Hedley |
James Taylor |
| 2019 | James Hedley |
Elite Motorsport | James Taylor |
Ethan Brooks |
| 2020 | Tom Lebbon |
Elite Motorsport | Cancelled | Tom Lebbon |
| 2021 | Aston Millar |
R Racing | Josh Rowledge |
Maurice Henry Robert de Haan[11] |
| 2022 | Josh Rowledge |
R Racing | Freddie Slater |
Alisha Palmowski[12] |
| 2023 | Freddie Slater |
R Racing | Jude Peters[13] |
|
| 2024 | Ethan Jeff-Hall |
R Racing | Isaac Phelps |
Fred Green |
| 2025 | Rocco Coronel[14] |
R Racing[14] | Jesse Phillips[15] |
Devon Hagelen[8] |
Notable alumni
The following drivers competed in the Ginetta Junior Championship and later achieved notable results in national or international motor racing. The series has been described by Ginetta and motorsport publications as an early development category for drivers who later progressed into Formula One, IndyCar, touring cars, GT racing and endurance racing.[5][9][16]