Chris Dittmann Racing have announced Ayrton Simmons to complete their three-car 2021 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship line-up ahead of the season-opener at Brands Hatch.
The Tewkesbury outfit announced Max Marzorati in April, and Alex Fores in early May. At time of writing, Fores’ entry is only guaranteed for the first meeting in Kent, with a full-season campaign dependent on funding.
Simmons’ entry, though, is a permanent one, and his signing will have been music to the team’s ears.
The 20-year-old is CDR’s most successful British F3 driver, with five wins and 12 podiums in total, and five pole positions.
He took third place in 2019 behind Clément Novalak and Johnathan Hoggard, despite winning more races than Novalak. His stellar season earned him a place as a finalist for the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award.
Simmons will certainly be one to watch at the season opener, having taken CDR to its second 1-2 finish at Brands Hatch in consecutive seasons during his wildcard appearance last season, also taking another win as eventual champion Kaylen Frederick endured his most difficult weekend of the season.
He said “I’m really looking forward to reuniting with Chris Dittmann and the team this year.
“2019 was a brilliant season, probably the most enjoyable of my career so far, so the chance to return and complete some unfinished business was too good to turn down.
“Obviously we know each other very well and we confirmed what we’re capable of last year at Brands Hatch. The aim is to repeat that kind of performance and challenge for wins every weekend. If we can do that, we can aim for the title, there’s no reason why not.”
Team Principal Chris Dittmann is equally positive about having Simmons back in the team.
“We’re absolutely delighted that Ayrton is returning to CDR for the 2021 British F3 season. We’ve loved working with him over the past few seasons, he’s a classy driver and has a very bright future if the cards fall into place for him.
“We hope and expect to help him on his way; as a combination we’ve proved time and again what we can do together, and to say we are excited about the season ahead is an understatement.
“Just as important is that Ayrton’s experience at this level will be hugely valuable for Max and Alex’s development too, they’re both very impressive characters and can only benefit from Ayrton’s experience as they continue their adaptation to British F3.
“We’re not counting our chickens, but heading to Brands Hatch with a full line-up of three drivers is something we’re really looking forward to.
“We should be in a very strong position to challenge for the drivers’ and teams’ championships starting from the first round of the season next weekend.”
The 2021 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship begins at Brands Hatch on 22/23 May, supporting the Intelligent Money British GT Championship.
TCF will be bringing you the latest news from both series’ this season.
