Following a sabbatical in 2016, Daventry based F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford team SWB Motorsport will line up on the grid of the UK’s leading single-seater series in 2017.
The squad’s first season in the series yielded 14 podiums; two overall and 12 in the rookie cup with Rubens Barrichello prodigy Rafael Martins. The Brazilian showed that the team were capable of running at the front and was frequently at the sharp end of proceedings, finishing on a high with an overall podium at the Brands Hatch season finale. On the back of a year away to concentrate on a new business venture which is now flourishing, Simon Baldry’s SWB Motorsport is back with a vengeance and ready to race in the UK’s most competitive single-seater series once again.Said Baldry of his squad’s return: “2016 has been a busy year for us albeit in a slightly different field, but now that business is up and running successfully we are ready to turn our attentions to racing. We have the same top quality personnel; a very tightly knit and skilled set of lads and lasses and driver coaches who possess a wealth of experience. “We have two cars and are looking forward to hearing from drivers with a genuine will to win from the outset. We are an experienced team that knows how to nurture new, young drivers who require the level of support and attention a two car team can easily give them.”SWB Motorsport are based a stone’s throw away from Silverstone, the home of British motor racing and Formula 1. The outfit has its own fully equipped in-house fitness centre and simulator, both of which are free for its drivers to use.Added Baldry: “We have a fitness coach and a sim engineer to make sure the drivers are at their peak all the time. By keeping as much in-house as possible, not only does it keep costs down for drivers, but it means we can teach them the things we know and the way in which we want them to work.“The coaches our drivers work with are the same coaches that will be present at British F4 race weekends. This enables a far more effective and beneficial relationship to develop in comparison to if a driver coach was only available for the three days during a race weekend.”Sponsors are also set to get an exhilarating taste of life in the fast lane whilst maximising return on investment according to Baldry: “We have a fleet of five EcoBoost-powered Formula Fords, as well as a two-seater model which sponsors and their guests can drive and make use of at our test track in Oxfordshire.“Our cars can be branded in company colours and we have a host of additional options to enhance sponsor days and meet strategic activation objectives. For us sponsorship is about so much more than just a sticker on a car.“In addition to live television coverage on ITV4 to an audience of over 20 million during the ever-popular TOCA race weekends where British F4 stars alongside the BTCC, SWB Motorsport will have dedicated social media channels to connect with fans across digital platforms.”
Baldry is also keen to emphasise that his outfit is not looking to finish second to anyone in 2017 given the squad’s prodigious track record: “We had a great year in 2015 in MSA Formula, following our success in Formula Ford and Formula Renault. Therefore we are looking for the best drivers to put us at the front again.“We have copious amounts of data at our disposal. We’ve kept our hand in over the 2016 British F4 season to ensure we didn’t fall behind other teams and to prevent us from going into 2017 blind. We’re ready to hit the ground running.”To find out more about SWB Motorsport’s comeback plans and for any information regarding racing with the team in 2017, please contact Simon Baldry via email or by telephone on +44 (0) 1327 264 551. The team is set to begin a comprehensive testing programme from 1 February 2017 and is looking forward to beginning its exciting new chapter in motor racing with the hottest young prospects behind the wheel.
