Louis Sharp retakes GB3 Championship lead after double podium at Silverstone

Louis Sharp is back in pole position to become the first young driver in history to win back-to-back British Formula 4 and GB3 Championship titles. Tipped by many as a future Grand Prix star, the hugely-talented 17-year-old Kiwi produced three superb performances at a sunny Silverstone (27-28 July) to move back to the top of the GB3 points table in what is his rookie season contesting the UK’s premier single-seater series.

Now, with only six races remaining on the fiercely-fought calendar, just 13 points cover the top three protagonists and, with 35 points for a victory, a thrilling finale is in prospect. What’s more, on-form Sharp’s fine efforts at Silverstone have helped his Rodin Motorsport squad to close the gap on Hitech Plus-Eight in the Team standings.

Having won last year’s F4 crown in the final race at Brands Hatch, British-born New Zealander knows what it takes to win a championship crown but his two closest rivals are seasoned campaigners with much more experience who are contesting their second and third GB3 seasons.

Louis arrived back in England after three rounds staged at Grand Prix venues in Europe which had produced many highs and lows. The highlights included a stirring victory at the Hungaroring plus a pair of impressive podiums on debut at Spa-Franchorchamps.

These notable successes, though, were counterbalanced by two races in which Louis failed to score any points after being the innocent victim of rival drivers’ errors. While both aggressors were subsequently penalised by race officials for their actions, the loss of more than 50 points has twice cost him the championship lead.

The teenage sensation vowed to fightback after his latest setback at Zandvoort and was determined to regain his top position in the standings on the series’ second visit to superfast Silverstone.

He laid down an early marker when fastest outright in one of the pre-race Free Practice sessions and then backed that up when qualifying on the front row for the weekend’s first two races behind McKenzy Cresswell – the British driver who is contesting his third GB3 season and is not one of Louis’ major title adversaries.

“It would have been nice to be on pole but, at the end of the day, I’m ahead of the people I need to be ahead of, so I really can’t complain too much,” admitted Sharp. “I was leading the series going into Zandvoort and unfortunately that DNF – whilst running second – really hurt my hopes and I now must claw those lost points back. I need a good weekend and, after qualifying for both the opening races, I’m in a good position to do just that. Anything can happen in the races as I know to my cost but I’ve got to keep it clean and keep on pushing.”

As good as his word, Louis made a great start to the opening race on Saturday afternoon and got his nose ahead away from the line but, as he battled side-by-side with the pole-sitter on the opening lap, both were passed by the fast-starting John Bennett from fourth on the grid. Keeping it clean, Sharp slotted into a safe second place and, with it, bagged enough points to retake the series lead as desired.

“It was a good race,” confirmed the Kiwi. “I had to be careful on the opening lap as I’m fighting for the championship. In some ways it was unfortunate not to get the win, but at the end of the day it’s still really good points.”

Sunday’s opener was similar with Sharp making another strong start from second on the grid. Once again he mounted a substantial first lap challenge before settling for another profitable second place finish, this time behind Cresswell and ahead of Bennett.

“It was another good race and another podium,” said the reigning British F4 champion. “I was leading into turn one, so would have been nice to win but, most importantly I beat the people I needed to in terms of the championship, so we extended our points lead. A win would have been nice but, at this point in the season, I’ve got to be thinking about the title.”

With the top 12 qualifiers reversed for Sunday’s final showdown, Louis lined up in a lowly 11th position behind his main title rivals. Underlining his exciting racecraft and without taking any undue risks, Sharp cut through the field to grab a solid seventh position at the chequered flag – a third imposing result at Silverstone which further secured his recaptured championship lead.

“It was another good race, more good points and a strong end to what has been a really positive and, hopefully, significant weekend,” concurred a delighted Sharp. “After the disappointments last time at Zandvoort when I was knocked off top spot through no fault of my own, I’m really happy to have bounced back here with two podiums. I’m back where I should be at the top of the standings at what’s a critical part of the season.

“We now go to Donington and Brands Hatch. I was strong at both tracks last season in F4 so, hopefully, I can repeat the amazing success we had 12 months ago. That would be very cool.”