Multiple karting champion Daniel Guinchard is set to kickstart his single-seater car racing career with Hillspeed next year after being announced as the Derbyshire team’s first driver signing for the 2025 GB4 Championship.
The 18-year-old from London, who had to step away from racing this year due to unfortunate budget difficulties, is now determined to re-energise his single-seater career, which delivered a British F4 race victory in his debut season in 2022. Having achieved five other podiums that year and a total of 24 Rookie class rostrums, he also ended the campaign as the Rookie Cup Vice-Champion.
In 2023, Guinchard continued in British Formula 4 and claimed three podiums before his season came to a premature conclusion. Staying focused, he considered his options for 2024 and enjoyed successful tests with Hillspeed in one of the team’s GB3 Championship cars.
Sadly, budget restrictions meant a deal couldn’t quite get over the line to race in GB3 with the Markham Vale team and so Guinchard opted to remain sharp and competitive during the interim by returning to karting, racing in Germany throughout the past year.
Prior to his car-racing debut in British F4 back in 2022, Guinchard enjoyed a glittering career in karts, with his first title coming in 2020 when he won the Junior Rotax International Trophy. That same year he became the OK Junior ADAC Kartmasters Champion in Germany.
The 2021 season was by far his most successful, grabbing headlines as the first driver to win two Junior British Karting titles in a single season: Junior X30 and Junior Rotax. Additionally, he was the UKC Junior Rotax Champion, the Junior Rotax Kartmasters winner and the Junior Rotax British Open Champion.
By signing with Hillspeed for the 2025 GB4 Championship partnered by the BRDC, Guinchard will not only be in a position to challenge for the £50,000 prize for the eventual champion, he will also be in the mix for a fully-funded test in one of Hillspeed’s new-generation GB3 cars, as the team is offering this prize to its highest placed GB4 driver next season.
Richard Ollerenshaw, Hillspeed Team Principal said:
“Dan tested with us in the GB3 car during the pre-season for last season and it went very well indeed, but because it was quite late in the day he wasn’t able to put the budget together for GB3. We were impressed with his performances and we quickly developed a great relationship, and now Dan wants to reset and kickstart his racing career in cars.
“With the introduction of the outgoing GB3 car into GB4, we all felt the GB4 Championship would be the perfect place for him to move forward and begin developing his career in cars again – so we’ve quickly put pen to paper for 2025. We’re delighted to close this deal with Dan and very much looking forward to working with him next year.”
Daniel Guinchard said:
“I’m very happy to be racing with Hillspeed next season in GB4 and delighted we’ve agreed a deal this side of Christmas. I’m really looking forward to working with the guys at the team, we got on very well when I tested with Hillspeed previously, and I can’t wait now to drive the 2025 specification GB4 car. When I drove the car as it was in GB3 it was outstanding, a real pleasure to drive and a car with great performance, so I’m looking forward to a good season – it’s great to be back in cars for next year.”
19 December 2024
