Norwich-based hotshot, Adam Hatfield, has signed a year-long deal to join the leading SV Racing (SVR) team’s Michelin Clio Cup Series testing programme.
The 15-year old will step up to Clio Cup machinery having only made his car racing debut in the SAXMAX Junior Touring Car Championship (JTCC) last year, following a prolific Karting career that features successes in the Comer Cadet, MiniMax and Junior Rotax classes.
Hatfield moved under the SVR umbrella mid-way through the 2013 season and emerged as a podium finisher after utilising expert tutelage from former Clio Cup Champion and British Touring Car driver, Danny Buxton.
With his all-important GCSE exams imminent and taking precedence, the young charger will carry out a less-demanding testing programme with the intention of stepping into a full-time Michelin Clio Cup Series race seat in 2015.
“I’m really looking forward to my first taste of Clio Cup machinery, as it will be completely different to anything I’ve experienced before,” said an enthused Hatfield. “It will be a huge change, as I’ll have slick tyres and sequential gears in a left-hand-drive car, but I have the entire year to acclimatise to these new challenges and ultimately gather pace.
“Danny Buxton’s guidance was a massive help and I wouldn’t be where I am now without the benefit of his experience and knowledge. I moved on leaps and bounds in SAXMAX and I expect to make as much progress in the Clio. By the end of the year I want to be be up on terms with the frontrunners with regards to my pace. Of course I’m only 15 and I have to concentrate on my GCSE exams. Testing will allow me to balance my fitness, homework and motorsport commitments.”
SV Racing Director, Danny Buxton, added: “This is a really encouraging move for Adam, who has shown great potential. I’ve sat next to him quite a few times now and he has a great deal of raw talent and pace and, with a constructive programme of Clio testing, I know we can get him up to speed. You can’t underestimate the size of the step he’s taking, but he definitely has the ability to cope.
“The first thing will be getting used to the slicks tyres, as the grip through the corners will be a bit of a culture shock. However, the Clio is the ideal next step and I think a year’s worth of testing, focused on developing different bits of his technical approach will set him up for a highly successful year in the 2015 Michelin Clio Cup Series.”
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