With the start of the 2015 FIA European Formula 3 Championship barely a week away, Team West-Tec F3 have announced Raoul Hyman as their second driver alongside the already-confirmed Fabian Schiller.
The eighteen-year-old South African-born racer steps up from the BRDC Formula 4 this season, having tested over the winter in Formula Renault 2.0 machinery, but Hyman felt Formula 3 was the best option for him.
“I believe the FIA F3 Championship is the next serious step towards Formula 1,” revealed Hyman. “It also makes perfect sense in light of the FIA’s new superlicence rules.
“With a quality grid of 36 drivers, the racing is close and exciting, and perhaps why FIA F3 is regarded as one of the most competitive single-seater championships in the world.
“I am really looking forward to the season ahead, eager to get my first run in the car. I am very pleased to have signed with Team West-Tec, and believe that they have the engineering depth, experience, and the passion, to help me challenge at the front.”
Hyman’s promotion to the European Formula 3 Championship in 2015 means the top three from the 2014 BRDC Formula 4 Championship are racing in the series this year, with the South African joining George Russell (Carlin) and Arjun Maini (Van Amersfoort Racing).
West-Tec Team Boss John Miller welcomed the arrival of Hyman into his squad, believing the South African racer will be a positive addition to the team with podium finishes certainly within his grasp.
“We are really delighted to have signed Raoul,” insisted Miller. “I have been tracking him for a long time, and have been determined to have him with us.
“We now have a very competitive line up and I am looking forward to seeing Raoul up on the podium which I am sure he can achieve.”