The Strakka Racing outfit will miss the season opening Formula V8 3.5 Series race of 2016 at Motorland Aragon this weekend due to a shortfall in funds from possible drivers.
The Silverstone-based outfit had been optimistic to race this weekend in Spain, but have been forced to pull out of the event, although the team are still hopeful of returning to the championship later in the year should drivers with the budget to race come forward.
The team most recently tested at the Circuit de Catalunya with Anglo-Danish driver Emil Bernstorff and Dutch female ace Beitske Visser, and the team’s absence means there are likely to be a maximum of fifteen cars on the grid at Aragon.
“We had fantastic support from both the championship organisers and our own partners, everyone doing everything they could to make it work but it is getting harder and harder to find drivers capable of raising the funds necessary,” said team principal Dan Walmsley.
“Everyone at Strakka is extremely disappointed by this decision and we would especially like to thank Jaime [Alguersuari Snr] and the team at RPM for their support. We really like the championship; it offers great value and proper racing.
“It’s simply a question of economics and a wider problem of young drivers increasingly struggling to fund single-seater racing. Strakka still wants to have a single-seater presence and both cars are prepped after a winter rebuild and are ready to go. Should we get the chance to return at some point, we would be ready.”
