Fresh developments within the Russell Racing camp continue apace into the New Year with the appointment of vastly experienced race engineer Paul Leach to the Middlesex based Formula Renault BARC squad.Having already confirmed two driver signings before the end of 2007 in the form of FR2000 Class front-runner Aaron Steele and category debutant Don de Graaff, the Sunbury-on-Thames team is delighted to confirm Paul Leach’s arrival – a move which is undoubtedly set to bring deserved success to the ambitious Russell Racing squad.Boasting an impressive CV, including roles with the McLaren World Sportscar entry and the Minardi Formula One team, the latter where he worked alongside F1 superstars Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber, Leach was last year instrumental in the success of ELF Renault Clio Cup Champion entrant JHR Developments and the Double M Formula Renault BARC squad.Commenting on his decision to join forces with the burgeoning Russell Racing team, Leach said: “I’m very happy to be joining Russell Racing and I hope my experience will help drive the team forward. This year marks a fresh start for everyone at the team and I’m looking forward to helping establish Russell Racing as genuine title contenders.” Team owner Tim Russell added: “We ended 2007 very positively by confirming two driver signings and our new partnership with Allen Orchard at E-motional Engineering. Now, with the arrival of Paul Leach, we really do believe all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place to become consistent championship challengers in Formula Renault BARC.“Our plan is to also return to the British Touring Car Championship supporting Formula Renault UK series this year and with Paul onboard we feel rightly confident of success there too. His experience and achievements are unquestionable. These truly are very exciting times for Russell Racing.”Russell Racing plans to begin its pre-season testing programme within the next few weeks.