Photo: Chinese F4
Reigning Chinese Formula 4 champion Gerrard Xie will step up to GB3 this year with Hillspeed, which has started a partnership with rival team Hitech GP.
Xie dominated his home country’s F4 championship as a 15-year-old last year, winning 12 races out of 14 and claiming seven pole positions out of eighth. One of his two races losses was the Macau Grand Prix, which he finished second in.
The karting graduate also dominated the Fomula Renault Super Challenge (the name of Asian FR’s successor series) to win two titles in his first year of car racing. His success also earned him a scholarship to race in Formula Regional Middle East this month, but he was unable to get a deal sorted in time before the season started to use it.
“I’m really happy to be joining the GB3 championhip, it will be a new experience to race on UK circuits but I am really looking forward to it,” said Xie.
The Hillspeed-Hitech tie-up also brings Daniel Mavlyutov into the team’s GB3 line-up. Mavlyutov made his racing debut at the 2021 Formula Ford Festival and finished 15th with Hitech in British F4 last season with a best finish of ninth. He recently stepped up to Formula Regional Middle East with the team and is currently 33rd in the standings.
“In what will be my second full season of racing, I am very happy to have the opportunity to continue my journey with the Hitech GP Academy in 2023 and to join the guys at Hillspeed for my first season in GB3,” said Mavlyutov.
“This new venture will provide me with continuity and a great environment for me to continue gaining experience and progression. The GB3 car is a great car to drive in, what is, a compelling championship.”
Hillspeed team principal Richard Ollerenshaw added: “We’re absolutely delighted to confirm both Gerrard and Daniel as Hillspeed drivers for the new GB3 season, and we’re excited to be embarking on this new relationship with the Hitech GP Academy. It’s a step-up for both drivers, but they each clearly have a lot of promise and I have no doubt they will make excellent progress as the season unfolds.
“As always, we will be providing the very best preparation both on and off track and I’m looking forward to seeing how Gerrard and Daniel develop as drivers. It’s set to be an exciting season and we’re very much looking forward to getting started.”
Last year Hillspeed was a single-car team in GB3, and partnering with Hitech has enabled it to run two cars once again.
Hitech GP Academy’s other project this year is running the ROKiT F4 Racing team in British F4, and drivers at Hitech’s Academy teams can make use of “additional simulator and fitness training” at its own base.