Hillspeed Returns To Race Action With Highly Rated Debutant Browne In GB3
Hillspeed will make a long-awaited, and extremely welcome, return to action in the newly rebranded GB3 Championship – formerly BRDC British F3 – for the final three race meetings of the 2021 season it is announced today, Thursday, 5th August, with highly rated Irish racer Jonathan Browne.
The 21-year-old, who has completed some limited testing with Hillspeed in recent weeks at the wheel of one of the squad’s race-winning Tatuus BF3-020 cars, dominated the 2019 Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch with lights-to-flag victories in his Heat, Semi-Final and Final.
Browne, from County Meath in Ireland, then narrowly missed out on being the first man to do the double at the Formula Ford Festival in 2020, having won his Heat and Semi-Final and coming a close second in the Final itself.
He will make his GB3 race debut with Hillspeed during the sixth event of the season at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend 14th/15th August. He will then compete at the subsequent rounds at Oulton Park International Circuit, in September, and the championship finale at the Markham Vale squad’s home track, Donington Park, in October.
Starting out his career in karting, Browne became a regular podium finisher in his first year in Formula Ford 1600 in 2018. In the 2019 National Formula Ford Championship he was a race winner, multiple podium finisher and double pole position qualifier.
This came before his headline-grabbing hat-trick of pole-to-flag victories in the 2019 Formula Ford Festival at the wheel of a Ray GR19 – an event won in the past by the likes of Johnny Herbert, Mark Webber and Jenson Button. In 2020 he dominated the Champion of Brands series, winning all Finals and becoming the only driver to win five Champion of Brands races in a row during its long history.
Hillspeed, of course, celebrated its 50th anniversary season in motorsport last year where the team enjoyed continued podium success in the then BRDC British F3 Championship with rapid rookie Oliver Clarke and Thai driver Sasakorn ‘Cutter’ Chaimongkol.
Now, the squad is elated to be making an overdue return to action in the UK’s premier single-seater championship and has very high hopes indeed for GB3 newcomer Browne in his first races in a ‘slicks and wings’ single-seater.
Richard Ollerenshaw – Hillspeed Team Principal:
“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Jonathan to the team and, of course, to be back on track in the newly named GB3 Championship for the final three events of the 2021 season. While this is a big step-up from Formula Ford, we’ve been very impressed with Jonathan’s performance during the limited testing he has had.
“We can see he has a lot of natural ability and although Jonathan will be very much in at the deep end when we get to Silverstone, with our support and driver development we’re confident he will make excellent progress.”
Jonathan Browne:
“I am extremely proud to be taking the next step in my racing career with such a prestigious team as Hillspeed, with their proven winning record and over 50 years in motorsport. I am also very excited to be entering the last three rounds of the GB3 Championship, world recognised for high quality and competitive racing.
“I am very much looking forward to returning to track action following very limited testing, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The team has made me feel very welcome already and we are eager to see how we measure-up in this competitive field. Nevertheless, I am ready for the challenge and will be giving it my all to achieve the best results and take each race as it comes.”
