R Racing Complete 2026 Ginetta Junior Grand Slam With Winter Series Victory

R Racing have secured their second consecutive title clean sweep in the Ginetta Junior Championship powered by Sunoco Race Fuels, securing a brilliant win in the Winter Series this past weekend (24-25 October) to add to their triple success in the main championship.

At their home circuit of Snetterton, the Norfolk squad celebrated three race wins across the weekend as Sebastien Leusch became their fourth Winter Series champion in the last five editions of the event, while Louis Radcliffe made it a one-two at the top of the points as the leading rookie.

Leusch headed into the season-ending weekend with momentum on his side, having taken three podium finishes across the final three events of the main season. The first of those came at Snetterton back in August, filling the team with confidence that he could be a Winter Series contender.

The youngster got off to the perfect start in race one, pulling off a great move late on to secure his maiden Ginetta victory. While an opening lap mistake in race two dropped him to fourth, he fought back well to finish on the podium again and ensure he was joint-top of the points overnight.

Across a pair of action-packed races on Sunday, in which two of his main title rivals both made key mistakes, Leusch produced a mature performance to keep out of trouble. His reward was a pair of second place finishes, completing a podium clean sweep for the event to wrap up his maiden title.

Radcliffe proved to be the revelation of the event with a true breakthrough performance. Heading in with three rounds of experience under his belt, he started with a remarkable qualifying performance on Saturday morning as he lapped six tenths of a second quicker than anyone else.

Picking up a best result of fourth across the first two races, he was back at the top of times in Sunday qualifying to complete a clean sweep of pole positions for the weekend. He was faultless in race three, superbly leading from start-to-finish to record his maiden win in car-racing.

In the process, he became the second youngest race-winner in Ginetta Junior history. A second win followed hours later as he impressively fought back from third at one stage to victory in the closer, securing himself second place overall in the final standings and the rookie title.

One of the most impressive performances at Snetterton came from Noah Baglin, the highest placed driver making his car-racing debut. The Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy member impressively picked up three rookie class podiums in four races, and fought his way to a superb third place overall in race three.

Anesu Maphumulo linked up with the team for the first time looking to build on a season of experience gained in the main championship. A great step forward saw him competing further up the grid than ever before, impressively fighting his way forward to a maiden top six finish in race three.

The team’s entry was completed by Rayan Ghandour, another driver contesting his first ever car races. Focusing on gaining crucial mileage and experience across the weekend, he showed strong progress throughout and notably secured a best result of eighth overall.

Jamie Ross – R Racing Team Principal: “What a great weekend to round out the 2026 season for R Racing. It was a big effort from the team with the quick turnaround from the main season to the winter series, so to dominate again across qualifying and the races was a fantastic feeling.

“It’s testament to the amount of hard work that goes in behind the scenes, and to the quality of everyone involved, not just the drivers but all the team members. It’s great to add another championship to our tally and we’re determined for more success in 2027, so watch this space.

“Sebastien was so impressive. We knew he was going to be quick at Snetterton, but converting it into race wins and a championship is a different level. He produced a faultless performance and achieved an amazing result, which is a fitting reward for how much effort he and his family have put in behind the scenes this year.

“Louis … wow! He dominated qualifying with brilliant pace and was very impressive taking the wins on Sunday. This year has been a learning curve, focusing on getting 1% better each day, and these results are testament to that philosophy. It’s a huge confidence boost for him going into 2027.

“Noah has great pedigree from karting so it was no surprise he was quick, but to be up there getting an overall podium finish against vastly more experienced drivers shows what a truly special talent he is. It’s nice for the team to be a small part of what will hopefully be a big career for him.

“This was a really good weekend for Anesu. He came out fighting and was up there battling with established front-runners, a big step forward from what he’s achieved this season. There’s a good racing driver in there and with more time together, we’re confident we can unlock his potential.

“This was the first step on the development ladder for Rayan, and it was a late deal to get him on the grid with really limited testing. We wanted to fast-track his learning a bit in race conditions with no expectations and he did a great job, taking it all on board and progressing well.”

Attention now turns to the 2027 Ginetta Junior Championship powered by Sunoco Race Fuels, which gets underway at Snetterton on 10/11 April. The season will be contested over eight events and 24 races, taking in the best circuits in the UK and a trip overseas to Zandvoort.

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