With over a month to go until the start of the new season, Fortec Motorsports have become the second team to fill all four seats with the announcement of former Ginetta Junior driver Frank Bird, who will be hoping to make progress after a year struggling to get results.
Bird will be the only non-rookie for Fortec in the 2016 MSA Formula season as he looks to set the standard for his compatriots, with all of them making their single seater debut.
Going into the new season, Bird said: “2016 will be a learning year. I know the season is going to be tough, but I know I will have a great team around me supporting me all the way and I’m looking forward to seeing how I fare against fellow Ginetta Junior graduate Jamie Caroline.
“The Ford MSA Formula is an ideal series in which to start my single-seater career. It really is exciting times, to be racing with the Fortec team and competing in motorsport where my Dad has such a great background.” His father, Paul Bird, had a strong career himself. Proving his success on two wheels, in Motocross, as well as four.
Fortec Motorsports team manager Dan Mitchell agreed with his new signing, stating that 2016 would be about development: “Frank has spent a year competing in Ginetta Juniors and hasn’t done any karting so in many respects he’s a proper single-seater rookie. We took him on last summer and he’s been working with us a lot as part of our driver development programme.
“The target for this season is constant improvement and to get him to the front of the Ford MSA Formula grid within two years. As long as he keeps improving throughout the year we will be happy. I would like to think that in his second season he’ll be a strong favourite for the title.”
Of course Bird won’t be the only Ginetta Junior graduate, with champion Caroline making the step across with Jamun Racing after a strong tin-top campaign.
