A bright new start as GB3 raises its game

The beginning of a new season dawns for the GB3 Championship this weekend, and one which promises to be its most successful to date. More than 20 drivers have been confirmed – many signed up months in advance – across nine teams, while a new car promises a significant lowering of lap times.

One of the championship favourites will likely be Luke Browning, who joins the series full-time in 2022 with Hitech GP after spending last season in the German ADAC Formula 4 Championship, where he finished third overall. This weekend’s Oulton Park opener will not be the first time the 20-year-old will have raced in GB3 – he impressed in a one-off outing last season with Fortec Motorsports at the same venue, taking a win and a further podium (which he was stripped of post-race following a technical infringement).

This came off the back of Browning winning the British F4 title in 2020 by the slimmest of margins over Zak O’Sullivan, who would go on to dominate GB3 last season with Carlin.

Browning is talking up his move into GB3 at this stage of his career, citing the performance increase of this year’s cars as significant. “I actually don’t think it’s a sidestep this year because with the new car it’s just such a big step [in performance], close to three seconds quicker than it was last year,” says the Briton. “In racing terms, that’s huge.

“We want to win the championship, that’s what we’re here for. That’s what I’ve been drafted in for and that’s what I believe the team is capable of. I’ll be disappointed if we’re not on the front row when it comes to the start of the season.”

Luke Browning, Hitech GP, GB3 Championship

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

The new car, the Tatuus MSV-022, is a step forward in performance and safety, with