Hitech Junior Confirms Full Formula Renault Line-Up

15 February 2008

Briton Richard Singleton, Spaniard Miki Monras, Briton Luciano Bachetta, Colombian Juan Jacobo and Australian Ashley Walsh will all join the new Silverstone-based team set up by Hitech Racing Team Principal David Hayle.

Singleton, Bachetta and Jacobo will compete in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Championship, Monras will compete in Eurocup and the inaugural West European Renault 2.0 Championship, while Walsh will run exclusively in the WEC.

For Singleton, winner of the 2006 BARC Formula Renault Championship and 2007 Winterseries, seventh place overall in last year’s UK series should put him in a strong position for race honours in 2008. While for Walsh, runner-up in the Australian Formula Renault Championship and Jacobo, a previous contender in the South American series, 2008 will mark their debut seasons in Europe.

Despite it being the first attempt at Formula Renault Championship title victory for the team there are high expectations to achieve the kind of results that netted it 11 F3 race wins en route to the coveted crown last year. The new team, which made a successful debut in last season’s Formula Renault UK Winterseries, will start the year the same way it always approaches the F3 season - bidding for race wins.

"After the success Hitech Racing achieved last season, it’s not unrealistic for us to expect to repeat that performance with Hitech Junior in Formula Renault this year. Every race we all go out to win, taking it race by race and that ultimately wins titles.

"So I will be telling the boys to do just that. Focus on each race individually and if we all settle down to the job, then hopefully we’ll win races and maybe even the championships. I believe we have a very strong line-up for our first season in Formula Renault and all five drivers have driven exceptionally well in the pre-season testing. Bachetta and Monras are both very young and I really couldn’t believe how quick and mature they were.

"We were up at the front in testing at our first time with European opposition which bodes well and hopefully we’ll be on the pace from the start. However we have to accept that the competition will be tough and we have two rookies in amongst our line-up who will hopefully be able to learn from the other three who all have Formula Renault experience."

The Hitech Junior team kicks off its 2008 season with the opening round of the WEC at Nogaro, France on 21 March. The Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Championship starts a month and a half later, at Spa in Belgium on 2 May.

MPR Associates

See 2008 series calendar for Formula Renault UK

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