After a busy winter and plenty of pre-season testing, the opening rounds of both the F4 British Championship and the GB3 Championship are fast approaching for Chris Dittmann Racing, with the latter kicking off at Oulton Park this weekend (April 8-10).
Last year the team expanded its operations, adding the F4 British Championship to its roster, having enjoyed success in what is now known as the GB3 Championship since 2013. The Tewksbury outfit enjoyed positive performances in both series, with a race win and multiple podium appearances added to its record books.
For the 2023 GB3 season, CDR welcomes back Zak Taylor, who completed the final two rounds with the team last year, being given the chance to prove his potential after a challenging season in the series. French rookie Arthur Rogeon joins Zak and is due to turn his first racing laps in single seaters after deciding to take the step up from karting over the winter.
Having helped develop four different young talents in F4 across 2022, team returnee Jack Sherwood forms part of the three-car line-up, joined by Daniel Guinchard – a second year driver – and Swedish rookie Gustav Jonsson. With a mix of experience levels in the team, the teenagers will have the chance to learn from each another in their fight towards the front of the grid, with Gustav’s sights set firmly on the Rookie Cup.
Pre-season testing for both series have proven fruitful, with Jack and Daniel topping the F4 times at Silverstone last month, and rookies Arthur and Gustav gaining more all-important mileage before heading out in their respective challengers.
The GB3 Championship will head to Cheshire’s Oulton Park this weekend for the first three rounds of the season, with unofficial practice on Good Friday followed by qualifying and race one on Saturday. After down-time on Easter Sunday, races two and three resume on Easter Monday, with each session broadcast live on the MSVTV YouTube channel.
A fortnight later, the team will be back on track at Donington Park for the opening weekend of the F4 British Championship (April 22/23), starting with unofficial practice, before qualifying and the first race of the season on Saturday, and races two and three on Sunday. The final contest of the weekend will benefit from live coverage on ITV4 and ITV Hub online.
Chris Dittmann, Team Owner
“Oulton Park has come around quickly. A lot of preparation has gone into this year with the car and all the updates. We’ve been testing for the last few weeks with Arthur, though Zak is a little bit behind on testing because his was quite a late deal for the season. He has been catching up on the mileage, but we’ve shown what we can do already with the pace of the car, and both drivers are in a good position coming into the first round. It’s going to be a very, very tight championship this year. There are a lot of second year drivers, so it will be competitive, but hopefully we can have both of our drivers at the front.
“Formula 4 is shaping up well. We’re heading into the season with three confirmed drivers, who are all very excited to get going. Like GB3, it’s going to be another tough championship this year, but that’s what it’s all about.
“I think we have a good chance of running near the front end, with Daniel and Jack coming back for another year, who I think are capable of fighting the drivers at the top. Gustav is also learning very quickly and has been quite impressive in testing so far, and actually matching the other two at certain circuits we’ve been to so far. It’s very much a learning year for him, but the Rookie Cup is something we’re going to be aiming for throughout the season.”
