Champions Double R Racing sign Hayek for 2017 Season

Australian teenager Harry Hayek has today, Friday, 10th March, become Double R Racing’s second driver signing for the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, joining the recently announced Jamie Chadwick at the reigning champion squad.

Woking-based Double R, which now has just one seat remaining in its British F3 line-up having already completed its F4 British Championship entry for this year, is delighted to have Hayek – who celebrated his 19th birthday yesterday, coinciding with a test run at Rockingham – onboard for the new campaign and especially so after some impressive test showings thus far. Hayek, who recently contested the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand after becoming a double race winner in Australian F4, first tested one of Double R’s British F3 cars at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit last year where he seriously impressed team boss Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt.

“We’re absolutely delighted Harry has joined the team for British F3 this year”, said Hieatt, “He’s a great lad, fantastic young driver and has a good family around him. When he tested with us last year at Silverstone GP he was immediately on the pace, absolutely flying, so I’m confident he can develop into a proper championship contender. He’s razor sharp after doing the Toyota series.”

Starting out in karts in his native Australia aged just 14, Hayek went on to win his first championship titles the following season with a brace of Junior Australian State crowns. He then added two more championship victories at senior level a year later.

After taking part in the CAMS Junior Academy in Australia in 2014, the following year he made his single-seater car racing debut in the CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship where he impressed with a top four finish in the driver standings, taking four podiums along the way. Scorching to a pair of race victories and seven podiums en-route to fourth again in the category in 2016, Hayek also contested selected rounds of the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford. His most recent track action has been in the Castrol Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand earlier this year, where he was the fourth highest placed Rookie in the final standings.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Double R for the 2017 BRDC British F3 Championship”, said an ecstatic Hayek, “Late last year we did a couple of test days with the team and were extremely impressed with their professionalism, productivity and ability to operate a race team which is clearly reflected in their results. Boyo’s [Hieatt] confidence in me goes both ways, and I feel that at the end of the year I’m going to be a much better driver under his guidance. British F3 itself has stood on top of the junior formula list for decades now, and sometimes I have to pinch myself that I will be competing in such a prestigious series.” He added: “For myself, pre-season testing commenced yesterday at Rockingham with everything running very smoothly. The cars are a lot of fun to drive and I’m looking forward to a great year ahead. To say I’m excited would be an understatement!”

The opening three rounds of the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship season will take place across Easter weekend, 15th/16th/17th April, at Oulton Park in Cheshire. Before then, Hayek and Chadwick will take part in the pre-season ‘Media Day’ at Snetterton in Norfolk on Tuesday, 28th March.

 

2017 BRDC British F3 Championship Calendar

Rds 1/2/3 Oulton Park International, Cheshire – 15-17 April

Rds 4/5/6 Rockingham ISSC, Northamptonshire – 29/30 April

Rds 7/8/9 Snetterton 300, Norfolk – 27/28 May

Rds 10/11/12 Silverstone GP, Northamptonshire – 10/11 June

Rds 13/14/15 Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – 7/8 July

Rds 16/17/18 Brands Hatch GP, Kent – 5/6 August

Rds 19/20/21 Snetterton 300, Norfolk – 26/27 August *

Rds 22/23/24 Donington Park GP, Leicestershire – 23/24 September

*All events co-headline with British GT, except the August meeting at Snetterton