- Tewkesbury-based team set to begin British F3 campaign at Oulton Park.
- New-look driver line up of Nico Varrone and Josh Skelton aiming to hit the ground running.
- Challenging 2.69-mile International circuit a fitting challenge for season-opening quartet of races.
Chris Dittmann Racing head to Oulton Park (International) this weekend [01-02 August] to kick start their 2020 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship season.
Last year saw the Tewkesbury-based team scale new heights in the UK’s premier single-seater series, claiming five race wins and twelve podiums en route to third in the championship.
Ambitions are equally high in 2020, with the team set to field a new-look driver line up in Nico Varrone and Josh Skelton.
Varrone impressed the entire paddock with victory on his second weekend in the category – at the iconic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps no less – during a part-season last year, and will now look to put a title challenge together in his first full-season assault.
The Argentine was the class of the field during the series’ iRacing Championship during lockdown, storming to the title with four wins. Any repeat of that form in the real-world series and the 19-year old will take some stopping.
Skelton graduates into British F3 following a two-year campaign in British Formula 4, during which he claimed a pair of race victories and set a new record for consecutive podium finishes, putting nine together on the spin last season on his way to fourth in the standings.
Both drivers have shown tremendous pace during pre-season testing, and Oulton Park’s challenging 2.69-mile International loop will prove to be a fitting challenge for the season-opening quartet of races.
Qualifying kicks off the competitive action at 10:40 on Saturday, followed by the opening two races at 14:00 and 17:20 respectively.
Sunday features another double header, with lights out at 12:30 and 15:30.
Quotes
Chris Dittmann, Team Principal said:
“We’re all looking forward to beginning the 2020 BRDC British F3 Championship season at Oulton Park this weekend.
“It’s fair to say pre-season has been a little longer than any of us would have liked, but it’s given us the opportunity to be even more thorough and diligent in our preparation.
“Both Josh and Nico have applied themselves excellently during a tough period and the whole team arrives in Cheshire in good shape. It’s a track that’s served us well in the past – just last year we took a brace of podiums – so we’re all optimistic of starting on the front foot.”
Nico Varrone (#25) said:
“I’m really happy to be starting the BRDC British F3 Championship at Oulton Park.
“It’s been a long year so far without racing, so I just can’t wait to get going, and at such a great circuit!
“The whole team at Chris Dittmann Racing has done an excellent job preparing the cars, so we should be in a good position this weekend.”
Josh Skelton (#43) said:
“I’m really looking forward to racing again after the long wait. Things have been looking promising in recent tests, so I’m looking to carry that on into the first round.
“I really like Oulton Park as a circuit, it was a good round for me in F4, so I’m looking forward to seeing if we can carry that on.
“We’ve been working well as a team with the Chris Dittmann Racing boys and learnt loads so far, so let’s put that all together and achieve some results!”
