HONOURS EVEN FOR SHARP AND BENNETT IN CONTRASTING OPENER

It was something old, something new at the front in GB3 as its new season got underway at Oulton Park, with category debutant Louis Sharp and third-year racer John Bennett tied at the table top with a win and second place apiece

Reigning British Formula 4 champion Sharp continued in a triumphant vein having stepped up to GB3 with Rodin Motorsport, as in the opener he claimed a clear pole position then led all the way for a debut win in Saturday’s fine conditions. He was only briefly threatened, by secondplaced Bennett at the off when the JHR racer – who looks invigorated by his move from Rodin Carlin – sought to pass around the outside of the first turn. But Sharp robustly resisted, and from then on it was typical Oulton follow-my-leader for the slicks-and-wings GB3 cars as Sharp led Bennett home. Bennett’s team-mate, part-time entrant and McLaren junior

Ugo Ugochukwu completed the podium.

“I knew after practice the car was good and I knew I was in a good space, but to be on pole by three tenths that probably surprised me a little bit,” Sharp admitted to Motorsport News. “[It was] my first start in GB3. It wasn’t the most ideal getaway but it was just good enough to hang on.”

Come Easter Monday the weather was instead wet and chilly, but it looked initially that Sharp was on for a repeat performance as he led from pole. However there was a mid-race safety car when Rishab Jain went into the Old Hall barriers, and on the restart lap a small mistake by Sharp at Cascades let Bennett get with him, and the Briton seized the lead with a stunning move around the outside of

Island Bend to claim the inside at Shell Oils.

From there Bennett streaked clear to win by three seconds, while Sharp – set up with less wet conditions in mind – brought it home second despite a bump from Hitech’s Tymek Kucharczyk who sought to pass at Lodge with a lap left. Kucharczyk’s detached front wing lodging (pardon the pun) under his chassis ended the Pole’s race early, wherein he’d earlier looked the star of the show as he climbed from sixth to third on the opening lap.

“Last year I was qualified P17, and now

I’m starting P2,” Bennett told MN. “I think [I’ve] just gelled a lot better with the team. Carlin just never quite worked out.”

RACE WINNERS

Race 1: Louis Sharp (Rodin Motorsport) Race 2: John Bennett (JHR Developments)