Cheshire driver Loake loses GB3 title but “proud” of season

Cheshire racing sensation Joseph Loake saw his GB3 title hopes end after a “difficult” qualifying in the final race of the season.

But the 18-year-old, from Macclesfield, told Merseysportlive he is “proud” of his third place in the Championship.

Five drivers entered the Donington Decider in contention for the title this weekend.

Loake, Alex Dunne, Matthew Rees and McKenzy Cresswell were all snapping at the heels of Championship leader Callum Voisin going into the final three races.

Voisin claimed the GB3 title with a dominant display in qualifying and a victory in race one.

Loake, however, qualified eighth struggling to better this result in races one and two.

A mistake in the final 25-minute reverse grid sprint resulted in a DNF for Loake, helping Hitech’s Dunne seal second in the championship.

Loake said afterwards: “Qualifying didn’t go to plan.

“I felt that I didn’t get the maximum out of it and didn’t really manage the session well.”

The GB3 rookie remained positive, adding: “We still finished third in the Championship.

“It’s still a lot higher than I expected coming into the year, so I can be really proud of what myself and the team have done.”

And Loake’s four victories this season have helped his team JHR Developments clinch the team Championship.

On his plans next season, Loake added: “With it only being my first year up from F4 I could probably do with another year of learning.

“I want to take a year at the same kind of level, so GB3 or a championship similar and then we can look into maybe moving into Formula 3 the year after.”

Voisin on the other hand joins an illustrious list of GB3 champions, including current F1 star George Russell.

He now has the chance to take part in a Formula 3 test, targeting a full time seat in 2024.

(Images courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography)