3 October 2024 – Press release Arthur Rogeon
GB3 Championship, round 8, Brands Hatch, 28 – 29 September 2024
The 2024 GB3 Championship ended at Brands Hatch with a 3rd place for Arthur Rogeon. The only Frenchman at the start marked his progress by stepping on to the podium at the last three meetings and winning a race at three of the last five circuits visited. He finished 8th in the standings having contributed to the team title won by Rodin Motorsport.
In north-west Kent, Brands Hatch has been rolling out its ribbon of asphalt in a green setting since its creation in 1950. One of the charms of the GB3 Championship is to alternate between this type of typically British circuit and the tracks frequented by current F1s in Great Britain and in Europe.
In qualifying, Arthur set the 9th and 7th times but he was slightly disappointed. “On the first set of tyres, I was 5th. I stopped to put on the second set, I set the 3rd fastest time and then the session was interrupted 4 minutes from the end. Everyone started again, I did two flying laps, but I was the first to receive the chequered flag and all the others did one more lap.” The reason? At each event, the teams are assigned a different location in the pits for the sake of fairness throughout the season. For Brands Hatch, the Rodin Motorsport drivers were the last to take to the track and with two seconds to spare, Arthur could have done one more lap and possibly improved his performance.
In race 1, Arthur found himself in good company between his two teammates. He finished 8th behind Louis Sharp, the 2024 champion, and ahead of Callum Voisin, the 2023 champion who came to do a one-off after his season in FIA Formula 3.
Race 2 saw the Laval resident overtake an opponent on the outside of the Druids hairpin shortly after the start and cross the line in 6th place after a faultless run.
A great opportunity to climb onto the podium once again presented itself with a 4th place on the grid for Race 3. Arthur seized it from the moment the red light went out by emerging 3rd after the start, a position he held on to till the finish. The podium had an auspicious look about it with, on the first two steps, the USF Pro 2000 American series runner-up Nikita Johnson and Callum Voisin who won in FIA F3 at Spa earlier on in the season.
“I only had used tyres at my disposal for Race 3. To get on to the podium, I had to get the start right and not make any mistakes. I couldn’t stay in contact with the 2nd-placed driver who was on new tyres and who set the fastest lap in the race, but my own time was only a tenth slower. The season is ending well. The first part wasn’t easy with technical problems that cost me a victory at Oulton Park before penalising my pace on other circuits. But the rest was more favourable. I still have to improve in qualifying, but I’m controlling the starts well and I’m still gaining places in the race. I thank Rodin Motorsport, the engineers, mechanics and the team manager for their total commitment.”
Motorsport team manager Ricky Taylor looks back on Arthur’s second season in motorsport: “Arthur has been a great driver to have on board with us this season at Rodin Motorsport. He brought everything that he’d learnt during his debut season and applied it brilliantly throughout the course of this year. His work ethic within the team and the way in which he communicated and approached the relationships with his team mates has been fantastic. We’ve definitely seen all of his hard work pay off with his results this year. I have seen a lot of progression in him as a driver, and have no doubt at all that will continue in the coming years.”
The wait… before knowing what tomorrow will bring. With Steve McQueen* in mind, we look forward to seeing Arthur again in 2025 for more adventures and more performances!
* “Racing is life. Anything before and after is just waiting”
Photo by JEP