Kevin Mills Racing made its first on track appearance with a GB4 car during testing at Snetterton today (Thursday).
The Formula Ford front-runners and regular festival winners completed the day without drama in Norfolk, with Tom Mills behind the wheel.
Team Principal Kevin Mills admitted it was good for his team to hit the ground running with just under two months to go until the season opener.
“It’s really, really good, the car is performing like you’d expect and it’s great to drive,” he commented. “Tom has been smiling from ear to ear since he’s got in it, and it’s everything we thought a modern car would be. It’s fairly user friendly too, it hasn’t given us any problems today and for a first shakedown we’re all pleased with that.”
Mills, himself a former racer, reckons the Tatuus F4-T014 cars are simple enough for his team to adapt to after decades working with Formula Ford machinery, and is looking forward to accumulating plenty of data.
“It’s probably even easier to work with these than a Formula Ford. Just hands on and working around the car for a mechanic, I’d say this is actually easier and more straightforward in that respect. Obviously we’ve still got a bit of work and fine tuning to do with set ups, but that’s why we’re out testing early now to really get on top of it.”
A busy few weeks of testing now beckons, and the team expects to be running both of its GB4 cars in the not too distant future.
“We plan to test pretty much every week now through to the first meeting and we plan to be at all the official test days that are coming up. We’re going to go on all of those so we can hit the ground running at the first event.
“We’re still being asked by drivers for lots of quotes and people are asking us when we’re going testing next so it’s all looking positive. I think our second car should be out fairly soon.”
He also has high expectations for his team, but acknowledges there will be stiff competition in the UK’s newest single-seater category.
“We’re parked next to someone like Fortec today and they’ve got years and years of experience with this type of car. We’re under no illusions, but this is the start of a new path for the team and we don’t go around doing things for the fun of it, we go out to try and win. So I’m not saying we’re going to win in the first meeting, but hopefully we can keep building up and up and we can be towards the front this year.”
For Tom Mills, the test was his first experience of slicks and wings after an impressive campaign of Formula Ford action in 2021. The 16-year-old is eyeing a move into GB4 this year, and thoroughly enjoyed his day.
“It’s been very good, and really enjoyable. There’s lots to learn and lots to adapt from compared to what I drove last year but it’s really good and I can’t wait to get on with some more testing.
He singled out the grip levels and increased speeds as the main elements to adapt to in the GB4 car compared to his Formula Ford.
“The car has a lot more grip around the corners, that’s the main difference. On the straights its 10-15 mph faster too, you don’t feel that as much, but you certainly do when going around the corners. Coram for example is very fast!”
He’s now hoping to confirm his plans in the near future, having finished fourth in the National Formula Ford Championship and impressed at the Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy events at the end of last year.
“GB4 is a good stepping stone up the ladder; GB3 is the next step. If you do well in GB4, there’s the prize money to put towards next season, and it’s cheap enough to do for people like me with a bit of backing from my sponsor SD, so it’s a step up that’s actually reachable.”
