Reddy to race in British F4 series

Reigning MRF 1600 Champion Tarun Reddy on Thursday confirmed his participation in the Motor Sports Association (MSA) Formula 2015 Championship where he will be driving for Double R Racing team led by Anthony "Boyo" Hieatt.

The championship, certified by Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), will be contested over 30 races in 2015 as the single-seater support series to Britain's premier motorsport package, the British Touring Car Championship.

The championship, initiated by the FIA, is the official F4 series in Britain. It includes top British teams, Carlin motorsport and Fortec Motorsport.

Chennai-based 16-year-old Reddy, who was part of the Sahara Force India F1 Team Academy, had participated in the MRF 1600 Series in India and also in the Formula Renault Protyre championship in Britain, finishing on the podium thrice.

Reddy could not participate in any pre-season testing sessions as he was busy completing his board exams in India and was cautiously optimistic heading into his first race this weekend.

"I'm very pleased to sign with a prestigious team like Double R Racing which has had a tremendous amount of success in Formula 3. While the other drivers have been pounding around the track getting more comfortable with the car, I have been stuck behind my books," he said.

"Boyo has been instrumental in helping a lot of successful racers so am really looking forward to working with this team. The goal is to win from the get-go, and with the experience and resources the team holds I am sure this is very possible," said Reddy.

The team was formed in November 2004 as Raikkonen Robertson Racing by the then McLaren Formula One driver and 2007 World champion Kimi Raikkonen, and his race manager Steve Robertson, a former Formula Three driver.

Hieatt took sole control of the team in November 2010, leading to the team's renaming and he has worked with top drivers, including current Formula 1 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr, Bruno Senna and Narain Karthikeyan.

Hieatt said: "We kept a close eye on his progress last year in Formula Renault, where he did an incredible job during his first season in the United Kingdom. I have absolutely no doubts Tarun will be a serious contender in MSA Formula this year."

British F3 race winner Rupert Svendsen-Cook manages Reddy's career through the Veloce Sports stable and a former Double R driver himself, said: "I joined Double R at a similar age to Tarun in Formula BMW and with the team's support I was able to develop hugely as a driver.

"For me, it was a no-brainer to place a great talent like Tarun with Double R who will I know leave no stone unturned in the bid to win races and championships in MSA Formula."