Racing Steps Foundation graduate James Calado signs with Sahara Force India

Following a solid performance in the July F1 Young Drivers Test, the Racing Steps Foundation (RSF) graduate, James Calado, was signed to be reserve and test driver for the Sahara Force India Formula One Team. The deal, brokered by Nicolas Todts All Road Management company, will involve Calado in several Friday tests among the remaining Grands Prix of the season.RSF founder, Graham Sharp: The RSF initiative was conceived to help foster exceptional race driving talent among those who might not have the resources to make the very difficult journey to professional status. The RSF is very pleased to know that thanks to the consistent racing skills James has demonstrated and with the undoubted wise counsel of All Road Management, he is now on the threshold of every racers dream: a Formula 1 Grand Prix drive.Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India: Im pleased to confirm that weve signed James as our third driver. We worked with him during the Silverstone test (July) and he impressed everyone with his speed and consistency. Weve always tried to support young drivers and this is a great opportunity for James to gain some valuable experience of driving during Formula One race events.James will take part in the opening free practice session on Friday (at Monza). He will also run in practice at several other races this year. Its always useful to get another drivers feedback on the car and it will help us evaluate James.James Calado: It has been an amazing journey with the Racing Steps Foundation to get me to this level. I am thrilled to have got this appointment with Sahara Force India and would like to thank Graham Sharp and Derek Walters not to mention ARM, for their massive commitment and belief in my race driving skills.James RSF relationship kicked off in 2008 which saw Worcestershire-born 19 year old complete two years in Formula Renault UK with Fortec Motorsport, becoming Vice-Champion in 2009. For 2010, the RSF funded James with Carlin in the British Formula 3 International Championship where in his debut year, he achieved Vice-Champion status.For 2011, the RSF moved James to ART Grand Prix for a season in GP3, in which he again rose to Vice-Champion level. Such was the consistency of James overall performance that for 2012, the RSF promoted the young star to GP2 with ART, a programme he is repeating for 2013. ART Grand Prix has an established reputation for getting young talent into Formula 1: Felipe Massa, Pastor Maldonado and Jules Bianchi have all benefitted from the wise guidance of Nicolas Todt and ARM.The terms and conditions of Calados new arrangement with Sahara Force India will not conflict with his remaining 2013 GP2 campaign.Silverstone F1 Young Drivers TestJames Calado impressed Sahara Force India both with his on-track performance and feedback to the teams engineers during the Formula 1 Young Driver Test at Silverstone in July. The test, arranged by All Road Management, enabled Sahara Force India to conclude its evaluation of James for the reserve driver and testing role.

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