Walkinshaw Racing will return to British motorsport next year, announcing that it will contest the inaugural BRDC Formula 4 Championship.
The long-standing team, founded by the late Tom Walkinshaw and now controlled by his family, will run two Ralph Firman-built MSV F4-013 chassis in the new feeder championship run by Jonathan Palmer. A full grid of 24 cars will compete in the F4 title, which aims to provide identical, low cost open wheel race cars for drivers starting their single seater careers.
It is the first time since the demise of the Tom Walkinshaw Racing empire in 2002 that the team will run a team from the United Kingdom, having previously campaigned successfully in British touring cars, world touring cars, sportscars and Formula 1.
In recent years, the team’s sole racing exploits have been in Australia with the Holden Racing Team and its secondary teams. Under the Walkinshaw Racing banner, the team has won three Bathurst 1000s and two drivers championships.
Walkinshaw Racing’s F4 team will be run by long-time team member Ken Page (team principal) and Mick Gomme (commercial manager), who boasts several years of F1 experience with Jordan Grand Prix and Force India. The team has also recruited experienced race engineer Brendan Gribben who is a former TWR chief designer and respected engineer in the FIA Formula Two Championship.
“We’re absolutely delighted to re-launch Walkinshaw Racing as a team in the UK again,” said team principal Ken Page.
“It’s something we have been considering for a while and we feel the time is right to add F4 to our other operations around the world, such as V8 Supercars.
“The opportunity to join the BRDC Formula 4 Championship was too good to miss. It looks a great new series and will obviously be very professionally run. We’re very pleased to be associated with MSV (category administrators) for our first season back in action on the UK race tracks next year.”
Other UK-based raced teams already confirmed in the new series include Comtech Racing, Motionsport and Lanan Racing.
