Oliver Wheldon made an encouraging start to life in the GB3 Championship as he finished sixth-fastest during Thursday’s testing at the Red Bull Ring.
The 15-year-old American joined championship front-runners VRD Racing for his first appearance in the Tatuus MSV GB3-025. He immediately showed competitive pace and placed third during the opening session of the day.
That lap remained Wheldon’s fastest across the three sessions and left him 0.533 seconds behind Hitech’s Deagen Fairclough, who topped the combined classification.
Wheldon will complete another three sessions with VRD Racing on Friday. However, he will not contest qualifying or the races because he has not yet reached the minimum age to compete.
Wheldon “super happy” with first GB3 experience
Wheldon currently competes in USF2000, meaning the Red Bull Ring test represented a considerable step up in performance and aerodynamic grip.
Nevertheless, he adapted quickly to the more powerful GB3 car. His third-place result in the opening session placed him among drivers with considerably more experience in the championship and its current machinery.
Following the final session, Wheldon expressed his satisfaction with both the car and his early work alongside VRD Racing.
“It’s a lot better than what I have driven before,” he said to GB3. “I’m really happy with how we’ve worked together with the team today. There is still more but I’m super happy with my results today and taking that big step up from USF2000. I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Although Wheldon expects to find more performance on Friday, his opening-day pace provided a strong foundation. Moreover, his immediate progress allowed him to concentrate on refining specific areas of his driving rather than simply learning the car.
Red Bull Ring scenery leaves Wheldon in awe
Alongside his first experience of GB3 machinery, Wheldon also completed his first laps around the Red Bull Ring.
The Austrian Grand Prix venue combines significant elevation changes with high-speed corners, long straights and heavy braking zones. Therefore, it offered Wheldon a demanding introduction to the higher performance levels of the GB3 car.
The circuit’s setting also made an immediate impression on the American.
“I know that F1 races here, which is pretty cool,” he said, also admitting being in awe of the picturesque Red Bull Ring venue. “It’s got a lot of history and when you’re driving, you can just look around, and all the scenery is really cool.”
Despite his appreciation for the surroundings, Wheldon maintained his focus throughout the day. He completed all three sessions and continued building confidence as VRD Racing worked through its testing programme.
“Trusting the downforce” remains Wheldon’s main focus
While Wheldon adapted quickly to the Tatuus MSV GB3-025, he identified the car’s greater aerodynamic performance as the main area that he must understand.
The GB3 car allows drivers to carry considerably more speed through high-speed corners than USF2000 machinery. Consequently, Wheldon must learn to trust the grip available and push closer to the car’s limits.
He believes that improving in this area will help him extract more lap time during Friday’s running.
“Trusting the downforce is what I still need to work on,” he explained. “Definitely in the high-speed, I’m losing a bit because the [USF2000] car that I have driven before doesn’t have that much downforce.”
Friday’s sessions will give Wheldon another opportunity to develop that confidence. He can now use Thursday’s data and experience to improve his commitment through the faster corners while continuing to adjust to the car’s braking and handling characteristics.
Wheldon considers GB3 as a possible 2027 destination
Wheldon’s promising debut has also encouraged him to consider the GB3 Championship as an option for the 2027 season.
His older brother, Sebastian Wheldon, currently competes in the Formula Regional European Championship and occupies third place in the standings. However, Oliver could follow a different route as he plans the next step in his own career.
The strength of the GB3 field and the championship’s circuit selection have already attracted his interest.
“A lot of the drivers are super competitive [here] and all of the tracks GB3 goes to are super nice, so I’ll definitely be looking into it,” he said.
A full GB3 campaign would give Wheldon an opportunity to continue developing in higher-downforce machinery while competing at major European circuits. However, he will first focus on completing his Red Bull Ring testing programme with VRD Racing.
Wheldon targets further progress on Friday
Testing will resume at 08:30 local time on Friday morning, with two further sessions scheduled later in the day.
Wheldon will aim to build on his sixth-place result and reduce the time he loses through the circuit’s faster corners. Meanwhile, VRD Racing will continue helping him understand the car as he evaluates a potential future in the championship.
His involvement will end after Friday because he cannot take part in the competitive sessions. The GB3 field will begin qualifying at 10:20 local time on Saturday before contesting the championship’s first races at the Red Bull Ring.
Nevertheless, Wheldon has already made a strong first impression. His immediate pace, positive response to the car and willingness to identify areas for improvement have given him a productive introduction to GB3 machinery.
