Reigning Protyre Formula Renault Champions MGR Motorsport and fellow front-running team Jamun Racing have confirmed their involvement in the upcoming ‘Autumn Cup’ at Rockingham in Northamptonshire.
Bardon-based MGR, which steered Chris Middlehurst (St. Helens) to the 2013 championship title, retains 18-year-old Matteo Ferrer (Colchester) and the Italian will be joined by exciting 16-year-old car racing rookie Alex Gill (Doncaster).
Ferrer, who came fresh into motor racing in 2012 without any karting background whatsoever, had some strong results in his maiden season in Protyre Formula Renault this year with a best finish of fourth place coming at Rockingham during the penultimate event of the campaign.
Gill, who won the 2012 British KF3 Karting Championship with the official Red Bull KF3 Karting Team, made his car racing debut during the last two rounds of the main Protyre Formula Renault season in September. Impressing on his first competitive run in the series, the McLaren Applied Technologies Performance Academy member secured a best result of ninth place in the televised finale.
“Although I had very little time in a car prior to the meeting at Silverstone I was able to learn a lot from doing the last round of the main championship”, said Gill, “Working with MGR since then, we have been able to build on that experience and I’m really looking forward to the Autumn Cup. Using the car Jorge [Cevallos] ran this year, I know I will have a competitive package.”
Team principal Mark Godwin is delighted to be able to continue working with the ever-improving Ferrer in Protyre Formula Renault and equally pleased to have secured Gill’s signature, feeling both will give a very good account of themselves in the Autumn Cup.
“Matteo is committed to making a big push over the winter to get as much race mileage as he can, he knows he’s been playing catch-up this year against drivers with a lot more experience and seat time”, said Godwin, “He went really well at Rockingham in the main championship, he showed good pace and we’re confident he’ll do a good job in the Autumn Cup.
“Our initial impressions of Alex are very, very good – for someone with only a handful of days in a car behind him it’s been like working with a pro. He’s very capable, has a good understanding of everything and I think he’s going to be looking at some good results at Rockingham.”
Fittipaldi and Jamun confident of front-running challenge in Autumn Cup
Rochester’s Jamun Racing, one of the most successful teams in national motorsport and the squad which was behind Scott Malvern’s Protyre Formula Renault title success in 2012, will field high-profile Brazilian racer Pietro Fittipaldi (Camberley).
Continuing the association which delivered a top eight finish in the main championship this year, the 17-year-old’s first season in single-seaters and first campaign on UK soil, Jamun team principal James Mundy is confident the grandson of 1972 and 1974 Formula One World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi has developed strongly enough to be an Autumn Cup podium contender.
“Pietro coped with his first season well, he’s a clever lad and puts a lot of thought into what he does on track”, said Mundy, “He showed good pace during the year, unfortunately that wasn’t converted into good grid positions too often but he always raced well and came through to some good results. I would be disappointed if Pietro isn’t on the podium at Rockingham, he has the pace to do it.”
Making his single-seater race debut in Protyre Formula Renault at Donington Park back in mid-April, Fittipaldi achieved a best finish of ninth place on his first weekend racing in Britain and took a year’s best result of fifth during the next event at Snetterton. Three top sixes from the final three rounds enabled him to conclude the campaign eighth in the standings, just six points shy of the top six.
Qualifying for the opening two rounds of the Protyre Formula Renault Autumn Cup will take place at 09.30 on Saturday, 16th November, with the first race of the weekend getting underway at 11.30 and race two following at 13.50. On Sunday, 17th November, round three and four qualifying will start at 10.35 with the races scheduled for 12.55 and 14.40.
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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