Front-running single-seater squad announces latest recruit
Highly-rated teenager to tackle maiden campaign of British F4
Promising Mexican ace joins Billy Monger in 2017 line-up
JHR Developments has added Manuel Sulaimán to its driving strength for the 2017 F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford, with the multiple Mexican karting champion set to do battle for the inaugural Ford F4 Challenge Cup.
Having already reconfirmed Billy Monger for the UK’s premier junior single-seater series, Dronfield-based JHR has bolstered its line-up with the recruitment of Sulaimán. The 16-year-old currently leads the ‘Rookie’ category in Mexico’s domestic NACAM Formula 4 Championship, tallying nine class victories from 14 starts in the 2016/17 campaign to-date, including a brace of outright podiums. The Puebla native sits an impressive sixth in the overall standings out of 23 contenders.
Sulaimán might be facing a learning curve given that both the championship and circuits will be new to him this year, but he is no stranger to the country having competed on British shores in karting in 2014/15. He is excited to be joining forces with front-running outfit JHR, which boasts no fewer than nine titles to its credit in the lower echelons of UK motor racing.
“Racing for JHR Developments in the F4 British Championship Challenge Cup in 2017 is a dream come true for me,” revealed Sulaimán, who will carry backing from ICR Ambiental on his open-wheel race car. “We share the same philosophy and a common passion for winning, and I am sure that through hard work and determination, we can score some great results throughout the season.”
JHR Team Principal Steven Hunter has long been a champion of young talent, and he is convinced that his new protégé will quickly get to grips with the demands of the fiercely-disputed, ITV4-televised BTCC support series, which will officially rev into life at Brands Hatch Indy on 1/2 April.
“We are delighted to have Manuel on-board for 2017,” Hunter enthused. “With what he has achieved in karting and the potential he has shown in NACAM Formula 4, we have no doubt that he will soon get up-to-speed in British F4 – and the Ford F4 Challenge Cup gives him the ideal platform from which to both learn the ropes and make a name for himself. We are all very much looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together this season.”
