Arden Motorsport, one of the UK’s best-known racing operations, will compete in this year’s GB4 Championship with its protégé Leon Wilson.

With a racing career that peaked with Formula One and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Pierre-Henri Raphanel knows exactly what it takes to control raw power, outstanding performance and high speeds under pressure from behind the wheel. At Bugatti, he has been using that rich experience and deep expertise since 2005, when he became the first – and only – Pilote Officiel of the brand. “I always knew I was destined for a life on the track and behind the wheel,” says Pierre-Henri. “Having started in karting, I knew from a very young age that I wanted to pursue a career interwoven with motorsport.”

The Arden Motorsport GB3 team will run under the Arden VRD banner in 2023, after further strengthening ties with the USA-based VRD Racing operation. The two companies initially joined forces midway through the 2022 season, with the arrangement allowing VRD’s Canadian driver Nico Christodoulou to race in GB3 with Arden, while the Banbury-based team’s Formula Regional contender Alex Quinn went the other way and competed with VRD in USF2000. 

The FIA single-seater ladder toward the top level of motor sport is further strengthened today with the announcement that the Formula Regional European Championship – certified by FIA, organised by the FIA national sporting authority, the Automobile Club d’Italia, is to merge with Formula Renault Eurocup to create an all-new competition – Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine – certified by FIA. 

Born in the French city of Rouen, Pierre Gasly’s start in motorsport came like many before him, in karting, where he made his way up to French Formula 4 and, then, Eurocup Formula Renault, where he competed as part of the Red Bull Junior programme. From there, he moved to F1 feeder series GP2, which he won in 2016 and Super Formula and before eventually being promoted to Red Bull sister team Toro Rosso at the end of 2017. In 2018 the French had a impressive season at Toro Rosso and when Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull Racing, Gasly was promoted next to Max Verstappen at Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.