Nikita Johnson is one of America’s rising talents and is undertaking a full campaign of GB3 this year, as well as a partial Indy NXT season.
The 16-year-old competed in a partial GB3 campaign last year as he learned European tracks, before taking a superb victory at Brands Hatch last October.
Johnson is aiming to challenge for the GB3 title and is third in the standings after the opening round at Silverstone. The American scored a third-place finish in Race 2 for Hitech after taking P6 in the season opener.
Why Nikita Johnson chose to focus on GB3 this season
The Hitech driver is balancing Europe and North America’s vastly different racing styles and explained to this writer why Johnson chose to focus on GB3 over Indy NXT.
He said after Race 2 at Silverstone: “Just to get more prep for FIA F3 because we want to go the Formula 1 route. I think that’s the most appealing right now while still keeping some tabs in the States by doing some Indy NXT races.
“Because I didn’t really get. I don’t know how to explain it, but I didn’t have any really good offers for a full season. And we always wanted to go to F1 and chase the F1 dream, so we chose to do it the other way around than what most people would do.”
Nikita Johnson’s dual campaign is a rarity
It is a rarity in junior racing for a driver to compete in Europe and North America simultaneously, as one championship requires a lot of commitment.
Some European drivers can make the switch to North America and pursue IndyCar. Former Formula 2 driver Dennis Hauger dominated Indy NXT’s opening round at St. Petersburg.
Johnson was very impressive at Silverstone as he showed impressive racecraft to defend from Gianmarco Pradel in Race 2.
Freddie Slater was peerless at Silverstone, but the Briton’s partial GB3 campaign could open the door for Johnson to challenge for the title.
GB3 provides a different challenge to Indy NXT with a selection of Europe’s finest tracks, but the series lacks the ovals of the American championship.
The Hitech driver explained how the two series differ: “It’s a lot different. They’re both very competitive in their own ways. Over here, it’s a bit closer racing; I think, in a way, you can kind of get away with a little bit more. So it’s a bit rougher in NXT. It’s still very rough, but it’s just different. It’s always been different.”
Johnson kicked off the GB3 season well but will have to adjust quickly to three tracks on the calendar that are away from the UK.
Next is Zandvoort in the Netherlands before a return to Spa-Francorchamps, where he won a year ago. The overseas tour concludes with a visit to the Hungaroring before a return to Silverstone.
