- Swedish youngster re-signs with Double R Racing
- F3 progression follows race-winning Formula 4 campaign
Linus Lundqvist has renewed his contract with Double R Racing for the 2018 season, stepping up to the team’s BRDC British Formula 3 Championship arm.
18-year-old Lundqvist makes the transition following a successful rookie season in Double R Racing’s British Formula 4 operation in 2017, which saw the Swede claim five race wins, 11 podiums, five pole positions and an unparalleled nine fastest laps en route to fifth in the drivers’ standings.
“I am thrilled about this opportunity to race full-time in British Formula 3 this season,” says Linus Lundqvist. “The moment the F4 season finished, this is what we started working towards, and I’m so grateful that we’ve managed to put this together with Double R Racing. I really enjoyed working with the team last year in F4 and can’t wait to get going again in F3. It will be an even bigger challenge, of course, but I’m heading into this aiming to win.”
Lundqvist has some previous experience of the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship, having contested one round of the series last season when deputising for one of Double R Racing’s regular drivers at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).
British Formula 3 features single-make cars built by Italian chassis constructor Tatuus. They are powered by 230-bhp spec Cosworth engines, with tyres supplied by Pirelli. Combined with sophisticated aerodynamics, the technical package ensures lap times significantly faster than those attained in F4.
“I learned a lot from that one-off at Spa last year, and it remained one of the highlights of my season,” Lundqvist continues. “The car is so much fun to drive, and by the end of that weekend, I was down to just a few tenths off the fastest guys. Having done that race at Spa also means I will be familiar with all the tracks on the calendar; I obviously know the British ones from F4. There will still be things to learn, but overall I’m feeling pretty confident going into pre-season testing.”
Lundqvist will join already confirmed American racer, and fellow British F3 debutant, Dev Gore as part of Double R Racing’s planned three-car assault on British F3 this year.
“We’re super excited Linus is remaining with the team for the step-up into British F3 and we’re confident he’s going to be every bit as competitive in F3 as he was in British F4 last year,” says team principal Anthony “Boyo” Hieatt. “Linus is a quality driver, a real genuine prospect, and our aim is to be regularly challenging for podiums and race wins as the championship unfolds. We’ve got a fantastic relationship and everyone at the team is very hungry to achieve a lot of success in British F3 this season.”
The 2018 BRDC British Formula 3 season kicks off at Oulton Park on 31 March-2 April. A total of eight championship rounds are set to take place – seven in the UK and one, again, at Spa-Francorchamps. Each meeting features three races.