Photo: BRDC F4
BRDC F4 squad SWR has entered into a partnership with the Caterham F1 Team.
The Caterham setup, which underwent a change of management in July, has appointed SWR as a driver development team.
SWR won races in the inaugural season of the British junior single-seater series in 2013 with Matthew Graham and Jack Barlow. This year it is running Jordan Albert and Diego Borrelli, while Nicholas Beer scored their only podium so far in 2014 before splitting with the team before last weekend’s races at Silverstone, where he was replaced by Euroformula Open star Alex Palou.
Team owner Sean Walkinshaw competes as a driver in Euroformula Open alongside Palou at Campos Racing, and is the son of former F1 team boss Tom Walkinshaw, who ran the Arrows operation from Caterham’s current base in Leafield.
?I am delighted we have agreed this partnership with the Caterham F1 Team, it?s an amazing opportunity for SWR and our drivers and really does cement the team?s position in junior single-seater racing,” said Walkinshaw. 20.
?The last couple of years have been quite a whirlwind, there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes before we established SWR and in our first season in BRDC Formula 4 we became race winners and championship front-runners. The start of single-seater racing is always an important step in a driver?s career and with this partnership we now connect directly with a Formula 1 team.
?Becoming the Caterham F1 Young Driver Development team is huge for SWR, it?s incredibly prestigious and a real recognition of what we?ve achieved up to now. The link with Leafield is something very special too for me personally, it was obviously the HQ for TWR and holds many special memories for the Walkinshaw family.?
New Caterham F1 team principal Christjan Albers added: “A junior formula like BRDC F4 is the perfect scenario to start a racing career and we are very happy with this collaboration with Sean Walkinshaw Racing.
“If the talent is there, it should be supported and with the SWR ? CaterhamF1 Driver Development Programme we are assuring this happens, as well as confirming Caterham F1 Team?s interest for young drivers and offering them a development programme from the very start of their careers. We will be watching the drivers of tomorrow closely.?