New Formula Renault Eurocup signing Thomas Maxwell will follow in the footsteps of Daniel Ricciardo after recently signing for a French-based team.

Maxwell will move from British Formula 3 into the 10-round Championship which spreads its schedule across nine European countries for the Tech 1 Racing outfit.

Ricciardo’s prodigious talent came to the fore for Tech 1 in 2010 when he claimed four wins and eight pole positions from 16 races on his way to second in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series.

After completing an intensive 12-day winter testing schedule with Toulouse-based Tech 1, Maxwell is ready to take the plunge in the category on some of Europe’s most iconic circuits.

“It’s pretty cool to think Daniel Ricciardo drove for Tech 1 Racing and won races with them,” Maxwell said.

“I hope that we can do the same, but just getting into the top six would be great.

“If we make good progress during the year we could achieve some excellent results by the close of the championship.

“It was a no-brainer for the next stage of my career.”

Manager Andy Priaulx said Maxwell’s work ethic has paid off.

“The plan was to progress from British F3 into European racing for 2017 and we believed that the Eurocup Formula Renault championship was a good move due to the high level of competition, circuits and learning outcomes,” Priaulx said.

Tech 1 team manager Simon Abadie said the immediate targets were for Maxwell to achieve top six results at the beginning of his campaign.

“Thomas is quick and he’s got experience,” Abadie said.

“We already saw what a hard-working and conscientious guy he is during winter testing, and we know that he’ll be a regular top-six finisher at the start of the year.

“It’s up to us to pursue our efforts to do much better between now and the mid-season mark.”

The Formula Renault Eurocup begins at Monza on April 22 and runs through to the closing round at Barcelona on October 28.