Elias Adestam was confirmed as the first foreign pilot for the GB4 Championship with Fortec Motorsport.

The Swedish driver has been racing since the age of five, first driving a cross-kart handcrafted by his father Rickard, on a custom-made track in his grandfather’s potato field .

The 15-year-old made his karting debut in 2014 aged eight and was a regular favorite at home. Adestam also made its single-seater debut in 2020 with two races in the Nordic Formula category at the Knutstorp ring.

Last year, Adestam focused solely on its Formula Nordic campaign, finishing third overall with five podiums and wins at Karlskoga Motor Stadium and Knutstorp ring.

Elias also runs a charity project named Mobilize against cancer, in which the Swede uses his motorsport platform to raise funds for cancer research projects, due to a family history of the disease. He also invites children who suffer from the disease to attend his events when possible.

In addition to his charity work, Adestam has also pledged to donate any prize money he wins through the George Russell Pole Position Cup initiative in GB4 to the victims of the war in Ukraine. In addition to this, Adestam will also personally match any income to ensure the overall donation is doubled.

“I am delighted to start my first racing season outside of Sweden and grateful for the trust Fortec Motorsport has placed in me. said Adestam. “Pre-season testing went well and I feel comfortable with both the team and the car. I am very excited as the GB4 Championship approaches and I look forward to working hard with the team to achieve the best possible results.

Olivier DutonFortec Motorsport Team Manager, added: “We have been very impressed with Elias’ performance in testing with us so far. He got up to speed quickly and was putting in great lap times very quickly, and beat our benchmark times.

“Also, his returns have been very good and it’s fair to say he has a natural talent that should put him at the top of the grid with us this year.