Photo: FIA F3 Championship / LAT Images
Enaam Ahmed will make his second Macau Grand Prix appearance after securing a deal with Campos Racing for the FIA Formula 3 World Cup.
The 2017 BRDC British F3 champion joined Campos for FIA F3 Championship post-season testing at Valencia earlier this month, and struck a deal with the team for Macau not long after.
Ahmed spent this year racing in Japanese F3, and finished third in the standings with two wins. In 2018 he raced in FIA European F3 with Hitech GP, with whom he made his first Macau appearance.
“I was quite happy with the team, and we got on really well [at Valencia],” Ahmed told Formula Scout.
“After Valencia, they needed a driver for Macau and they asked me. I said: ‘OK, why not.’ I like racing, and Macau is one of the best races to do. So that’s why I did it. I wasn’t planning to do Macau originally.”
The 19-year-old plans to undertake simulator work in Spain next week, and further integrate himself with the team.
Ahmed also ran with champion team Prema during the FIA F3 test at Valencia, as he pursues a seat in the Formula 1 support series for next season.
“FIA F3 seems to be the aim. But I’m open to everything actually, because I’ve still got options in Japan to go back.
“I haven’t approached any of the teams in Japan yet, but I know if I want to I have an opportunity there. I want to see how Macau goes, and then that will change everything.
“I went to do the F3 test because Prema wanted to test me, and that’s why I ended up doing the test and I enjoyed driving the car.
“It was kind of mutually [organised], really. I know Rene from the past, so that’s how it all happened.
“On the first day, there was a few problems that happened, so I couldn’t really show my full speed. Then the second and third days I was with Campos, I focused on the driving, trying to understand the Pirelli [tyres].
“I was quite competitive with Campos. So I was quite happy at the end of it.”
Ahmed was sixth fastest on the final morning of the test for Campos, before handing over the car to former Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi while he travelled to Silverstone for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award assessment.
Immediately after Macau, Ahmed will make his sportscar racing debut with the Arden-affiliated R-Motorsport at the Kyalami 9 Hours.
“Obviously you never know [how AMABA went], but I did the best I could. Let’s see.”
“I’m going now to Jota Sport to do some prep for the [Kyalami] race. I’m literally flying straight from Macau to South Africa, it will be good fun.”
Ahmed joins Campos FIA F3 regular Alessio Deledda in the team’s line-up for Macau. It originally also had Alex Peroni signed for the event, but the Tasmanian will miss out while he recovers from the back injury he sustained in his frightening accident at Monza.
Japanese driver Yu Kanamaru – previously a two-time starter at Macau with Carlin – was among the other drivers to test for Campos in Valencia, together with Ahmed’s fellow BRDC British F3 champion Linus Lundqvist and karting graduate David Vidales.