Joshua Dufek will continue his relationship with Van Amersfoort Racing this year and join the team’s Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine line-up.
The London-born driver, racing under the Swiss flag, competed for VAR in Italian and ADAC Formula 4 championships in 2021 and finished seventh overall in both. He had a particularly strong weekend at Mugello in Italian F4, claiming pole position for all three races and taking a solitary F4 win.
Dufek previously raced in Spanish F4 with MP Motorsport in 2020 after a strong karting career where he competed as a Sauber junior.
He has already graduated to Formula Regional, taking part in the first three rounds of the ongoing Asian Championship with Hitech GP, with a best result of sixth. He will not continue in FRAC in order to remain eligible for the rookie classification in his European campaign.
“Being able to continue my career with Van Amersfoort Racing is an absolute highlight for me,” said Dufek.
“We had an incredible year together, covering two extremely tough championships in one season. I have learned so much during that year, both on and off track, so I am really happy to be able to keep progressing with VAR this year.
“Even though I know the driving characteristics won’t be similar due to the use of different technique and tyres, I enjoy the opportunity to get familiar with the Formula Regional car during the Asian rounds. I feel extremely ready to attack the new season together with VAR. As last year, I know it will be a tough season with lots to learn, but I am confident that we’ll do well.”
Dufek joins Kas Haverkort, who has switched from MP Motorsport for his second year in FREC, and fellow F4 graduate Levente Revesz in VAR’s line-up.
”We are very happy to be able to continue working with Joshua,” said VAR CEO Rob Niessink.
“He is an absolute pleasure to work with and his level of determination to be a successful racer is admirable. We saw that in him when he first joined us last year, and he has not let us down whatsoever.
“He connects well with the team, and all are convinced that Joshua is ready for the next level.”