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GB4 Championship

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GB4 Championship
CategorySingle seaters
CountryUnited Kingdom
Inaugural season2022
ConstructorsTatuus
Engine suppliersAbarth
Tyre suppliersPirelli
Drivers' championSweden Linus Granfors
Official websitewww.gb-4.net
Current season

The GB4 Championship is a single seater motorsport series based in the United Kingdom. The championship is operated by MotorSport Vision with support from the BRDC, and is aimed at young drivers graduating from karting or club level motorsport such as Formula Ford. The championship was announced in September 2021 and the first season started at Snetterton in April 2022.[1][2]

History

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The championship was launched in September 2021, and was designed to be a low-cost alternative to Formula 4 championships. .[3]

The first round of the inaugural season took place at Snetterton Circuit on 2 April 2022, with the first winner being Nikolas Taylor driving for Fortec Motorsports.[4]

Car

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From 2022 to 2024, the GB4 Championship used the Tatuus F4-T014 car previously used by the Italian, ADAC, Spanish and other F4 championships across Europe.[5]

The engine is an Abarth-branded, turbocharged Autotecnica Motori 1.4L FTJ I4 and produces 160hp. It features a sequential six-speed gearbox developed by Sadev and Magneti Marelli electronics.[6]

Starting in 2025, the series will introduce the Tatuus MSV GB4-025, a modified version of the Tatuus MSV-022, used by the GB3 Championship from 2022 to 2024.[7] The new chassis will feature a Mountune 2.0L engine.[7]

Costs

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Costs of running in the initial years of the championship were significantly lower than Formula 4 due to the use of the older Tatuus F4-T014, which could be purchased second hand (as in many cases it was no longer eligible for use in Formula 4). As the GB3 Championship usually runs at the same event weekends and uses a modified version of the same car, many spare parts can be shared if a team runs in both categories.

The organiser states that privateer teams can run in the championship for approximately £60,000, and fully professional teams for around £150,000[8]

A prize to the value of £50,000 was offered to the 2024 champion if the champion subsequently chooses to compete in either the British F4 championship, or GB3, in 2025.[9]

Female competitors

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One distinctive feature of the GB4 championship is the relatively high number, and competitiveness, of female drivers. In 2024, four of the 21 competitors were women. Alisha Palmowski finished second in the 2024 championship, and received a £30,000 prize to be used to help fund entry into the F1 Academy series in 2025.[9]

Points system

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Points are awarded to the top 20 classified finishers in races one and two, with the third race awarding points to only the top 15. Race three, which has its grid formed by reversing the qualifying order, awards extra points for positions gained from the drivers' respective starting positions.

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 & 2 35 29 24 21 19 17 15 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Race 3 20 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Champions

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Season Driver Team Poles Wins Podiums Fastest laps Points Clinched Margin
2022 United Kingdom Nikolas Taylor Fortec Motorsports 9 9 14 10 546 Race 24 of 24 50
2023 United Kingdom Tom Mills KMR Sport 10 10 14 7 505 Race 21 of 24 111
2024 Sweden Linus Granfors KMR Sport 3 6 10 3 467 Race 20 of 21 45

Circuits

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Number Circuits Rounds Years
1 United Kingdom Silverstone Circuit 6[a] 2022–present
United Kingdom Donington Park 6[b] 2022–present
3 United Kingdom Snetterton Circuit 4[c] 2022–present
4 United Kingdom Oulton Park 3 2022–present
United Kingdom Brands Hatch 3 2022–present

Notes

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  1. ^ Silverstone Circuit hosted 2 rounds in 20222024, and it will host 2 rounds also in 2025.
  2. ^ Donington Park hosted 2 rounds in 20222024, and it will host 2 rounds also in 2025.
  3. ^ Snetterton Circuit hosted 2 rounds in 2022.

References

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  1. ^ Mackley, Stefan (7 September 2021). "New entry-level GB4 Championship to be launched in 2022". Autosport.
  2. ^ "2022 GB4 Championship Championship Schedule/Calendar". Motorsport.com.
  3. ^ Wood, Ida (17 January 2022). "Rossoverde Racing aiming for single-seater return in GB4". Formula Scout.
  4. ^ Taylor, Lauren (6 April 2022). "Nikolas Taylor wins season opening GB4 race at Snetterton". The Checkered Flag.
  5. ^ Callander, Michael (7 September 2021). "MSV announce GB4 Championship to run alongside GB3 from 2022". The Checkered Flag.
  6. ^ "GB4 Car". GB4 Championship. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b Whitfield, Steve (19 June 2024). "GB4 announces switch to current GB3 car from next year onwards". Formula Scout. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Event Format and Costs". GB4 Championship. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Prizes". www.gb-4.net. Retrieved 10 October 2024.