Chris Dittmann Racing has signed kart racer Omar Ismail as its first driver for the 2015 BRDC Formula 4 Championship.

Solihull-based Ismail will join the championship from the third meeting of the season, on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, in May when he turns 16. Despite missing the first two rounds of the season, extensive testing is scheduled to ensure he can hit the ground running.

Ismail has run competitively in karts since 2011, with front-running performances in the Shenington Winter Cup and Whilton Mill Brazilian Cup in 2012, and top-ten results in Junior Rotax Super One and Rotax Euro Challenge in 2013. He has also appeared in the Junior Max International Open in Zuera, Spain.

Ismail commented: “BRDC F4 provides an excellent package for young drivers like me, making their debuts in single-seaters. It’s affordable, offers good media coverage, and provides a springboard into professional racing. It’s great having Pirelli involved as this will give me a taste of what tyres are like in GP3.

“I think that 2015 will be a great learning curve for me. The car has a lot of power, but it is quite easy to get to grips with and the racing is very competitive. I worked really well with CDR in my first test, and I'm looking forward to working with them in 2015. I aim to better myself as a driver with every race, gaining as much experience as possible, and to be competing for podiums by the end of the year."

Team boss Dittmann added: “We are really pleased to announce Omar as our first signed driver for 2015. Omar has settled into the team extremely well and although this will be his first season in car racing, I'm confident with our support he can develop his skills quickly and achieve some impressive results. It’s a shame Omar has to miss the first two race meetings, however we have a strong testing programme planned for him which will mean he will hit the ground running.”

Drivers interested in joining Omar at Chris Dittmann Racing should contact the team.