Karter Zubair Hoque will graduate to single seaters with HHC Motorsport for the BRDC F4 Winter Championship, which commences at Snetterton this weekend (8-9 November).
The 18-year-old, from Hale Halton in Cheshire, started racing in 2005, competing in indoor karting championships before stepping up to Formula Kart Stars and the Super 1 British Championship in 2009, breaking lap records at Shennington and Rowrah in the process.
He sampled single seaters for the first time in 2011 when he was invited to the Formula BMW Talent Cup in Valencia, while also securing victory in the British Schools Karting Championship. Racing with Altrincham Grammar School, his team beat 450 other entrants competing nationally.
Moving up to the MSA British KF2 Championship in 2012, Hoque was classified fifth overall with three podium finishes, while also taking top-10 finishes in international events.
Focussing on his A Level studies in 2013, Hoque was still able to get to grips with single seaters with test runs in Formula Renault and then BRDC F4 machinery, prior to his progression into racing this weekend.
Hoque commented: “It’s my first race in single seaters but I already have a little amount of experience in the car. I’ve had 18 months off from racing to concentrate on my A Levels, so it’s going to be a big learning curve, but I’m aiming for the top five. It’s going to be all about learning through the weekend, and as long as I keep improving I’ll be happy. It’s also great preparation ahead of the main season next year.”
HHC’s Charlie Kemp commented: “We’re very pleased to welcome Zubair to the team for the Winter Championship. He’s shown a lot of promise in his karting career and although he’s had a bit of a break from racing recently, he’s still gained valuable seat time in a single seater, and we’re confident we can help to extract his potential and help push him towards the front of the grid.”
The BRDC F4 Winter Championship commences at Snetterton on 8-9 November, and finishes on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 22-23 November. For more information on the Winter Championship, visit the official website www.formula4.com.
