Fortec Motorsport ended the 2023 GB3 Championship with a brace of podium finishes and a strong haul of points at Donington Park last weekend [21-22 October].
After 21 hard-fought, action-packed races, the UK’s premier single-seater series made the trip back to the East Midlands venue for a final flourish, with three contests on the full Grand Prix configuration.
For the Daventry-based team’s trio of Max Esterson, Jarrod Waberski and Edward Pearson, it also marked a final opportunity in 2023 to showcase their potential, as multiple race-winners Fortec looked to recapture some form after a tricky run of results.
After showing promise throughout pre-event testing, Esterson put in one of his strongest showings of the season in qualifying, the US rising star leading the team’s charge in sixth, with Waberski and Pearson 10th and 21st respectively.
Esterson held station in the opening race, with Waberski and Pearson on the move. Both kept their heads through some early-race chaos after a four-car incident at turn one, and duly rose through the order to finish seventh, and 14th.
The team’s strong form continued in race two, with Esterson making the most of some early pressure to get in the mix at the front. Wheel-to-wheel with several of this season’s championship contenders, the 21-year-old came away with third spot, and his first podium of the season in GB3. Waberski banked another top-ten finish in 9th, with Pearson 17th.
But it would be Pearson’s turn to shine in the reverse grid race and, having tasted champagne with third at the Oulton Park season opener, the Brit went one better at the season finale to come away with a season-best result of second, in only his rookie campaign.
Waberski and Esterson took the flag behind in seventh and eighth, with a triple top-ten a fitting end to a character-building season for the team.
Waberski ends the season as the highest-placed of Fortec’s trio in the Drivers’ standings, with the South African talent rounding out the campaign in ninth.
Fortec Motorsport finish another hard-fought year with sixth in the Teams’ Championship, and with every ambition of returning to the very front in 2024.
Jarrod Waberski (#20) said:
“Overall, the weekend has been pretty decent. It’s the first time we’ve had three consistent races, which I’m happy about.
“The pace improved quite a bit from practice, we made up some places and secured P9 in the championship. With the year we’ve had, that’s something to be pleased with.”
Edward Pearson (#41) said:
“It’s not been too bad, a good end to the season. We didn’t have the best quali, which I think was a mixture of me and a small puncture, so I didn’t get the maximum from the car. We should have been midfield but ended up at the back.
“But I think we did really well in the races to come through. P2 at the end – I’m not the happiest, because I think I should have won – but we live and we learn, and hopefully come back next year!”
Max Esterson (#42) said:
“It’s been a good weekend, right through from qualifying. We were really close to pole in the wet, which was nice.
“Third this morning in the second race, so it’s a nice end to the year. It’s been a pretty rough year, but the end was good, so it’s nice we have that.”
