Scottish squad Graham Brunton Racing are getting up to speed with their Tatuus F4-T014 GB4 cars, following a recent test day at Silverstone.
The Formula Ford front-runners expand into GB4 this year with Logan Hannah and Chloe Grant, and both drivers were delighted with the progress made.
Several hours of running at the home of the British Grand Prix, in mixed weather conditions was ideal preparation for the rest of pre-season testing, ahead of the season opener at Snetterton on 2-3 April.
“It felt like there was no time lost compared to when I was last in one of these cars,” said Hannah, who raced F4 cars in the UAE in 2018 and 2019. “We were able to put on a new set of tyres after lunch and we were straight on the pace, so I’m really happy with how it went.
“I’m lucky that I’ve been driving single-seaters since I last drove an F4 car in 2019, the only real time that it became apparent that I wasn’t in a Formula Ford was when it started to rain and we were on slicks. That was when I saw how important grip and the change of weather can be, where in the Formula Ford you just change the brake bias.
“It rained and showered a little bit but I chose to stay out to get to grips with the car, even if the conditions were tricky. We didn’t have to put wets on all day, but it was really cold, windy and slightly damp all day.”
Despite it being billed as a shakedown, the team was able to gather some serious mileage around the National circuit layout.
“I couldn’t tell you off the top of my head how many laps we did, but when I was out, the sessions were 45 minutes long and we were doing around 35 to 40 minutes of it solid, and that was whether it was raining or it was dry or in-between.”
As for Grant, the inaugural GB4 season marks her first campaign of single-seater racing, and she is raring to go after her first test.
“It’s a very big step up for me, I’m extremely excited,” she enthused. “I can’t wait to see what the season is going to hold. I’m feeling quite positive, I feel like the car suits me more than what I’ve driven before; I like the rear wheel drive, I like how it handles, and the fact that Laser Tools has given me this opportunity is just unbelievable.”
Grant pointed to GB4’s affordability as a key factor in her decision to make the switch from tin-tops.
“I think how Jonathan Palmer has created this championship to give kids an opportunity, who couldn’t afford other single-seater categories because they are so expensive now, is an incredible opportunity for so many kids to live their dream of racing a single-seater and an F4 car. It’s going to be brilliant, I think, for everyone.”
She is also pleased to be working alongside her experienced teammate, who has several seasons of single-seater knowledge to pass on.
“Obviously Logan has done single-seaters for years now, and this is my first ever year of single-seaters. She’s been really helpful for me, for teaching me what to do and exactly how the car is going to handle if this happens, or in this scenario to do this. She’s been really helpful and it’s great to have a teammate like her that I can tag along with and try to catch up.
“I’m going to put as much work into this opportunity that Laser has given me as I can because I’m not going to waste it.”
Both drivers are now preparing for a Laser Tools launch event tomorrow (Tuesday) before heading to Donington Park and Oulton Park this week for further testing.
