Joseph Redfern Secures Prodigy Pass in Thrilling Student Racing League LAN Finals at Grove

The Student Racing League LAN Finals reached a dramatic conclusion at the home of Atlassian Williams Racing on the 28th and 29th of April, bringing together the UK’s brightest young sim racing talents for two days of competition.

Split 3 and 2 contenders took to the virtual track on Tuesday, before Wednesday’s headline event saw the Split 1 drivers go wheel-to-wheel in a championship-deciding showdown. All races were broadcast live on our Twitch channel, allowing fans and competitors to follow the action in real time.

At the centre of attention was the Split 1 Drivers’ Championship, with more than just bragging rights on the line. The winner would earn a Prodigy Pass, thanks to our partnership with Racing Prodigy, granting them an all-expenses-paid trip to the United States to test a real race car, undergo a comprehensive assessment process, and compete for the opportunity of a professional motorsport contract.

That honour went to Joseph Redfern of Loughborough College, who delivered under immense pressure to seal the championship and take a monumental step toward a future in professional racing.

Coming into the finals, Redfern held a narrow 10-point lead over his closest rival, George Ansell of Wilmington Academy. With two races at the LAN finals to decide the title, consistency and composure would prove key.

Race 1, set at the Yas Marina Circuit, quickly established the tone of the day. Redfern started from pole position with Ansell lining up alongside him on the front row. What followed was a 29-lap masterclass in close-quarters racing.

On the final lap, the battle came to a head in a dramatic three-wide overtake involving Sponne School’s “Ewashed”, who emerged victorious, with Ansell finishing second and Redfern in third. The result cut the championship gap to just 8 points heading into the final race.

Race 2 brought another tense duel. Once again, Redfern secured pole position, and once again, Ansell lined up in P2, knowing that a win and fastest lap could crown him champion. But despite yet another hard-fought opening phase, disaster struck for Ansell on lap 15 when he misjudged his braking point, sending him off-track and out of contention. Redfern capitalised on the moment, managing the remainder of the race with maturity and focus to claim the victory and, with it, the title.

Though the drivers' title slipped away, George Ansell led Wilmington Academy to success in the Split 1 Teams’ Championship, a testament to consistent team-wide performance throughout the season.

Elsewhere in the competition, Dearne Valley College claimed victory in the Split 2 Teams’ Championship, while Mid Kent College took the crown in Split 3. All three splits demonstrated the depth of talent within the league, and the quality of racing on show across the board was nothing short of exceptional.