Photo: Ida Wood
Jason Smyth, who dominated the United Kingdom’s contemporary Formula Ford scene this year, will step up to slicks-and-wings cars in 2026.
The Irish-Filipino racer will join Douglas Motorsport in GB4, after recently doing a testing programme with the team.
Smyth won the 2025 United Formula Ford championship, the FFord Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy, but at the time of his stunning WHT victory in November he was without the funding to step up the single-seater ladder.
“I’m looking forward to the next step in my motorsport career and success in the coming year with Douglas Motorsport,” said the 19-year-old.
“I really can’t thank Douglas enough for this opportunity in my first season in slicks-and-wings, I’m really looking forward to translating my dominance in FFord into the GB4 series next year and just can’t wait to get going.”
Smyth emulated his father Neville by winning the FFord Festival, and his WHT win came despite starting 13th on the grid.
This year he also won in Northern Irish FF1600, which he was champion of in 2024 alongside winning the Martin Donnelly Trophy and making the final of the FFord Festival and WHT.
“We’re thrilled that we’ve been able to find a way for Jason to move up to GB4 with us in 2026,” said Douglas’s team manager Gemma Stevenson.
“There’s no denying the speed and talent he has in a FFord car, and he’s adapted well to slicks-and-wings in the limited testing he’s done so far with us. It’s going to be very exciting to how he gets on next year.”
Staying in Douglas’s line-up for a second year is Dayton Coulthard, the 17-year-old son of Scottish ex-Formula 1 driver David. He came 11th in his rookie season, taking a win and one other podium, and has high expectations for 2026.
“I’m determined to come back and win the GB4 championship,” he claimed. “It’s shaping up to be a massive series again in 2026, and if I can win it and be in the fight throughout, that’s going to be a huge benefit to my future career. With the team, we’re going to do everything we can before the season to make sure we’re in the best shape possible to make this a reality.”
Douglas has also signed Conor Grant, another Irishman, for next season. The 18-year-old was a national champion on X30 Senior karts, and has spent two weekends racing Formula 4 cars in the USA over the last two years.
“GB4 has been on my radar for a long time so following some very successful testing I am delighted to have secured my seat with Douglas for the 2026 season,” Grant said.