Praga R1

365bhp, 3G in the corners — and the first outright win for a Praga in ZEO.

Heritage

The programme

The story.

A £200,000 boost from Highclear Investments in January 2022 put UWR into the inaugural Praga Cup with a Praga R1 — a carbon-chassis, single-seater-style prototype capable of around 3G of lateral grip. Over three seasons the car delivered race wins in the Praga Cup and ZEO Prototype Series, a podium at Spa-Francorchamps and a Driver of the Year award.

Shane Kelly and Jessica Hawkins with the 2023 UWR Praga R1

Spec sheet

Engine: Turbo 4-cylinderMid-mounted
Power: 365 bhp395 Nm torque
Chassis: Carbon fibreMonocoque
Grip: ≈3G lateralIn high-speed corners
Car number: #112022 Praga Cup
Funding: £200,000Highclear Investments, Jan 2022
Drivers: Kelly · Leaney · Line · Hawkins2022–2023
Best: Outright winZEO, Donington 2023 & Brands Indy 2024

Unveiled with Johnny Herbert

The Praga livery was unveiled in March 2022 by three-time Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert and former Williams F1 CEO Alex Burns. Highclear’s stated aim was to widen access to engineering careers, especially for women and students from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

First win

In round four of the 2022 Praga Cup at Silverstone, the #11 car shared by Shane Kelly and pro driver Stefano Leaney won the one-hour race. The team finished the year fourth on 163 points.

Driver of the Year

In 2023 Jess Hawkins — Aston Martin ambassador and later the first woman to test an F1 car since 2018 — joined Kelly. In the ZEO Prototype Series Kelly topped the seven Praga drivers, taking two class wins and the first ever outright win for a Praga in the series, at Donington, and was named Praga Driver of the Year.

Nine podiums

The 2024 tenth-anniversary season brought nine podiums (eight in the UK, one in Belgium), including second in the Supercar Challenge at Spa and an outright win at Brands Hatch Indy with fastest lap (45.531s). The final weekend at Oulton Park delivered pole for both races and two podiums.

Results