British F4 champion Rees stays with JHR as team returns to GB3

JHR Developments announced their return to the GB3 Championship on Wednesday, confirming that reigning British F4 champion Matthew Rees would be stepping up with the team for 2022.

JHR ran a partial campaign in 2020 with Max Marzorati, Carter Williams and Ayrton Simmons, but are setting up for a full-season entry after taking the British F4 Teams’ spoils in 2021.

Rees took the Rookie and overall Drivers’ titles with four wins and 11 total podiums, five poles from five at the start of the year helping him finish the season 25 points clear of Matias Zagazeta and 26 ahead of Chris Dittmann Racing GB3 graduate McKenzy Cresswell.

Now a BRDC Rising Star, alongside names such as James Baldwin, Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson and FIA F2 champion Oscar Piastri, he will rejoin the JHR team that took him to the title for pre-season testing in the coming weeks.

GB3 moves into a new era in 2022, with the Tatuus MSV-022 bringing a halo, airbox, increased downforce and increased power to Britain’s premier single-seater series. 

The championship ran the F4-016 from 2016 to 2019, before slight adaptations saw the car rebranded the BF3-020 for the final two seasons of an era that saw the likes of Lando Norris, Matheus Leist, Nikita Mazepin and Clement Novalak competing.

“I’m hugely excited to move forward with Steven [Hunter], Liam [Hewitt] and JHR Developments,” Rees said.

“We built a strong relationship in 2021 which means we know each other, we know our weaknesses and our strengths. They are probably one of the best teams to work with because we always move forward as one.

“They understand me and my requirements when giving me a car to go and race and, whilst I have been flattered by all the attention from other teams, I believe that JHR has the capability and desire to repeat our success from last year.

“I’m looking forward to being back with JHR, rather than going to a different tea where you’d have to get settled in, learn how the team operates, those sorts of things.

“When you’re already there and you know the people, you can focus more on driving the car rather than trying to learn how to change your ways.

“With the team and the combination of [former British F3 competitor] Callan O’Keeffe and Mike Epps as my driver coaches and Sam Kibble as my fitness coach, we will be setting our goals, pushing to achieve them, and even going beyond!

“If everything goes to plan, hopefully we’ll have similar success stories to those we had last year.”

Team Principal Steven Hunter added “We are delighted that Matthew will be continuing his development with the team as he steps up to the GB3 Championship. His performances last season, despite being his first in single-seater racing, were outstanding and he continued to improve throughout, deservedly winning both the Drivers’ and Rookie titles.

“After a great British F4 campaign last year we are pushing to emulate that success in GB3 and, with some hard work on all sides, I can’t see why this can’t be achieved.

“The team will begin its pre-season build-up with an intensive test schedule in Spain in February and we are all looking forward to developing the new, upgraded GB3 car, reading for the season ahead.”