Rising American racer Ava Dobson is to contest the 2025 GB4 Championship with Arden Motorsport as she bids to kickstart her open-wheel racing career in Europe.
The 16-year-old Milwaukee native got a brief taste of the UK-based single-seater series in 2024, contesting two of its triple-header rounds in the second half of the season, having previously sampled both the USF2000 and Formula 4 United States championships in her homeland. Having taken her first open-wheel laps in the 2023 F4US series after being awarded one of only five Parella Motorsports Holdings Powering Diversity Scholarships, and posting a best result of 11th in a brief foray into USF2000 the same year, Dobson’s plans to contest a full season in the latter series in 2024 were cut short by a high-speed accident that left her temporarily sidelined. That, however, opened the door for her to cross the Atlantic and try the MotorSport Vision-run GB4 Championship, where she joined the combination of Arden Motorsport and US-based VRD Racing for the late-season rounds at Silverstone and Donington Park.
"Racing with Arden last year was such an incredible experience, and I’m beyond excited to be back with them for a full GB4 season!” Dobson commented. “I learned so much in the rounds I competed in, and I can’t wait to build on that, work with the team, and fight for strong results this year!"
Dobson’s GB4 debut at the home of British motorsport also marked VRD Racing’s return to the junior series, the American-based team having also ventured to Europe having made a name for itself in various domestic categories. Its relationship with multi-series champion Arden has now provided the opportunity for Dobson to continue her GB4 career in 2025, when she will also team up with Peak Performance Management to receive full management support from the company headed up by former Formula Renault champions and GP3 racewinners Matthew Parry and Kevin Korjus.
"We're excited to bring Ava on board for the 2025 season," Parry said. "She has already shown immense promise despite having limited experience, not just in European single-seater racing, but in open-wheel cars in general. However, with a successful karting career behind her, and already having eight years of competition under her belt, we’re looking forward to watching her progress throughout the season."
The 2025 GB4 Championship season kicks off at Donington Park, in Leicestershire, over the weekend of 5-6 April, returning to the same venue in October at the culmination of a seven-round, 21-race, campaign.
