MEXICAN KARTING GRADUATE ALVAREZ FIRST CONFIRMED DRIVER FOR DOUBLE R RACING'S 2018 BRITISH F4 SQUAD
Mexico’s Sebastian Alvarez will make his car racing debut in the F4 British Championship certified by FIA powered by Ford Ecoboost this year, becoming the first driver confirmed at multiple race-winning team Double R Racing.
The 15-year-old, who resides in Texas in the USA, is the first confirmed driver for Woking-based Double R’s capacity three car entry for the 2018 season and arrives in British F4 with a strong karting background in America, Mexico and on the world stage.
Winning the 2011 Super Karts Cadet Cup in Mexico, Alvarez progressed through Cadet Karting and Mini Max in the USA over the next few years, taking his second title in 2015 in the Florida Winter Tour Rotax Mini Max Championship.
Stepping-up to the CIK-FIA World Junior Championship the following season, Alvarez then moved into the WSK Champions Cup and WSK Super Masters Series last year as well as continuing in the CIK-FIA World Championship and CIK-FIA European Championship.
Part of the Infinity Sports Management stable, Alvarez is relishing his first season in cars and looking forward to working with Double R Racing and competing on UK race tracks for the first time in the high-profile British F4 category.
Speaking on Alvarez’s signing for 2018, Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt said: “We’re very much looking forward to working with Sebastian, he’s a talented young driver and brings good experience from karting where he’s a championship winner already.
“British F4 is the logical first step for any driver coming out of karting and I’m sure Sebastian is going to make very strong progress throughout the season. We’re delighted to announce him as our first British F4 driver this year and looking forward to a competitive season together.”
DOUBLE R RACING SIGNS FINNISH KARTER TONTERI
Multiple karting champion Paavo Tonteri has been announced as the second driver signing of 2018 for Double R Racing’s F4 British Championship certified by FIA Powered by Ford Ecoboost squad.
Tonteri, from Finland, will make his car racing debut with Woking’s Double R this year off the back of a very strong karting career which has delivered several championship titles and a brace of top four finishes in the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship.
The 18-year-old, who like new Double R team-mate Sebastian Alvarez is represented by Infinity Sports Management, won his first title in the Finnish Cup in 2012 before claiming the North European KF3 Karting Championship in 2013.
Taking his third title in as many years in the KF Junior class of the Finnish Championship in 2014, Tonteri achieved a top three placing at the prestigious South Garda Winter Cup in 2015 as well as third in the KF class of the Finnish Championship.
Tonteri then won the highly competitive German Karting Championship in 2016 to make it four karting crowns in just five years. He was also Vice-Champion of the Finnish OK Karting Championship that year and, last season, took third place in the German Championship.
“I’m really happy to join Double R as they are certainly one of the best teams in the UK”, said the Finnish youngster, “Racing with Double R will take me further as a driver and hopefully I can take them further as a team as well. Double R has a great philosophy of racing, and with great people around me I’m very excited for the new season.”
Double R Racing is one of the stand-out teams in national single-seater racing in the UK as a multiple race-winning entrant in British F4 and a two-time championship winner in British Formula 3, as well as the 2006 winners of the globally renowned Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix.
Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, Double R Racing team principal, said: “Paavo really is a great young talent, his record from karting speaks for itself and we’re confident he’s going to adapt to British Formula 4 very quickly and be a competitive driver.
“It’s a tough championship for any youngster, especially in their first season, but from what we’ve seen so far Paavo looks set for a strong year. With Paavo joining Sebastian [Alvarez] we’ve already got a great young line-up with one driver still to confirm!”
Kent’s Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, Double R Racing’s ‘home’ track, will host the season curtain-raiser to the 2018 British F4 Championship season on 7th/8th April. After travelling around the UK, visiting the likes of Donington Park, Oulton Park and Silverstone, the series will conclude on 29th/30th September at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.
