Hitech GP has confirmed Red Bull Junior Team driver Souta
Arao in its line-up for the 2023 GB3 Championship
season.
The 17-year-old Japanese racer, who is also a member of
Honda's junior programme, most recently competed in the French F4
Championship in 2022, winning three races and taking seven
additional podium finishes on his way to third overall. His
victories came with impressive drives at Pau, Spa-Francorchamps and
Paul Ricard in his first season of single-seater
racing.
Prior to his F4 debut, Arao was the winner of the Suzuka
Racing School Formula scholarship, having been selected by former
F1 driver and double Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato and fellow ex F1
racer Shinji Nakano as the best performer.
He was also a leading contender in the Japanese Karting
Championship, finishing as runner-up in 2021, with his performances
leading him to be signed into the Honda Formula Dream Project
(HFDP) from the 2022 season onwards.
He now graduates to GB3 with reigning team champion Hitech
GP, who also claimed the driver's honours with Luke Browning in
2022.
Souta Arao said: "I am delighted to be
competing in GB3 this season. Both GB3 and Hitech GP have a long
history, and I'm really looking forward to a year of racing in such
a great environment! My participation would not be possible without
the support of Honda and Red Bull, and I look forward to working
hard with the team from the first GB3 tests."
Hitech GP are running four Red Bull Junior Team drivers
across their Formula 2, Formula 3 and GB3 campaigns this year, with
Isack Hadjar and Jak Crawford in F2, Sebastian Montoya in F3 in
addition to Arao's GB3 efforts.
Team Principal Oliver Oakes
said: "We are proud to continue our
relationship with Red Bull for another season. It will see us bring
two exciting talents, Jak and Isack, to the FIA F2 grid, who have
proven themselves with strong results in F3. We are delighted to
see Montoya step up to FIA F3 after testing with us last November
in Jerez, alongside French F4 race-winner Arao who has had some
promising results as he joins the GB3 grid. It's an exciting pool
of drivers and we look forward to fighting for victories on
track."