Mexicos Jorge Cevallos, who is part of the prestigious Escuderia Telmex driver development programme which features FIA Formula One World Championship star Esteban Gutirrez, will return to the Protyre Formula Renault Championship this year after signing a deal with MGR Motorsport.
Completing the Bardon squads four-car line-up for the 2013 campaign, the 18-year-old from Tijuana makes a welcome return to the category after a promising maiden season last year where he ended the championship inside the overall top 12 and secured a best result of sixth place.
Prior to his arrival in the UK last year, Cevallos had only contested a handful of car races in the Latin American F2000 Challenge Series and the Skip Barber National Series. He started karting in 2008 and enjoyed a great deal of success in the USA and South America.
Cevallos joins the already confirmed Chris Middlehurst (St. Helens), Matteo Ferrer (Ipswich) and Tom Oliphant (Tarporley, Cheshire) at MGR and team principal Mark Godwin is confident the Mexican has what it takes to be a podium challenger.
Based on last year, Jorge should definitely be a front-running driver throughout the season, said Godwin, Id put him in the same category as Chris [Middlehurst] really, they should both be strong and they each need to be aiming for podium finishes and the championship.
Quite a few of the drivers who were battling at the front last year have moved on, so the second year racers like Jorge should be the ones to be consistently up there. Hes looked very solid so far in testing and its good for MGR, from a profile point of view, to have a Telmex programme driver with our Protyre Formula Renault team. It was always the aim to have four cars, so were delighted.
Core Motorsport confirms 2013 campaign with single-seater rookie Hickin
Essex-based Core Motorsport has also confirmed its entry into the 2013 Protyre Formula Renault Championship, having agreed a two-year deal with successful kart racer, and single-seater rookie, Piers Hickin (Knaphill).
Starting out in Honda Cadet karting in 2007, Hickin immediately impressed and won the Buckmore Park Summer Championship and the subsequent Winter Championship title. Claiming the Honda Cadet Southern Championship title the following year, he graduated into the realms of Rotax Max before making his car racing debut in last Novembers Ginetta Junior Winter Series.
Core team principal Steven Durrant, a former Protyre Formula Renault racer himself, said: Piers has shown great potential for the future, but we are treating this very much as a two-year learning programme in which he will build his skills to provide a firm foundation for his future racing career.
Piers has great ability and a very mature attitude to his progression, shown both at the track and with the progress he has made in our simulator. The combination of these attributes means he is fantastic to work with.
Scorpio Motorsport, MTECH Lite and Jamun Racing are still to officially confirm their 2013 driver line-ups but are expected to do so at this weeks Media Day and timed pre-season test on Thursday, 21st March, at Silverstone National Circuit.
Along with headline sponsor Protyre, Formula Renault is additionally supported by Michelin, The Lubricant Consultancy, Petronas Syntium and NGK Spark Plugs.
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