Joseph Loake was successful in British championships, winning races in British F4 and GB3 before moving to FIA F3.
The British driver moved to Formula 3 for this season with Rodin after narrowly missing out on the GB3 title in a three-way fight with Callum Voisin and Alex Dunne.
Loake struggled over the season and finished behind both his GB3 title rivals, who scored podiums and ended up on the fringes of the top 10 in the standings.
The 19-year-old had to adjust to many new tracks, including Monaco where he scored points in both races for Rodin.
FIA F3 is a significant step up from GB3 as there is much more pressure racing on a Formula 1 race weekend and a bigger field of 30 cars.
Loake explained to the Autosport YouTube channel that one very important factor influenced his move to Formula 3 and helped him climb the ladder.
Joseph Loake pinpointed the Autosport award as the key factor behind his move to FIA F3
The Autosport BRDC award is a very prestigious competition won by some of Britain’s best young drivers, including Luke Browning and Lando Norris.
Loake won the prize in 2023, receiving a cheque for £200,000 and a test drive in an Aston Martin Formula 1 car at Silverstone.
This was a significant boost to Loake’s career and assisted his step up to Formula 3 for this season, where he would race in the same events as F1.
Loake said: “It’s the most special thing I’ve ever achieved in my life. I’m just still a little bit starry-eyed today, just walking around, seeing me in this green suit. Obviously, I never expected to get anywhere near this point in my career, so it’s very special for me.
“Because of the award, it gave me the leverage to get into F3 and get myself in the F1 package and show myself to the big leagues, which is quite cool. If it wasn’t for the award, I don’t think I’d be anywhere near where I am now.
“There isn’t really a word of what I’m feeling. There’s every emotion you can think of, nervous, but also excited but also really happy. I can only experience my first time driving an F1 car once.”
Joseph Loake doesn’t have any confirmed plans for the 2025 season
FIA F3 is one of the more expensive junior categories on the road to Formula 1 which can make it difficult for drivers to race for multiple years.
Drivers such as Hugh Barter were very successful in Formula 4 before struggling in F3 and not finishing the year in 2023.
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Loake has not confirmed his plans for next season and wasn’t driving at either of the post-season tests at Jerez or the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
A lot of the grid are already looking forward to 2025, including Noel Leon who is expecting a difficult season as he moves to PREMA.