View source for Megan Gilkes

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{{short description|Canadian racing driver}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name              = Megan Gilkes
| image             = Megan Gilkes.jpg
| imagesize         = 
| caption           = Gilkes in 2022
| nationality       = {{flagicon|CAN}} Canadian
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|2000|11|6|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Ontario]]
| death_date        = 
| death_place       = 
| retired           = 
| related to        = [[Nick Gilkes]] (brother)
| last series       = [[W Series (championship)|W Series]]
| years active      = [[2019 W Series|2019]]
| teams             =
| starts            = 5
| wins              = 0
| poles             = 0
| fastest laps      = 0
| best finish       = NC
| year              = 2019
| prev series       = F1200 Canada
| prev series years = 2017–18
| titles            = 
| title years       = 
| awards            = 
| award years       = 
}}

'''Megan Gilkes''' (born 6 November 2000 in [[Richmond Hill, Ontario]]) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] former [[List of female racing drivers|racing driver]] who last competed in [[F1 Academy]]. She previously competed in the now defunct [[W Series (championship)|W Series]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://wseries.com/drivers/megan-gilkes/|title=Megan Gilkes – W Series|publisher=[[W Series (championship)|W Series]]|accessdate=16 April 2019|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405213548/https://wseries.com/drivers/megan-gilkes/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Biography==
A third-generation racer, Gilkes began karting aged nine in her then-home of [[Barbados]]. Following a break from racing after a crash in qualifying at the World Finals where she broke her wrist, she won the Ottawa Challenge Karting Cup in her home country of Canada, and finished runner up in the 2016 Eastern Canadian Karting Championship as an ambassador for ''Dare to be Different''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://carsyeah.com/ourportfolio/797-megan-gilkes/|title=Episode 797: Megan Gilkes|publisher=Cars Yeah|date=4 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsportprospects.com/shes-young-fast-and-racing-in-europe-in-conversation-with-megan-gilkes/|title=She's Young, Fast and Racing in Europe – In Conversation with Megan Gilkes|publisher=Motorsport Prospects|date=20 May 2019}}</ref> In 2017, Gilkes stepped up to single-seaters in the Canadian F1200 championship. Despite not contesting all of the rounds in either season she competed in, she finished third and second overall in consecutive years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://drivetribe.com/p/meet-the-teenager-whos-aiming-for-MStuoRXDQCKmSdbyag7CJg?iid=SolEkSfiSoK_W0OEpPhquw|title=MEET THE TEENAGER WHO'S AIMING FOR FORMULA 1|publisher=Drivetribe|date=10 February 2019}}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://momentummotorsportsllc.com/drivers/|title=Drivers :: Momentum Motorsports|publisher=Momentum Motorsports|date=1 August 2019}}</ref> Also in 2017, Gilkes finished runner up in the Sports Car Club of America Southeast Majors championship, having led it for 10 of the 12 rounds.

[[File:2019 Brands Hatch W Series round 31.jpg|thumb|right|Gilkes competing in the [[2019 W Series Brands Hatch round]].]]
In 2019, Gilkes applied for the [[W Series (championship)|W Series]], a European-based [[Formula Regional]] championship solely for women. She was selected into the category as one of 18 full-time drivers, but struggled for results as the least experienced driver in the field. Despite winning the won the non-championship reverse grid race at [[TT Circuit Assen]], she failed to score any points in the regular series races and finished last in the standings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.formulascout.com/gilkes-win-boosted-confidence/52621|title=Megan Gilkes: W Series win has "boosted my confidence no end"|publisher=Formula Scout|date=21 July 2019}}</ref> Gilkes returned to Canada in 2020, competing in the Ontario Formula 1600 Championship, where she had two pole positions, two fastest race laps and 13 podium finishes, and was runner up overall in the series to Mac Clark.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://formula1600.com/2020/07/20/w-series-driver-megan-gilkes-joins-toyo-tires-f1600-championship/|title=W Series Driver, Megan Gilkes, Joins Toyo Tires F1600 Championship|publisher=Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs – Ontario|date=20 July 2020|access-date=26 August 2020|archive-date=11 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411174225/https://formula1600.com/2020/07/20/w-series-driver-megan-gilkes-joins-toyo-tires-f1600-championship/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:F1 Academy 2023 Spielberg Nr. 12 Gilkes (side 1).jpg|thumb|right|Gilkes competing in an [[F1 Academy]] race at the [[Red Bull Ring]] in [[2023 F1 Academy season|2023]].]]
Gilkes returned to the UK in 2022 through the [[2022 GB4 Championship|GB4 Championship]], placing sixth in the standings with two wins at [[Snetterton Circuit|Snetterton]] and [[Donington Park]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://formulascout.com/gilkes-glides-to-win-in-gb4s-first-reversed-grid-race/91639|title=Gilkes glides to win in GB4's first reversed grid race|publisher=Formula Scout|date=3 April 2022}}</ref> The Canadian was accepted into another female-only series, [[F1 Academy]], for [[2023 F1 Academy season|2023]], but only managed thirteenth out of fifteen in the championship with two top-five finishes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/megan-gilkes-completes-rodin-carlins-2023-f1-academy-line-up.bNRxdYc7JEIIhVlzDsYZ9|title=Megan Gilkes completes Rodin Carlin's 2023 F1 Academy line-up|publisher=[[Formula One Management]]|date=8 March 2023}}</ref> At the end of the season, Gilkes announced her retirement at 22 years of age to take up an engineering position at the [[Aston Martin in Formula One|Aston Martin F1 Team]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.racers-behindthehelmet.com/post/megan-gilkes-announces-retirement-from-pro-competitions-after-cota-season-finale|title=Megan Gilkes announces retirement from Pro competitions after COTA season finale|publisher=Racers - Behind the Helmet|date=19 October 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Gilkes has a younger brother [[Nick Gilkes|Nick]] who is currently competing in [[2024 Eurocup-3 season|Eurocup-3]] for [[Drivex]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-06 |title=GB3 - British-Canadian Nick Gilkes joins Hillspeed for 2022 GB3 Championship |url=https://www.gb-3.net/gb3-news/british-canadian-nick-gilkes-joins-hillspeed-for-2022-gb3-championship/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=GB3 Championship |language=en |archive-date=2022-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129014424/https://www.gb-3.net/gb3-news/british-canadian-nick-gilkes-joins-hillspeed-for-2022-gb3-championship/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Alongside her racing, she studied Aeronautical Engineering at the [[Imperial College]] in [[London]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://norrismcdonald.ca/richmond-hill-woman-megan-gilkes-one-of-only-18-in-the-world-selected-to-contest-all-female-w-racing-series/|title=Richmond Hill woman, Megan Gilkes, one of only 18 in the world selected to contest all-female W Racing Series|publisher=Norris McDonald's Racing Review|date=13 April 2019}}</ref> She currently works for the Aston Martin F1 Team as a trackside support engineer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Ida |date=2022-08-24 |title=Louis Harvey lands prize GB4 test as Gilkes gets Aston Martin F1 work |url=https://formulascout.com/louis-harvey-lands-prize-gb4-test-as-gilkes-gets-aston-martin-f1-work/97760 |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Formula Scout |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitfield |first=Steve |date=2023-03-08 |title=Megan Gilkes joins Rodin Carlin to race in F1 Academy |url=https://formulascout.com/megan-gilkes-joins-rodin-carlin-to-race-in-f1-academy/104571 |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=Formula Scout |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Racing record==

===Career summary===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center"
! Season
! Series
! Team
! Races
! Wins
! Poles
! F/Laps
! Podiums
! Points
! Position
|-
!rowspan=2| 2017
|align=left| Canadian Formula 1200 Championship
|align=left| Vallis Motorsports
| 15
| 2
| ?
| ?
| 10
| 1148
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''3rd'''
|-
|align=left| [[Formula Vee at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs|SCCA National Championship Runoffs - Formula Vee]]
|align=left| Millers Oils
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 23rd
|-
!rowspan=5| 2018
|align=left| Canadian Formula 1200 Championship
|rowspan=2 align=left| Vallis Motorsports
| 9
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 7
| 738
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''2nd'''
|-
|align=left| [[Formula Vee]] Challenge Cup Series
| 9
| 3
| 1
| 0
| 3
| 130
| 4th
|-
|align=left| [[F2000 Championship Series]]
|rowspan=3 align=left| N/A
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 22
| 25th
|-
|align=left| SCCA Majors Championship Nationwide - [[Formula Vee]]
| 2
| 0
| ?
| ?
| 0
| 29
| 43rd
|-
|align=left| Campeonato Paulista de [[Formula Vee]]
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 14
| 15th
|-
!rowspan=3| 2019
|align=left| [[2019 W Series|W Series]]
|align=left| [[Hitech Grand Prix|Hitech GP]]
| 5
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 20th
|-
|align=left| [[2019 F3 Americas Championship|F3 Americas Championship]]
|align=left| Momentum Motorsports
| 4
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
| 17th
|-
|align=left| [[F2000 Championship Series]]
|align=left| Vallis Motor Sport
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 28
| 23rd
|-
!rowspan=2| 2020
|align=left| F1600 Ontario
|align=left| Brian Graham Racing
| 15
| 0
| 1
| 2
| 11
| 275
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''2nd'''
|-
|align=left| [[Formula Ford Festival|BRSCC Formula Ford Festival]]
|align=left| Kevin Mills Racing
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| N/A
| 20th
|-
! 2021
|align=left| [[Formula Ford|National Formula Ford Championship - Pro]]
|align=left| Kevin Mills Racing
| 17
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 106
| 10th
|-
! 2022
|align=left| [[2022 GB4 Championship|GB4 Championship]]
|align=left| [[Hillspeed]]
|24
|2
|1
|3
|3
|375
|6th
|-
! 2023
|align=left| [[2023 F1 Academy season|F1 Academy]]
|align=left| [[Carlin Motorsport|Rodin Carlin]]
|21
|0
|0
|0
|0
|31
|13th
|}

===SCCA National Championship Runoffs===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year !! Track !! Car !! Engine !! Class !! Finish !! Start !! Status
|-
| 2017 || [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] || BRD AFV-01 || [[Volkswagen]] || [[Formula Vee]] || 23 || 24 || Running
|}

===Complete W Series results===
([[:Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
! Year
! Team
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! DC
! Points
|-
| [[2019 W Series|2019]]
!nowrap| [[Hitech Grand Prix|Hitech GP]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[2019 W Series Hockenheim round|HOC]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[2019 W Series Zolder round|ZOL]]<br>{{small|14}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[2019 W Series Misano round|MIS]]<br>{{small|17}}
|style="background:#F1F8FF;"| [[2019 W Series Nuremberg round|NRM]]<br>{{small|{{tooltip|PO|Practice only}}}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[2019 W Series Assen round|ASN]]<br>{{small|14}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[2019 W Series Brands Hatch round|BRH]]<br>{{small|18}}
! 20th
! 0
|}

=== Complete F1600 Ontario results ===
([[Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) (Races with * indicate most race laps led)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
!Year
!Team
!1
!2
!3
!4
!5
!6
!7
!8
!9
!10
!11
!12
!13
!14
!15
!Rank
!Points
|-
|2020
!nowrap|Brian Graham Racing
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |'''''[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP1<br />1]]'''''<br />{{small|2*}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |'''[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP1<br />2]]'''<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |'''''[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP1<br />3]]'''''<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP2<br />1]]<br />{{small|16*}}
| style="background:#FFFFFF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP2<br />2]]<br />{{small|DNS}}
| style="background:#FFFFFF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP2<br />3]]<br />{{small|DNS}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |[[Shannonville Motorsport Park|SMP<br />1]]<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#FFDF9F;" |[[Shannonville Motorsport Park|SMP<br />2]]<br />{{small|3}}
| style="background:#FFDF9F;" |[[Shannonville Motorsport Park|SMP<br />3]]<br />{{small|3}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP3<br />1]]<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP3<br />2]]<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP3<br />3]]<br />{{small|4}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP4<br />1]]<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP4<br />2]]<br />{{small|2}}
| style="background:#DFDFDF;" |[[Canadian Tire Motorsports Park|MSP4<br />3]]<br />{{small|2}}
! style="background:#DFDFDF;" |2nd
! style="background:#DFDFDF;" |275
|}

=== Complete GB4 Championship results ===
([[Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
! Year
! Entrant
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! 18
! 19
! 20
! 21
! 22
! 23
! 24
! DC
! Points
|-
| [[2022 GB4 Championship|2022]]
!nowrap| [[Hillspeed]]
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Snetterton Circuit|SNE1<br />1]]<br />{{small|7}}
| style="background:#EFCFFF;" |[[Snetterton Circuit|SNE1<br />2]]<br />{{small|Ret}}
| style="background:#FFFFBF;" |[[Snetterton Circuit|SNE1<br />3]]<br />{{small|1<sup>1</sup>}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Oulton Park Circuit|OUL<br />1]]<br />{{small|4}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Oulton Park Circuit|OUL<br />2]]<br />{{small|5}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |''[[Oulton Park Circuit|OUL<br />3]]''<br />{{small|11}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Silverstone Circuit|SIL1<br />1]]<br />{{small|6}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Silverstone Circuit|SIL1<br />2]]<br />{{small|4}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Silverstone Circuit|SIL1<br />3]]<br />{{small|4<sup>4</sup>}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Donington Park|DON1<br />1]]<br />{{small|7}}
| style="background:#FFFFBF;" |'''''[[Donington Park|DON1<br />2]]'''''<br />{{small|1}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |''[[Donington Park|DON1<br />3]]''<br />{{small|8<sup>4</sup>}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Snetterton Circuit|SNE2<br />1]]<br />{{small|5}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Snetterton Circuit|SNE2<br />2]]<br />{{small|4}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Snetterton Circuit|SNE2<br />3]]<br />{{small|7}}
| style="background:#FFDF9F;" |[[Silverstone Circuit|SIL2<br />1]]<br />{{small|3}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Silverstone Circuit|SIL2<br />2]]<br />{{small|5}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Silverstone Circuit|SIL2<br />3]]<br />{{small|4<sup>7</sup>}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Brands Hatch|BRA<br />1]]<br />{{small|6}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Brands Hatch|BRA<br />2]]<br />{{small|7}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Brands Hatch|BRA<br />3]]<br />{{small|9}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Donington Park|DON2<br />1]]<br />{{small|5}}
| style="background:#EFCFFF;" |[[Donington Park|DON2<br />2]]<br />{{small|Ret}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" |[[Donington Park|DON2<br />3]]<br />{{small|9}}
! 6th
! 375
|}

=== Complete F1 Academy results ===
([[:Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]]) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! 18
! 19
! 20
! 21
! DC
! Points
|-
|[[2023 F1 Academy|2023]]
!nowrap| [[Carlin Motorsport|Rodin Carlin]]
| style="background:#dfffdf" |  [[Red Bull Ring|RBR<br>1]]<br>{{small|5}}
| style="background:#cfcfff" | [[Red Bull Ring|RBR<br>2]]<br>{{small|12}}
| style="background:#dfffdf" | [[Red Bull Ring|RBR<br>3]]<br>{{small|10}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" | [[Circuit Ricardo Tormo|CRT<br>1]]<br>{{small|8}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit Ricardo Tormo |CRT<br>2]]<br>{{small|13}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit Ricardo Tormo|CRT<br>3]]<br>{{small|13†}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya|CAT<br>1]]<br>{{small|11}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya|CAT<br>2]]<br>{{small|11}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" | [[Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya|CAT<br>3]]<br>{{small|8}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit Zandvoort|ZAN<br>1]]<br>{{small|11}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" | [[Circuit Zandvoort|ZAN<br>2]]<br>{{small|7}}
| style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [[Circuit Zandvoort|ZAN<br>3]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" | [[Autodromo Nazionale di Monza|MON<br>1]]<br>{{small|5}}
| style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [[Autodromo Nazionale di Monza|MON<br>2]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
| style="background:#EFCFFF;" | [[Autodromo Nazionale di Monza|MON<br>3]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit Paul Ricard|LEC<br>1]]<br>{{small|11}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit Paul Ricard|LEC<br>2]]<br>{{small|13}}
| style="background:#DFFFDF;" | [[Circuit Paul Ricard|LEC<br>3]]<br>{{small|9}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit of the Americas|USA<br>1]]<br>{{small|12}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit of the Americas|USA<br>2]]<br>{{small|13}}
| style="background:#CFCFFF;" | [[Circuit of the Americas|USA<br>3]]<br>{{small|11}}
! style="background:#" | 13th
! style="background:#;" | 31
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|Megan Gilkes}}
* {{DriverDB driver|megan-gilkes}}

{{W Series Drivers}}
{{F1 Academy drivers}}

{{Canada-sport-bio-stub}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilkes, Megan}}
[[Category:Canadian racing drivers]]
[[Category:2000 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:W Series drivers]]
[[Category:Formula Regional Americas Championship drivers]]
[[Category:SCCA National Championship Runoffs participants]]
[[Category:Formula Ford drivers]]
[[Category:GB4 Championship drivers]]
[[Category:Canadian female racing drivers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Richmond Hill, Ontario]]
[[Category:F1 Academy drivers]]
[[Category:Carlin racing drivers]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Ontario]]
[[Category:Alumni of Imperial College London]]
[[Category:Formula One engineers]]
[[Category:Engineers from Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian women engineers]]
[[Category:Rodin Motorsport drivers]]
[[Category:Hillspeed drivers]]