PREVIEW: 2022 GB3 Championship – Silverstone

The GB3 Championship rolls into Silverstone for the first of two visits this weekend (7/8 May), after a thrilling opening weekend at Oulton Park in April.

The Checkered Flag looks ahead to the Tatuus MSV-022‘s first competitive running at the home of the British Grand Prix.

Last time at Silverstone

Like this year, GB3 made two visits to Silverstone in 2021.

Reece Ushijima took his first wins in the Championship in the first two races, with Ayrton Simmons making the best of a damaged chassis to win Race 3.

The drivers returned to the Northamptonshire circuit in August, and Simmons continued his positive form to win Race 1 and 2.

Zak O’Sullivan won Race 3 after a collision between Roman Bilinski and Roberto Faria.

Circuit

The Silverstone Grand Prix circuit is 3.661 miles (5.891 kilometres) long, with GB3 and the Intelligent Money British GT Championship using the National pit straight, as opposed to the Hamilton straight used by Formula One.

This season’s GB3 races will run for 14 laps or 20 minutes, increased from 12 laps to account for the faster lap times this year.

Sector 1 runs from the start-finish line, through Copse, Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel, before heading onto the Hangar Straight.

Sector 2 comprises Stowe, Vale, Club, Abbey, Farm, Village, The Loop, Aintree and the Wellington Straight.

Sector 3 is relatively short, only taking in Brooklands, Luffield, Woodcote and the run to the line.

What to look out for this weekend

Luke Browning won the first two races of the season at a canter at Oulton Park, and leads the standings ahead of Roberto Faria and single-seater debutant John Bennett.

Bennett has stepped up to GB3 from Ginetta GT5 Challenge with Elite Motorsport, and impressed many on his debut weekend by finishing fifth, fifth and ninth. Don’t be surprised to see him take a maiden podium at Silverstone this weekend.

Arden Motorsport took a podium with David Morales in Race 3, while engine problems plagued Alex Connor in qualifying and limited his progress throughout the weekend. The Banbury team, now in its second season, will expect to move towards the front more consistently, starting this weekend.

Schedule

Thursday 5 May – Testing

Friday 6 May – Testing

Saturday 7 May

10:40am – Qualifying

2:52pm – Race 1

Sunday 8 May

10:35am – Race 2

4:55am – Race 3

How to follow

The Checkered Flag will be bringing you reports, news and interviews from every session on Saturday and Sunday.

Live timing is provided by TSL Timing throughout the weekend, with official live-streams of all three races on the MSV TV YouTube channel and the GB3 Championship website.