Monica Boulton Ramos & Deagen Fairclough
Deagen Fairclough, a winner of last year’s ROKiT Racing Star contest, has been announced as joining JHR Developments in British Formula 4.
The Racing Star contest was a five-round Esports series with separate races for boys and girls, and was in part masterminded by then-FIA Single-Seater Commission president Bob Fernley.
The top eight from the two seperate contests were then invited to the University of Bolton for a final Esports event based around Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix layout.
Fairclough won the boys’ contest, earning himself a British F4 drive with a ‘ROKiT F4 Racing’-branded team that would be supported (but not run, as had initially been planned) by Hitech GP as well as six months of driver training from Motorsport UK to gain the licences required for F4.
As a result the 16-year-old, a former Junior Saloon Car Championship racer who was a junior driver of British Touring Car team Ciceley Motorsport at the time of the contest, has signed to race for JHR.
“I’m over the moon to finally be racing in British F4 with JHR and ROKiT,” said Fairclough.
“I’ve got a lot to learn having never raced a car like this before, as I’ve come from a closed-wheel, front-wheel drive Ford Fiesta, so progression and consistency will be key. I’m hoping to achieve some good results and look forward to an immense year ahead in this prestigious series which happens to start on my birthday weekend.”
JHR team boss Steve Hunter added: “We’re delighted to have Deagen on board and, while there’s a lot of work to do over the next three or four weeks, we’ll work hard to make sure he’s up to speed for the start of the season.”
Karter Monica Boulton Ramos won the girls’ side of the ROKiT Racing Star contest and her finalised plans for the 2023 season will be revealed at a later date.