Evans GP’s Cooper Webster ended the GB4 Championship campaign in style by completing a treble victory at the season-ending Donington Decider today.
Having won the first race of the weekend yesterday, he won both Sunday contests in contrasting style, to cement second place in the drivers’ championship standings behind Tom Mills, while Fox Motorsport’s Liam McNeilly confirmed himself in third place in his and the team’s first campaign of slicks and wings racing.
Race two
Webster claimed his second win of the weekend, and his fourth of the season, as he converted his second pole position of the event. The Australian survived two safety car restarts, and took the chequered flag clear of Fortec’s Colin Queen and McNeilly, who cemented third place in the standings with his second podium of the event.
Series newcomer Finn Harrison was fourth in just his second single-seater race for Elite Motorsport ahead of KMR's race one podium finisher Lucas Blakeley, with Graham Brunton Racing's Harry Burgoyne sixth. The race ended prematurely after a big crash for VRD's Zack Ping, who emerged unscathed and returned to race later in the afternoon.
Race three
Having controlled the first two events, Webster had his work cut out from 11th on the grid for the season finale. But he surged up to second place before a mid-race safety car, pulling off a string of impressive manoeuvres.
After the restart on lap nine, he went wheel to wheel for half a lap with Fox Motorsport’s pole sitter Sid Smith, who had led the entire contest until that point. Having completed the move on the run to McLeans, Webster powered ahead, and when Smith was clouted out of the podium positions, Queen moved into second place again with his teammate Aditya Kulkarni climbing to third.
Queen was able to stick with Webster, never more than three quarters of a second behind, but the championship runner-up held firm to become only the second driver to complete a clean-sweep of race wins in GB4 history. Queen and Kulkarni completed the podium ahead of Burgoyne, Blakeley, and Elite Motorsport’s series newcomer Theo Micouris.
Prizes awarded
Champion Tom Mills, who didn’t race this weekend, was presented with his trophy after winning the GB4 title back at Brands Hatch, while his family-run KMR Sport team picked up their prize after winning the teams’ title at the same event. Mills will also receive a £50,000 contribution towards a GB3 or British F4 drive, should he secure a seat for 2024.
Mills also collected the George Russell Pole Position Cup for the driver with the most pole positions, with his team collecting the David Poole-Warren Pole Position Cup. Webster and McNeilly also received their trophies for finishing second and third in the championship standings.
Treble race winner Webster said: "I’m pretty happy with that one. I came through it pretty well. I reckon I could have come through a little bit quicker but the safety car and the yellow flags slowed it up a bit. But that meant there was a good battle with Sid all the way through half the lap.
"It was a shame that they came together right behind me because he deserved to finish on the podium I thought but I’m really happy with that. To clean sweep the weekend, it couldn’t have gone better."
GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Donington Park race two top-six:
1. Cooper Webster, Evans GP, 7 laps
2. Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, +0.647
3. Liam McNeilly, Fox Motorsport, +1.680
4. Finn Harrison, Elite Motorsport, +2.517
5. Lucas Blakeley, KMR Sport, +2.977
6. Harry Burgoyne, Graham Brunton Racing, +4.406
Click here for full result
GB4 Championship, partnered by the BRDC, Donington Park race three top-six:
1. Cooper Webster, Evans GP, 12 laps
2. Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, +0.756
3. Aditya Kulkarni, Fortec Motorsport, +4.979
4. Harry Burgoyne, Graham Brunton Racing, +5.499
5. Lucas Blakeley, KMR Sport, +5.703
6. Theo Micouris, Elite Motorsport, +5.993
Click here for full result
GB4 Championship, final standings:
1. Tom Mills, KMR Sport, 505pts
2. Cooper Webster, Evans GP, 494pts
3. Liam McNeilly, Fox Motorsport, 419pts
4. Colin Queen, Fortec Motorsport, 379pts
5. Aditya Kulkarni, Fortec Motorsport, 256pts
6. Harry Burgoyne Jnr, Graham Brunton Racing, 256pts
Click here for full standings
GB4 Championship, final Teams' standings:
1. KMR Sport, 837pts
2. Fortec Motorsport, 678pts
3. Evans GP, 629pts
4. Fox Motorsport, 622pts
5. Graham Brunton Racing, 355pts
6. Elite Motorsport, 315pts
Click here for full standings
For more championship information, visit www.gb-4.net