Twenty-year-old Luke Chudleigh will be one of the busiest racing drivers in Europe this year, with more than thirty races across two categories of Formula Renault.
The Canadian will be racing for the British Fortec Motorsports team in the 2015 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Championship alongside Croat Martin Kodric, Briton Ben Barnicoat and South African Callan O’Keeffe, while also competing in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup for the team alongside O’Keeffe, Briton Alex Gill, Indian driver Jehan Daruvala, Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg and fellow Canadian Zachary Claman DeMelo.
Chudleigh took some time out ahead of the start of his Eurocup campaign to talk to The Checkered Flag, and revealed that despite his family having no heritage in motorsport, he was hooked on the sport as soon as he drove a go-kart for the first time.
“I began in Motorsports like most drivers, through karting,” revealed Chudleigh. “I had a lot of fun there, though my karting days were quite short.
“I started relatively late – my family had absolutely zero racing history, when I discovered Formula One for the first time I was eleven years old!”
Chudleigh made the move to compete in Europe rather than in North America like many of drivers from Canada and the United States, and insists his career so far has all been about learning from those around him and improving his race craft. He was naturally delighted therefore to join Fortec for his dual-2015 campaigns, feeling they were a ‘perfect match’.
“It’s interesting to be from North America and race in Europe,” said Chudleigh. “There are so few of us that can appreciate the unique challenge. My career has been about developing and improving. I’m lucky to work with really passionate people – I’m proud to be improving all the time and never thinking it’s the end.”
“Over the winter we were faced with many options. I was glad to see there was interest from all around the world and many opportunities.
“This winter we also went through a big re-structure on the financial side that I think will be more sustainable and expandable. Preparation on a financial side is also something I take large control of with sponsorship. An enormous amount of preparation goes into that behind the scenes.
“Fortec is one of the best teams out there and the whole team is very inspired. It was my top choice and fit all our needs. Perfect match.
“To work with someone the most important qualities for me are; trust, passion and organization. After that everything comes together. We clicked immediately.”
Chudleigh has previous experience of Formula Renault 2.0 machinery having run three events for the Tech 1 Racing team in Eurocup in 2014, and revealed that he is physically prepared for the upcoming season, especially with the Canadian set to race in seventeen races in Eurocup and an additional fourteen in NEC this year.
“The 2.0 Renault car is something I’m quite familiar with,” said Chudleigh. “For most drivers keeping the body weight as low as possible is the main struggle. Luckily I have zero issues with this. Physically I am extremely well prepared for the season.
“I’m really looking forward to the start of the season – I have a heavy NEC + Eurocup schedule and I can’t wait to get into the swing of it!”
Chudleigh insists he will let his driving do the talking in 2015, and believes he has the potential to get good results with Fortec, but with so many talented drivers with lots to prove, he knows everything will need to be perfect.
“There is a lot of great talent in WSR 2.0 as always,” insisted Chudleigh. “I think the combination we have will provide top results, but everything must be perfect for that. I will let my driving do the talking.”
