Australian single-seater talent Bart Horsten will be returning for a second season in the BRDC British F3 Championship this year and he has a championship challenge in his sights as he joins forces with leading team Hitech GP.

The Perth-based racer graduated from British F4 into the UK’s premier single-seater category last year with Lanan Racing and made an immediate impact with a podium finish in only his second race in the championship at Oulton Park.

Showcasing impressive raw speed and eye-catching racecraft throughout the campaign, Horsten made another visit to the podium mid-season at Brands Hatch before ending on a high with a seasons-best second place in the Silverstone finale.

With a top ten championship finish under his belt, the 18 year old felt another season in the series was the best option for his driver development in 2021. With Lanan Racing leaving the grid, he made the easy decision to switch to the hugely successful Hitech GP squad.

The Silverstone-based outfit also made their BRDC British F3 Championship debut last year and were a consistent presence at the front of the field. Recording three race wins and 14 podium finishes across the campaign, they also secured second in the final Drivers’ championship standings.

With the team offering a natural route of progression up the single-seater ladder with programmes in the Asian F3 Championship, FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2, they provide an opportunity for Horsten to learn and progress with one of the most respected teams in junior single-seater racing.

Bart Horsten told Velocity Magazine exclusively, “I’m really excited to announce that for 2021 I’ll be driving with Hitech GP in the BRDC British F3 Championship.”

“I loved the challenging competition and close racing in British F3 last year. It’s a really well run series and thoroughly enjoyable, so I’m looking forward to returning for another season in the Championship this year.

“The decision about what to do in 2021 snuck up on me a bit more quickly than previously because of the compressed 2020 season with a late start and a final round in early November. Fortunately I think it was a very simple answer to where I was headed for 2021 really – BRDC British F3 again.

“Hitech GP are a very impressive team in terms of their facilities and the resources at their disposal as well as the professionalism that shone through when I was testing. They are located at Silverstone, just down the road from where I am living.

“I think there’s a lot that can be achieved this year and so I’m really looking forward to getting started, working on the car and getting back on track for pre-season testing.

“Hitech GP are a developing team that are already doing really well and can only do better. The resources, expertise and drive of this team, where they want to go, how many different directions they are pushing and way they’re trying to make progress is super impressive.

“We saw that this year when they came into British F3 and FIA F2 as rookies and in both series they were fighting for the Championships.

“I will also be competing for Hitech GP in the British F3 iRacing Championship in March, which will be a good test to see how my SIM skills have developed over the past year, since the first UK lockdown. I’ve been doing quite a bit of eSports and joined Iridium Motorsports, a Spanish eSports team, at the end of 2020.

“I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on the simulator recently, with my own personal training. I qualified for the Porsche eSports Carrera Cup GB alongside some of the best iRacing drivers in the world and have also competed in the Ultimate eDriver Series, where the cars and tracks are announced at short notice, so you don’t have the opportunity to do a lot of preparation before the race event. It’s been very enjoyable and is a great opportunity for me to continuing building my skills while we are in in our current lockdown in the UK.

“I’m very fortunate to be given the opportunity to drive for Hitech GP this year and obviously I’ll give everything I’ve got to succeed in challenging for the Championship.”

Oliver Oakes, Hitech GP team principal: “We are excited to welcome Bart to the team. He had a strong rookie season last year in British F3, impressing us with his natural speed and approach. We look forward to seeing him develop into a championship contender this season.”

The prestigious British F3 Championship started back to the 1950’s and is renowned for producing the Formula 1 stars of the future. In its current incarnation, the series has been a stepping stone for 2020 F1 drivers Lando Norris, George Russell and Pietro Fittipaldi.

In 2021 the championship will consist of 28 races across eight events, competing as part of a high-profile package alongside the British GT Championship. The series will visit the top circuits in the UK and make an overseas visit to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

Photo: Jona Jacob.

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