Photo: GB3
Hugo Schwarze will make a GB3 return with Velocity Racing Development for this month’s season-opener at Silverstone.
The 18-year-old German, who was runner-up to Freddie Slater in Ginetta Junior in 2023, finished ninth in GB3 last year after remaining with Elite Motorsport for the step up to single-seaters. He was denied a maiden podium on the final lap during the second visit of the season to Silverstone, with two fourth places his best results at Zandvoort and Brands Hatch.
Schwarze has switched disciplines to endurance racing this year, having signed with Race-GP in the Le Mans Cup. He finished eighth on his debut in LMP3 machinery last weekend at Barcelona alongside fellow single-seater convert and multiple Formula Regional race-winner Hadrien David.
After fielding predominantly American line-ups in GB3 for the past two seasons, Dan Mitchell’s VRD operation has yet to sign any full-time drivers for the upcoming season. It ran Hunter Yeany during testing at Snetterton in March, and Schwarze joined the team for the two-day Silverstone test later in the month and tested again at Donington Park this week before confirming his entry for the first event.
“I’m really excited to get back going in the GB3 car with VRD Racing, obviously it’s a new car this year and I’ve really enjoyed my testing in it so far,” Schwarze. “Compared to the other drivers on the grid, I’ve not done as much testing in the new car, so I’m targeting top-10s in the first race weekend. As long as I get to grips with the car, get some good laps in and have some good racing, I’ll be happy with that.
“We’ve been working really well together as a team, and I’m looking forward to getting out at Silverstone. We’ve got some great guys here, my engineer Alex [Ridge] worked in Formula E before as well and I can already tell that we will be flying at Silverstone. I hope we can do more rounds as the season goes on, but for now the focus is on Silverstone and we’ll see what happens after.”
“We’re very excited to welcome Hugo to the team for Silverstone,” sad Mitchell. “He proved last year that he’s a very dependable and talented driver, especially given his experience, and he’s shown really well in his testing with us so far at Silverstone and Donington Park. We’re hopeful that we can extend our relationship beyond Silverstone, as I think we can do great things together as the season goes on.”
Xcel Motorsport recently confirmed that multiple British Formula 4 race-winner Dion Gowda will contest a partial GB3 campaign for the series debutant alongside its full-time drivers Patrick Heuzenroeder and Jack Sherwood.
The 16-year-old Indian is contesting a full FRegional European championship campaign with Van Amersfoort Racing in 2025 after spending the past two years in F4. Gowda will race at the three GB3 events that do not clash with FRegional, being the Silverstone opener and the visits to Spa-Francorchamps and Brands Hatch.