Flame Airikkala Joins Hillspeed’s GB4 Squad Ahead Of Brands GP
Championship leading GB4 team Hillspeed is delighted to this afternoon, Thursday, 21st August, confirm talented teenager Flame Airikkala has signed with the squad for the last two events of the 2025 season – beginning with the trip to Brands Hatch in Kent this weekend.
Meaning the Markham Vale outfit’s GB4 Championship partnered by the BRDC team has reached a capacity three cars, the Finnish/British 18-year-old will conclude her debut year in the category with Hillspeed, competing at Brands Hatch GP and the season finale at Donington Park GP in October.
Flame, who is the granddaughter of rallying legend Pentti Airikkala, has already completed six GB4 races this season, having made her series debut at Snetterton 300 Circuit in July. Despite joining the category midway through the year, she’s already shown great promise with a best result of 15th during her debut weekend and has scored points in four of the six contests she has participated in.
Prior to joining GB4, Flame had experience in the Fiesta Junior Championship and Formula Nordic in Sweden. Additionally, she has also raced in the Kyojo Cup for Formula 4 machinery in Japan where she was a top 10 contender last weekend at former F1 Grand Prix venue Fuji Speedway.
Joining Richard Ollerenshaw’s Hillspeed squad means that the 18-year-old can take full advantage of the championship leading team’s knowledge and data banks. Hillspeed currently heads the GB4 drivers’ standings with Daniel Guinchard, who is a double race winner and has three further podiums.
His team-mate Leandro Juncos, meanwhile, has also enjoyed a hugely impressive debut season in GB4 with three podium finishes of his own. Juncos is seventh in the standings with six races remaining, which includes this weekend’s action at the famous Grand Prix Circuit layout at Brands Hatch.
Richard Ollerenshaw – Hillspeed Team Principal:
“We’re really pleased to add Flame to our GB4 team for the rest of the year as we expand to a full three-car line-up. Flame clearly has a lot of potential and I’ve no doubt we can help her extract that over the course of the next few weeks. While she has only limited single-seater racing experience, we have all the tools required to aid her development and move her further up the grid. We’re all looking forward to seeing what we can do together.”
Flame Airikkala:
“I’m very much looking forward to joining Hillspeed for the rest of this year’s GB4 Championship. The team has achieved great results all year, and I’m hoping that I can make the next step in my career with them. Dan and Leandro are going to be excellent teammates for me to work with, and I look forward to learning a lot from them.”
Airikkala’s first official run as a Hillspeed driver will be during pre-event testing at Brands Hatch tomorrow, 22nd August, prior to the weekend’s GB4 qualifying and race action on Saturday, 23rd August, and Sunday, 24th August. Watch the weekend’s racing live at www.gb-4.net
Of course, Hillspeed’s GB3 Championship partnered by the BRDC team will also be in action this weekend at Brands Hatch GP with returning trio Freddie Slater, Kanato Le and Hiyu Yamakoshi. That race action can be seen live at www.gb-3.net
