Irish Rising Star Alex Dunne Begins GB3 Championship at Oulton Park
The next stage in Alex Dunne’s burgeoning single seater career begins at Oulton Park this weekend [8-10 April] as the Irishman kicks off his 2023 GB3 Championship campaign.
The 17-year-old dominated Britain’s FIA Formula 4 series last year, setting a new record of 11 race victories in a single season, a further six podiums, five outright pole positions and an eventual winning margin of 79 points, despite contesting only nine of the ten rounds.
Dunne was similarly impressive en route to second in the Italian F4 standings but will remain in the UK to contest the highly-competitive GB3 Championship in 2023, for what will be his third season in single seaters.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of the season,” says the teenager from Offaly. “I think we have a little bit more time to find, from what I’ve seen in testing, but I’m sure with time and experience, we’ll be in the mix.
“Last year was fantastic, breaking records and enjoying plenty of success, but nothing in motorsport is guaranteed and I’m expecting it to be trickier this time around, having gone up another level.
“In my opinion, it’s going to be a very close championship, but I’m looking forward to the fight.”
With a new championship comes a new car to learn, with Dunne now racing the Tatuus MSV-022 that is unique to GB3. With more power, downforce and aerodynamic performance than the FIA F4 car, it represents a learning curve, but one that Dunne is wholeheartedly enjoying.
“The big jump was definitely the downforce,” explains Dunne. “In terms of speed, there’s not really a whole lot of difference. But adjusting to the higher downforce and a naturally aspirated engine – in F4, we had a turbo – so getting my head around how the power applies out of a corner was also something I had to learn.”
It’s a new environment, but for Dunne, the ultimate ambition remains exactly the same. “Coming off the back of the season I had last year, with hard work and the right application, we should be running up at the front.”
In 2023, GB3 will comprise of eight events – six in the UK, plus overseas trips to Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort – and it all begins around the fast, flowing Oulton Park International circuit this weekend.
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