Cresswell quickest as GB3 and GB4 test on Brands Hatch’s Indy layout

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

GB3 and GB4 will be racing on Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix layout this weekend, but both series tested on the track’s Indy layout today.

The day began with a 25-minute session for GB3, and Chris Dittmann Racing’s Zak Taylor laid down an initial 44.869s benchmark.

Afte three minutes that was beaten by Fortec Motorsports’ Max Esterson, with JHR Developments’ Matthew Rees knocking even more time off before Taylor returned to the top with a 43.564s.

Fortec’s Jarrod Waberski was next to go fastest, then moments later he was down to third as Rees and then Elite Motorsport’s McKenzy Cresswell set new markers to beat.

Waberski responded a minute later by becoming the first driver to lap sub-43, but eight minutes into the session he was back down to third as Hitech GP’s Alex Dunne set a 42.786s and Cresswell was just 0.008 seconds off that.

Rodin Carlin’s Callum Voisin lowered the pace to 42.655s after 12 minutes, with Douglas Motorsport’s Tymek Kucharczyk slotting into second. A few minutes later Arden duo Noah Ping and Nico Christodoulou went one-two and were split by just 0.029s. They held those positions to the finish.

GB4 then headed out, and KMR Sport’s Tom Mills was the driver to beat from the off. His best lap was a 45.436s, putting him 0.244s ahead of Fox Motorsport’s Liam McNeilly in second place. Fortec’s Colin Queen and Evans GP’s Cooper Webster completed the top four.

The morning ended with GB3’s second session, and fastest at first was Cresswell. Esterson and then Waberski lowered the pace, and by lap four Voisin was already sub-43s.

Dunne knocked him off top spot by 0.009s, but Voisin’s seventh lap – set five minutes in – returned him to first place by 0.003s.

Cresswell went 0.057s faster than Voisin a minute later, and a minute after that Dunne went fastest by 0.062s before most of the field were pit-bound.

Waberski got within 0.047s of Dunne in the session’s second half, but then went off at Paddock Hill Bend and caused red flags. Action resumed with two-and-a-half minutes left on the clock, and Kucharczyk reduced Dunne’s advantage to 0.041s.

Five minutes later GB4 went back out, with Mills continuing from where he left off at first. But Webster then usurped him with a 45.492s that would go unbeaten. There was a bried red flag period that appeared to be caused by Fortec’s test-only entry Dan Hickey, and later Mills improved to get within 0.033s of Webster.

GB3’s third session was disrupted by a red flag period caused by Ping getting beached in the Paddock Hill Bend gravel. Rees was on top almost from start to finish with a 42.810s, until Kucharczyk set a 42.701s after the finish.

Mills returned to first place in GB4’s third session, although Webster and then McNeilly spent most of it on top. A 45.357s set by Mills late on put him 0.022s ahead of McNeilly.

Little happened when GB3 went out for the last time, with Kucharczyk setting an early 42.738s benchmark and Cresswell finishing the session – and the day – as the fastest with a 42.518s. Kucharczyk was 0.059s slower, good enough for third overall behind Ping’s personal best from session one.

The day ended with GB4 on track, and Fortec’s Aditya Kulkarni was on top when Evans GP’s Thomas Lee brought out red flags. Josh Irfan went fastest when action resumed, and on Webster’s last lap he went fastest by 0.268s and set the day’s fastest lap.

Test results