A TASTE OF THE UK FOR SWEDE ARENRAM
“It’s a little bit easier in Sweden, people are kinder to each other on track.”
Sweden’s Sebastian Arenram is finding out first-hand just how competitive the UK’S Ginetta GT5 Challenge is proving to be this season in only his second full year of competitive racing.
The 35-year-old finished runner-up in the Swedish GT5 Challenge in 2017, taking 10 podiums, of which four were victories, and has his sights set on success in the UK’S equivalent championship.
Not only does the Swede commute across from his native homeland for every race, including a two-and-a-half hour flight, but his occupation is arguably not a conventional job for a part-time racing driver.
“I graduated as an architect 10 years ago and the funny thing is there are related programmes to motorsport
[that I work on],” he says. “I design tracks and facilities. I’m working on a racetrack at the top of Sweden and one in Finland.
“The GTR Motorpark, it’s a hub for vehicle R&D, a little bit like you have here at Silverstone, but this is going to be a unique thing over there.”
The Swede competes with Reflex Racing – which has run Ginettas for more than 15 years – having looked for British teams to join over the winter in a bid to improve his racing against stronger opposition.
“Reflex Racing have been around for a while and they know how to develop a driver,” he adds. “I would say you don’t get any second chances here [in the UK] on the track. If someone has the possibility to pass you they will. You have to be very disciplined.
“I’m loving the racing environment and we’re starting to expect I should be in the top 10. The drivers are extremely good over here.”
With his Ginetta G40 blazoned in the colours of the Swedish flag, Arenram is becoming more of a regular feature towards the head of the GT5 field.
But it has been something of a baptism of fire for the Swede. At the opening round of the season at a wet Oulton Park, he scored his best result to date with eighth place. Since then he’s shown glimpses of promise and been on the cusp of the top 10 during the intervening rounds at Rockingham and Thruxton.
Things came together more at Silverstone when, after qualifying 20th for the opening race, he stayed out of trouble and finished 11th. He’d go even better in race two, finishing in ninth.
But regardless of the result, to race at the ‘home of British motorsport’ is a buzz for Arenram, who has been a fan of the sport since he was a child. “Racing at Silverstone is very special, the tracks back home are more tight and twisty,” he says. “Motorsport here in the UK seems like such a big deal.”