British F4 race winner Joseph Loake will graduate to GB3 with JHR Developments.
The 17-year-old took fifth in the F4 standings last year taking four wins including a double victory during the season finale at Brands Hatch.
Loake is delighted to be staying with JHR and to be driving at F1 venues Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort which are new tracks for the Maxonian.
He said: “I’m looking forward to the start of the season. It should be good coming off the back of a strong end to our F4 campaign, as we started on the back foot and came good in the second half of the year. It was a positive way to end it, so hopefully we’ll be fighting for the championship.
“There are some new tracks to learn but I love a good challenge. We did a couple of days of testing at Spa in November in the GB3 car and it was very positive.
“I’m really looking forward to Zandvoort and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it as I enjoy high speed corners and with the high downforce nature of the GB3 car, I think it will be a lot of fun.
Loake has been training hard for the upcoming season with GB3 car being much more demanding than the Tatuus-built F4 car which he said was peculiar to drive.
“I’m in the gym six days a week preparing for the season as the cars are a step on from F4 as there’s a lot more downforce and power. The F4 car was quite unusual to drive, and it didn’t really suit my style, but I felt really comfortable the first time I jumped in the GB3 car, and the speed is there.
The JHR driver is also estactic to be driving with his kfroemr team mate and 2021 British F4 champion Matthew Rees once more and said they have totally different driving styles.
“I can’t wait to work with Matt [Rees] again as I missed him last year. We’re polar opposites in terms of our driving but we can learn from each other as a consequence, so it should be a very productive relationship.”
Team Principal Steven Hunter is looking forward to working with Loake for a third consecutive year and praised his adaptability after jumping from Ford Fiestas to single seaters in 2021.
Hunter added: “We’re very happy that Joseph will continue to race with us in 2023, making the step up to the GB3 Championship.
“He joined us with plenty of raw talent having had that brilliant run in Fiestas and quickly adapted his driving style to suit single-seater racing in F4 and learned last year’s new car as well.
“With plenty of victories and podium success it would be no surprise to see him quickly at the front of the field in GB3 and we’ll be working hard to ensure Joseph and his team-mates are in the best place to succeed throughout the season.”
