Having shown true form with a race and round victory at the opening round of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at Bathurst last weekend, dual series champion James Winslow has today confirmed his retirement from wings and slicks racing to focus on plans to start a V8 Supercar career this season.
Winslow has proven performance, pace and passion for the popular racing category, having raced here in Australia taking two titles from his two full seasons completed, along with Formula 3 championship wins in both Asia and his homeland, the United Kingdom.
Upon his retirement, Winslow will leave a bank of records in his wake, being the most successful driver in world Formula 3 history, his four international championships, 63 international outright race victories, 35 Australian Formula 3 wins (including non-championship races at Melbournes Formula 1 Grand Prix and the Gold Coast event), six rounds wins from the last eight events, and the first ever race victory in Australian Formula 3 at the 2006 Melbourne Formula1 Grand Prix where the Briton beat home a young Bruno Senna.
Invitations to international race events have come through consistent top of the table performances, including two invitations to the Macau Formula 3 World Cup as a Formula 3 champion, where in 2006 on debut he would race against Formula 1 stars of today including Sebastian Vettel, Adrian Sutil, Paul Di-Resta and Romain Grosjean, coming home 11th of the 33 world champions and ahead of Sebastian Vettel among others, to then return to the Macau event placed fourth until an unavoidable multiple vehicle incident blocked the circuit and Winslows chance at finishing the top end challenge in 2008 after his first Australian title win secured another invitation.
With Winslows vast Formula 3 experience, its important to not forget his successes in the A1GP for Great Britain, along with his 2007 Renault V6 3.5 championship win, hence the multiple champion and record holder is now ready for the next challenge, explaining,
Ive had many great successes and have really enjoyed all of my time in Formula 3 racing around the globe, and now it feels like the right time to look further into the opportunities that have been presenting in the V8 Supercar series.
Having records to my name is a great achievement that I can always be proud of, Ive worked with some of the best teams in the business, Ive raced and won at some of the best tracks in the Formula 3 world, and Ive won multiple championships in my home country (United Kingdom), here in Australia and abroad, so you cant ask for much more than that in a career with a series.
Im confident that now is the right time for this decision, having been speaking with teams in the V8 Supercars, as well as looking at the opportunities within Porsche Carrera Cup which could also lead to racing around the world once again, but with a new challenge.First ideal is to race in the V8 Supercar endurance events this season. I have the experience, I know the tracks very well, and I have the speed so with a foot in the door and the break that I hope wont be far away, Im prepared to work harder than anyone to secure a seat and give my all in Australias premier level of motor sport.
