Forthcoming UK Events

DateEventLocation
06-08.07.2012Formula 1 British Grand PrixSilverstone (Arena GP)
01-03.06.2012British Drift ChampionshipNorfolk Arena
23-24.06.2012MG Live 2012Silverstone
25-26.08.2012FIA World Endurance ChampionshipSilverstone

The 2012 Season Starts Here

2012-03-new-season-media-passThe last week has seen a flurry of activity as championships big and small held their annual media days and opening tests, with some already even getting down to racing proper. The British Touring Car Championship heads strongly into a new all-turbo generation and this year boasts 10 models from nine different marques on its 24-car grid, including the technicolour liveried return of the MG name.

The BTCC season opener hits Brands Hatch on 1st April, followed a week later by the first rounds of the British GT Championship and the British F3 International Series at Oulton Park. While some single-seater formulae have struggled in recent times - Formula Renault postponing its UK series due to poor entries - British F3 continues to attract young talent. With recent champions including the Scuderia Toro Rosso pairing of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, its status as a stepping-stone to Formula 1 is hard to dispute.

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Felix Serralles Joins Fortec for British F3 Campaign

Serralles steps up to British Formula 3 after strong showings for Fortec in the Formula Renault Eurocup last year and some impressive F3 winter test results. “We gave Felix some runs in the F3 car towards the end of 2011 and he surprised us with his pace,” said team chief Mick Kouros. “We think he will take to the new car and be a key player in the team alongside Pipo and Alex.”

The identity of Fortec’s fourth man is expected to be revealed soon; Kouros believes that the team will be in good shape for what is likely to be a season of surprises as all the teams get to grips with the new Dallara F312 chassis. “We are all excited for the coming season - the drivers are enthusiastic and the engineering team is looking forward to working with the new car.”

The first of Fortec’s new Mercedes-powered Dallaras will take centre stage at next week’s Autosport Show in Birmingham alongside illustrious cars from the last 60 seasons of British Formula 3.

Florida-based Serralles is thrilled by the challenge of British F3 but is expecting it to be tough: “I am very pleased to be racing again with Fortec - I know that they will be the best team for me as I progress to Formula 3 - and very excited to be among the first drivers to try the new car from Dallara. I know that it will be hard to adapt, though, and will be giving it everything.”

Serralles began competing in karts in Puerto Rico at age nine and raced single-seaters in the USA from 2008. He won a full season in the Skip Barber National Series in 2010, finishing third in the championship, and graduated to Formula Renault 2.0 with Fortec for 2011, becoming a top-10 regular.

Serralles, Derani and Lynn look certain to be key players in the 2012 British Formula 3 title battle. Eighteen-year-old Lynn joins the championship after a season of domination in Formula Renault UK, while Derani has an F3 season under his belt already, the highlight of which was a second-place finish for Double R Racing at Donington Park towards the end of the year. Fortec drivers claimed seven championship race wins in 2011 and the squad’s William Buller placed fourth in the drivers championship.

British Formula 3, which enjoys the headlining support of Cooper Tires and is additionally backed by Sunoco Racing Fuels and Anglo American Oil Company, features a 30-race schedule for 2012. There will be races on the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuits of Monza, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone, as well as the blue riband Grand Prix de Pau and events alongside the Blancpain Endurance Series at Paul Ricard and with British GT on the UK’s top circuits. The season gets underway at Oulton Park at Easter.

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