Meridian Racing is anticipating another positive Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain outing when the ultra-competitive single-seater championship resumes at Donington Park (19-20 April).
After a three-week break, the British Formula Ford Championship resumes at the history-rich Donington Park circuit in the East Midlands, where Meridian Racing will be hoping to build on the success it achieved at Brands Hatch’s season-opener with a revised driver line-up.
Ashley Sutton has reviewed his ambitions and withdrawn from the Dunlop-backed Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain, paving the way for Hornchurch’s Bobby Thompson to step in to the breach at Donington Park alongside Meridian regular, Connor Mills.
Standing out among several notable motor sporting feats, Thompson became the youngest driver ever to enter the Dunlop Ford Fiesta British Championship in 2012 and finished third in that year’s Formula Kart Stars Championship.
The 17-year old from Essex tested for Meridian Racing during the Formula Ford sampler day in October and joins the team’s full-time contender, Mills, who concluded Thruxton’s recent official test as the fastest Scholarship driver, cementing his status as a title challenger.
Newly impassioned by his podium finish at Brands Hatch, the exciting young Upminster-based driver looks forward to replicating that success on Donington Park’s 1.94mile National circuit and collecting more winners’ caps.
“Testing went really well; much better than expected,” said Mills. “We didn’t go onto new tyres, yet we finished where we wanted to be in the timings, which is a huge positive. The team made a lot of set-up changes throughout the day, especially to the aerodynamics, which made a huge difference around Thruxton.
“I don’t have much experience of Donington Park, as the only time I have raced at the venue was in the Ginetta Junior Championship last season. I have yet to race in single-seaters there so it will be a very new experience for me. However, I’m confident that I can learn the track very quickly and produce good results.”
Mills continued: “A reasonable ambition would be to get three Scholarship Class podiums, one of which being a Scholarship win. I need to go out there and claw back the points lost at Brands Hatch and move up the championship standings.”
Meridian Racing Team Principal, Paul Abercrombie, said: “I’m obviously disappointed that Ashley (Sutton) decided to withdraw from the Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain, but I’m genuinely excited about this weekend at Donington Park. I have very high hopes that we’ll be able to achieve some top results and climb up the championship standings after such a stunning outing at Brands Hatch and I’m delighted to welcome Bobby Thompson to the team. He’s a great talent and it will be interesting to see what he’s capable of in the East Midlands.”
Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain qualifying is scheduled to take place at 12.00 on Saturday 19 April, with Round 4 later the same day from 16.25.
Round 5 will take place on Sunday 20 April at 10.45, followed by Round 6 at 16.27.
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