Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Former F1 Academy racer Chloe Grant has made a surprise return to GB4 with KMR Sport on the eve of the new season.

The 18-year-old raced in the inaugural season of GB4 in 2022 with Graham Brunton Racing, coming ninth in the standings with a best result of fourth at Brands Hatch.

Grant was one of three drivers to move from GB4, a series for first-generation F4 cars, to the new all-female F1 Academy series for second-generation F4 cars in 2023, and came 12th in the standings with ART Grand Prix. A fourth place was again her best finish.

Having failed to retain a seat there for 2024, the Scottish racer is back in GB4 and the third female driver on this year’s grid. A €30,000 (£25,655) prize to be spent on a 2025 F1 Academy seat will be awarded to the highest-placed woman in the standings.

Grant first ran with KMR in pre-event testing on Thursday this week at Oulton Park, ahead of the season-opening races at the circuit.

“I’m excited to contest the competitive grid that GB4 boasts, especially now I feel I have developed as a driver since my last time in the series,” said Grant. “Having raced alongside KMR Sport in 2022, and watched them win the championship title last year, I know I’m in good hands.”

“I’m very pleased that Chloe is joining us at KMR Sport, “said KMR’s team principal Kevin Mills. “We are excited to get underway and will work hard to get her to the front of the grid.”

The post Chloe Grant makes GB4 return with KMR Sport after year in F1 Academy appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

ART Grand Prix has completed its line-up for the new F1 Academy series with the signing of Chloe Grant.

The 16-year-old Scot came ninth last year in GB4, a series that uses first-generation Tatuus Formula 4 machinery, and went on to make the final four of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission’s Girls on Track Rising Stars programme.

Previously, Grant won several karting club titles in Scotland and was 14th in the Junior Saloon Car Championship in 2021 in her first season of car racing after being awarded a scholarship.

She will partner Lena Buhler and Carrie Schreiner at ART GP in the all-women F1 Academy series, which will use Tatuus’s second-generation F4 cars.

 “I am really excited to contest this season with ART GP,” said Grant. “We share the same ambition for winning and with the history and victory that ART GP carries, I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.

“It’s a privilege to join their long list of successful and talented drivers. F1 Academy presents an opportunity to us female drivers that we haven’t seen before, and I know we have a competitive inaugural grid. I can’t wait to get started.”

ART GP team principal Sebastien Philippe added: “ART GP is happy to accompany Chloe in her first year of international competition. Last season, she showed a glimpse of her talent and determination, which had already enabled her to have a great career in karting.

“This development corresponds perfectly to the philosophy of our company, which is proud to participate in this new sporting and individual journey.”

The post GB4 racer Chloe Grant lands F1 Academy seat with ART GP appeared first on Formula Scout.

There are four finalists in the ‘Senior’ group, consisting of drivers born between 2006 and March 31, 2008, and they are competing to win a paid-for 2023 Italian Formula 4 seat with Iron Lynx and become a Formula 1 junior driver with Ferrari.

The ‘Junior’ group for younger drivers also has four finalists, and they are contending for a campaign in an international karting championship and with financial support from the FDA.

Recently the two groups have been undrgoing training camps at Paul Ricard with the Winfield Racing School, with the senior group focusing on performance in F4 tests while the juniors have done more running in karts.

Three of the four senior finalists are already experienced in cars, as the list consists of Scottish 16-year-old Chloe Grant who currently races in GB4, 15-year-old fellow F4 rookie Aurelia Nobels, Australia’s 14-year-old time attack regular Alice Buckley and then junior karter Chloe Chong who is part-Canadian, Chinese and British.

The junior finalists are all currently racing in junior karting, and are France’s Lisa Billard, Italo-Romanian Zoe Florescu Potolea, German talent Mathilda Paatz and Japanese 11-year-old Sara Mastui who was the youngest driver to make the Rising Stars longlist this year.

“This selection was carried out in the best possible way,” said FIA WiM Commission president Deborah Mayer. “It has been a great pleasure to meet these young women and to witness their passion, their talent and progress throughout the selection process.”

To choose the winner of each group, the FDA will host a further training camp and shootout in November at its Maranello headquarters.

The post FIA Girls on Track chooses its Rising Stars finalists for 2022 appeared first on Formula Scout.

GB4, which will use Tatuus’s first-generation Formula 4 car, now has three confirmed drivers who currently form an all-female grid. Grant and Logan Hannah are signed by GBR, while Jessica Edgar will race for Fortec Motorsports.

Grant, like her team-mate and her team, comes from Scotland and is backed by Laser Tools Racing, and last year came 14th in the Junior Saloon Car Championship after moving into the series by winning its scholarship.

“My ambition has always been to step up from the karting circuit into single-seater racing, and now I’m taking on the new GB4 series with Laser Tools Racing – what an opportunity,” said the 15-year-old, who will be making her single-seater debut.

“GB4 is a very exciting new championship that will see aspiring drivers progress in single-seater racing and with Laser Tools Racing’s support, I’m really proud to be involved in this new series. And to be partnered with Logan Hannah, well that’s got to be the dream team!”

Grant’s karting career included club racing titles and top results in Scottish championships.

“It’s great to have Chloe joining us. We’ve seen her progress from karts to cars and she comes from a real racing family with a huge passion for the sport,” said GBR’s team manager Craig Brunton.

“This will be a big learning curve – moving to slicks-and-wings in the Tatuus chassis. But her approach to learning new skills has really impressed us. Working with a two-girl team in the Laser Tools Racing-branded cars is an amazing opportunity and we can’t wait to hit the track and begin the hard work!”

GBR team principal Graham Brunton added: “We are so proud to be putting forward this wonderful two-girl team. Both drivers have so much to offer this exciting series, we really cannot wait!”

Laser Tools also has its own British Touring Car Championship team in addition to supporting GBR, and recently signed another Scot there in former Sauber junior Dexter Patterson.

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