Former Ginetta Junior racer James Webb has signed to drive with SWB Motorsport for the 2014 season in the Dunlop MSA British Formula Ford Championship. At just sixteen years and nine days old, Webb will be the youngest ever driver of a Formula Ford EcoBoost machine when he takes to the track at Brands Hatch at the end of the month.
Webb is the second driver to sign with SWB to drive the Sinter chassis and EcoBoost engine combination. Australian racer Greg Holloway signed with the team last Friday and this last minute deal with Webb completes their line-up.
Team owner Simon Baldry said, “Everyone within SWB is so happy that we will finally be on the grid as a proper two-car team. James will be a great asset to the squad and has shown a lot of promise – we are so looking forward to working with him, and with Greg.”
Initial plans for the season would have seen Webb return to the Ginetta Junior series but his principal sponsor preferred the single seater track. Richard Webb, James’ father explained, “We were going to go back to into Ginettas but we have a backer who wanted him to go into single-seaters; it will be a steep learning curve for him and the aim is for James to gain experience and, hopefully, to emerge as the quickest driver in the Scholarship class.”
James’ career history starts with karting aged nine, with cadet karts followed by Rotax Juniors and victory in the Whilton Mill Kart Club Championship in 2010. SaxMax at fourteen led to his debut in the Ginetta series last year.
An intensive test program is planned ahead of the first round of the championship which takes place on Saturday 29th in Kent.