Mercedes F1 Junior Driver Cui Joins Hillspeed For Silverstone GB3
Hillspeed is delighted to announce Chinese racer Yuanpu Cui will join the team for this weekend’s GB3 Championship partnered by the BRDC visit to Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, having made a mid-season switch to the Markham Vale squad ahead of rounds 13, 14 and 15.
Cui, who is part of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team’s Junior Programme, has been racing in GB3 this year in what is only his second season of single-seater competition at any level. Up to now his best result has been a double top six finish during the second event of the campaign at Zandvoort in The Netherlands.
Now, as the second half of the season begins at Silverstone GP Circuit this weekend, 2nd/3rd August, the 17-year-old makes the switch to Derbyshire’s Hillspeed which has so far chalked up four race wins in GB3 this year, three for Freddie Slater and one for Kanato Le.
Starting out in karting in 2016, Cui was second in the Chinese Rotax Championship in his debut season and then put together a stellar career within Europe as he progressed through the ranks. Finishing runner-up in the Andrea Margutti Trophy in the OK Junior class in 2020, he then achieved his first title in 2021 when becoming Junior ROK Champion in the ROK Cup.
Cui made the move into cars last year in Formula 4 where he gained good experience in the F4 UAE Championship, a part campaign in the F4 Chinese Championship and a full season in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA.
In the Chinese series he attained two race wins, two pole positions and three fastest laps from four races contested. In British F4, he ended the season ninth overall with one victory and two other podiums and was second in the Rookie class standings.
Cui’s first experience of the Hillspeed MSV GB3-025 car comes during testing at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit today, Thursday, 31st July, with another day of practice awaiting at the Northamptonshire track tomorrow, Friday, 1st August.
Richard Ollerenshaw – Hillspeed Team Principal:
“It’s fantastic news we have agreed a deal with Yuanpu and his management to race with us in GB3 at Silverstone this weekend, he obviously has half a season under his belt in this championship so the aim will be to gel together as quickly as possible and make strong progress across the weekend. With two days of testing ahead of qualifying and the races, we’re sure we can build toward some good results.”
Yuanpu Cui:
“I’m excited to begin a new chapter with Hillspeed. It was a pleasure to work with Argenti for the last two years, we mutually parted ways, and now I’m excited to see how this weekend at Silverstone goes in the new environment.”
Following pre-event testing, qualifying for the fifth event of the GB3 season will begin at 09.55 on Saturday, 2nd August, with race one of the weekend starting at 14.45. On Sunday, 2nd August, race two is scheduled for 10.40 and race three at 15.05. All three contests will be live at www.gb-3.net
