Fortec Motorsport resumes its 2023 GB3 Championship campaign at Brands Hatch’s legendary Grand Prix circuit this weekend [9-10 September].
After an extended five-week break since the UK’s premier single-seater category last raced at Silverstone, the Daventry-based team have been hard at work, with the aim of building on two podium finishes so far this year.
Consistent top-ten finishes have been the theme so far this term for the team’s trio of talented stars – Jarrod Waberski, Edward Pearson and Max Esterson – but with three events to go, the target remains silverware, and a strong end to the current campaign.
The first of those three events takes place in Kent – the “Garden of England” – around Brands Hatch’s iconic GP circuit, after which the series will visit Zandvoort and Donington GP in quick succession to round out the season.
Situated in a ‘natural amphitheatre’, the venue is among the greatest challenges on the calendar for drivers, with gradient changes, a mixture of low, medium and high-speed corners, and ample opportunities for overtaking, for those brave enough to take them.
Waberski arrives as the team’s highest-placed driver in the standings, the South African currently occupying ninth. Esterson and Pearson are 13th and 20th respectively, but with every opportunity over the remaining nine rounds to move through a closely-matched field.
Fortec are sixth in the Teams’ standings ahead of the weekend, with the team aiming to move forward and break into the top five before the season’s end.
Following pre-event testing on Friday, plus a further free practice session on Saturday morning, the competitive action begins with qualifying at 11:40, after which the opening race takes place at 14:45 (all times BST).
Sunday features another double header of action, with lights out at 12:05 and 16:20 respectively. All races are streamed live on MSV TV’s YouTube channel.
Jarrod Waberski (#20) said:
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to work with everybody at Fortec Motorsport.
“We had a really positive test at Brands Hatch last week, so now we have to make sure we build on that and get the car nailed for qualifying, and from there, that should set us up for a good weekend.”
Edward Pearson (#41) said:
“I can’t wait to go to Brands Hatch for what will undoubtedly be another action-packed weekend in the GB3 Championship.
“The team and I have worked hard over the break to get me and the car ready and in the best shape possible for Brands Hatch.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do!”
Max Esterson (#42) said:
“I’m hoping to bounce back this weekend at Brands Hatch.
“We’ve had a long time away to rest and regroup, so I’m feeling ready to go.
“The last time I raced at Brands was the Formula Ford Festival last October, and I had a good run there, so hopefully this weekend brings similar success.”
Oliver Dutton, Team Principal said:
“Optimistic is the word I would use to describe the atmosphere in the factory ahead of Brands Hatch this weekend.
“It’s been really good to have the extended break after Silverstone to go through everything in fine detail and work out where we can extract a bit more from ourselves as a team and in the car to make that next step.
“GB3 is a championship built on fine margins, but I think we’ve prepared well and we go to Brands with every chance of qualifying well, which then puts us in a good position to bank some points and, hopefully, some silverware.”
