Reigning BRDC Formula 4 champion Jake Hughes will compete in the 2014 Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup with Mark Burdett Motorsport.
The 19 year old enjoyed a sensational first full year of car racing in 2013, with four wins and five other podiums helping him to win the ultra-competitive first running of BRDC F4.
After a winter testing programme with three different Formula Renault teams, Hughes has chosen to run with Mark Burdett Motorsport for his maiden campaign in European racing.
The 2013 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award finalist is aiming to follow in the footsteps of recent award winners Jake Dennis and Matt Parry, who followed up British title successes by winning the NEC title as rookies in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Hughes looks set to renew rivalries with fellow BRDC F4 front-runners Charlie Robertson and Seb Morris next season, with Robertson confirmed with Fortec Motorsports, and Morris widely expected to join the championship.
“NEC nowadays is a natural progression from a national championship in the UK, and Jake and Matt have gone on to have great success from doing it,” said Hughes.
“I can learn the European tracks and learn the 2.0-litre Formula Renault car in a competitive championship against some of Europe’s best young drivers. It looks as though some of my F4 rivals will be moving into Renault NEC too – I had fun racing them last year and I’d like to come out ahead of them again this season!”
Alongside the NEC campaign, the MSA Academy and BRDC Rising Stars member is hoping to contest some Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup rounds as a wildcard entrant, with a view to moving full-time into that series in 2015.
The seven-round Formula Renault NEC series includes five events on Formula 1 circuits, four of which support the prestigious Blancpain GT series. Alongside trips to Monza, Hockenheim, Assen, Most and the Nurburgring, the series makes a sole visit to the UK at Silverstone on 24/25 May.
*A full interview with Hughes from the recent Autosport International Show, in which he discusses his title-winning BRDC F4 campaign and the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award competition, will be online on thecheckeredflag.co.uk soon*
