Despite being relatively new to the Ginetta Junior grid, Richardson Racing has managed to solidify itself as one of the front runners. But, entering the championship for the first time without star driver Luke Browning, there were a few unknowns surrounding Richardson heading into 2019.
The team arrived with a mixture of new and experienced drivers and got off to a strong start. James Taylor won the opening round of the season, and followed it up with a victory and P3 at Donington Park. Will Martin took over the baton at Thruxton, taking his maiden win before a string of five consecutive victories between Croft and Snetterton.
But Richardson’s season was much more mixed than its win total suggests. After his P3, Taylor struggled to stay at the sharp end of the field and wouldn’t take another podium with the team, before switching to Elite Motorsport in the second half of the year.
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Rookie Casper Stevenson enjoyed a number of highs, including a streak of seven consecutive podium finishes, but his lack of a win and a number of difficult races meant he couldn’t challenge Zak O’Sullivan for the rookie crown. As he makes the switch to British F4, he leaves Ginettas as one of the strongest drivers in 2019 not to take a win.
Will Martin enjoyed the strongest season of anybody in the Richardson Racing camp, but he couldn’t match the consistency of James Hedley and O’Sullivan, leaving him out of the title fight.
Ethan Hawkey joined Richardson for the final five rounds of the year, moving from Total Control Racing. He spent most of that time hovering at the edge of the top 10, but picked up a fourth place finish at Brands Hatch.
Overall, it was a positive year for Richardson, with Martin’s string of victories definitely eye-catching. 2020 will be another unknown for the team, though, as it move into the category of more established teams, with R Racing and Alastair Rushford Motorsport picking up the mantle of exciting newcomers.
Images courtesy of Jakob Ebrey Photography
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