James Higgins will join Fortec Motorsport to contest the final two events of the 2022 ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA season, with a view to competing in the series next year.
The 16-year-old joins the Daventry team for the final two events of the season, starting at Silverstone next week [23-25 September] before a trip to Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix layout on 7-9 October.
Higgins made his car racing debut in the Ginetta Junior Championship at the end of 2020 after a promising rise through the karting ranks, and continued in the popular junior tin-top category into 2021.
Despite enjoying less testing relative to his rivals, Higgins became a regular fixture in the points, before shifting his focus this season to a comprehensive testing programme with Fortec Motorsport as he sets his sights on a full-season campaign in ROKiT British F4 in 2023.
“I’m really pleased to be joining the ROKiT British F4 grid, and with such a renowned team as Fortec Motorsport,” said Higgins.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to test the car on a number of occasions with the team throughout this year, but there’s no substitute for competitive experience. The ambition is to be back on the grid full-time for 2023, so to get a head start going into the winter is only a benefit to me.
“I’ve gelled really well with the team, and they have such a proven track record for developing drivers. Silverstone is such a fantastic track, and Brands Hatch is a personal favourite of mine with all the elevation changes, so the ingredients are there for us to learn a lot and have some fun.”
Fortec’s Team Manager Oliver Dutton welcomed Higgins to the fold, and is looking forward to his team’s much-anticipated return to the fray in ROKiT British F4.
“James is a driver with real promise, so it’s fantastic to welcome him formally to the team. We’ve made a lot of progress with him as a driver during testing, so I’m excited to see it all come together in a racing environment,” explains Dutton.
“These last two events are as much a learning exercise for 2023 for us as a team, as well as James as a driver. So, there’s a shared objective there, and the aim is just to gather as much experience and information as possible to make sure we’re hitting the ground running over the winter and into next year.”
