Arden Motorsport's GB4 graduate Leon Wilson is raring to go ahead of his GB3 debut with the team next year.
The British driver has raced with the Banbury-based squad for the first two seasons of his car racing career, and following a race-winning sophomore campaign in the 2025 GB4 Championship, has already commenced a testing programme ahead of his next chapter.
He's entering GB3 with high hopes, having ended his second GB4 season on a high with a victory at the Donington Park season finale.
"I'm really excited" the 17-year-old enthuses. "Obviously it's been a good season in GB4 with a few wins. It was a shame to finish where we did in the championship because we had the pace to fight for the title, but struggled at the start of the year. But overall it's looking to be a really exciting season ahead with the changes to the GB3 car."
Wilson is particularly pleased to be staying with Arden as he moves up to GB3, having risen through the team's Young Racing Driver Academy before his car racing debut in 2024.
"I’m really happy to stay with Arden, obviously knowing all of the team helps me with confidence, and we know how we get the car in the window and how we like to run it.
"I think it’ll be a big benefit to me as I’ve been with them since I started racing, so there's a long standing relationship with all of the team members. It couldn’t have been done without my sponsor Kingston Carton and my whole family who keep pushing me."
With a few days in the Tatuus MSV GB3-025 car already, Wilson is already discovering how he needs to change his style to suit his new surroundings.
"It’s a big step up, the GB3 car has a lot more downforce and power so I have to drive it differently to the GB4.
"I’ve had a really good experience in the car so far. The set up has been good already but we just need to keep pushing and getting the pace up as quickly as possible to fight for the championship."
Wilson's view was always set on a likely GB3 graduation, but a promising turn of speed compared to other cars on track during a late summer test day was enough to rubber stamp the graduation.
"I think we always knew that we had to make the step up to GB3 but I wanted to see how quick I'd be in the test we did. I was quicker than the drivers that were in the team at that moment, so I think from then on we knew it was the next step up."
And while his step up to GB3 will come at Silverstone next April, Wilson very nearly emulated his GB4 rival Isaac Phelps with a debut at the final round at Monza a few weeks ago.
"We were hoping to do the same, but it was a little bit last minute for us and there weren't many seats available. Isaac did really well and a big congratulations to him.
"I felt that we could have been quick at Monza if we had entered, based on where the drivers in the team I tested with were in the qualifying and races.
"It’s obviously going to be a tough season especially after seeing the drivers in it last season, but I think I’m confident going into the championship."