VRD Racing by Arden’s Nikita Johnson won the final race of the GB3 Championship season at Brands Hatch, as Rodin Motorsport’s Louis Sharp wrapped up the Driver’s Championship.
Having won the second race of the round, Sharp needed to finish inside the top 11 to guarantee the title, and he did just that by finishing 10th.
“I’m super happy,” commented Sharp. “I have to give a big thank you to everyone at the Rodin Motorsport team; they’ve done a mega job this year. Obviously, it was my rookie season in GB3 and they got me up to speed very quickly and have obviously turned out to be a great team. I knew that; it’s my third year with the team and I really can’t ask for much better and my success is really down to them, so a huge thank you to them.”
Sharp was very nearly wiped out of the race by a spinning Hugo Schwarze on the first lap, but just about steered clear to bank the final spot in the top 10 and secure the title with a clean race. The British-born New Zealander secures a prize FIA F3 test as a result and becomes the first driver to secure back-to-back British F4 and GB3 crowns as a result.
“I’m so grateful to be in this position. I don’t think very many people go F4 and then the next year win the GB3 Championship, so I’m very lucky and very happy. I’ve got to give a big thank you to the whole team, my dad, who’s been over here with me the whole step of the way, and my success is also down to him and my family and friends, not only in New Zealand but the UK as well. A big, big thank you to everyone involved.”
Nearest rival, John Bennett, needed to finish inside the top two to have any chance of stealing the title, but could only work his way up to ninth.
Johnson’s win was his second of the year, withstanding big pressure from Rodin’s outgoing champion Callum Voisin, with his teammate Arthur Rogeon finishing third to ensure Rodin won the Team’s Championship also.
Elite Motorsport’s Jarrod Waberski engaged in battle with Hitech’s Will Macintyre throughout, and emerged on top to claim fourth with the British driver fifth.
JHR’s Patrick Heuzenroeder took sixth ahead of Hitech’s Tymek Kucharczyk who secured third in the championship, while JHR’s Bennett found his way past Sharp at the start to take ninth, but was unable to progress from there.
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Brands Hatch race three provisional result:
1/ Nikita Johnson, VDR Racing by Arden, 17 laps
2/ Callum Voisin, Rodin Carlin, +0.178s
3/ Arthur Rogeon, Rodin Motorsport, +3.553s
4/ Jarrod Waberski, Elite Motorsport, +7.841s
5/ Will Macintyre, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +8.211s
6/ Patrick Heuzenroeder, JHR Developments, +10.051s
7/ Gerrard Xie, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +10.554s
8/ Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +10.826s
9/ John Bennett, JHR Developments, +11.421s
10/ Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, +12.008s
11/ Mckenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, +12.445s
12/ James Hedley, Chris Dittmann Racing, +13.589s
13/ Seb Murray, Chris Dittmann Racing, +17.845s
14/ Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, +18.180s
15/ Aditya Kulkarni, Hillspeed, +18.459s
16/ Josh Irfan, JHR Developments, +20.394s
17/ Tom Mills, Chris Dittmann Racing, +22.634s
18/ Shawn Rashid, VRD Racing by Arden, +23.069s
19/ Hugo Schwarze, Elite Motorsport, DNF
20/ Noah Ping, VRD Racing by Arden, DNF
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Brands Hatch race two top six result:
1/ Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, 14 laps
2/ John Bennett, JHR Developments, +0.476s
3/ Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech Pulse-Eight, +1.502s
4/ McKenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, +4.968s
5/ Jarrod Waberski, Elite Motorsport, +8.090s
6/ Arthur Rogeon, Rodin Motorsport, +8.832s
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, final driver’s standings after race 24 of 24
1/ Louis Sharp, Rodin Motorsport, 478pts
2/ John Bennett, JHR Developments, 456pts
3/ Tymek Kucharczyk, Hitech Pulse-Eight, 443pts
4/ McKenzy Cresswell, Elite Motorsport, 376pts
5/ Will Macintyre, Hitech Pulse-Eight, 372pts
6/ Jarrod Waberski, Elite Motorsport, 286pts
GB3 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, final team’s standings after race 24 of 24
1/ Rodin Motorsport, 933pts
2 Hitech Pulse-Eight, 908pts
3/ Elite Motorsport, 729pts
4/ JHR Developments, 680pts
5/ VRD Racing by Arden, 528pts
6/ Fortec Motorsports, 296pts
Comments