Fortec returns to the F4 British Championship with James Higgins

Fortec Motorsport will head back to the ROKiT F4 British Championship certified by FIA series for the final two race weekends of the series with 16-year-old James Higgins taking the wheel of their car at Silverstone and Brands Hatch.

Following his rise through the karting ranks, the Daventry-based teenager made his car racing debut at the end of the 2020 season, racing in the Ginetta Junior series before returning to the series in 2021.

For 2022 Higgins switched his focus to a comprehensive testing programme with Fortec Motorsport with a view to joining the F4 British Championship in 2023 for a full-season campaign.

“I’m really pleased to be joining the ROKiT British F4 grid, and with such a renowned team as Fortec Motorsport,” said Higgins.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to test the car on a number of occasions with the team throughout this year, but there’s no substitute for competitive experience. The ambition is to be back on the grid full-time for 2023, so to get a head start going into the winter is only a benefit to me.

“I’ve gelled really well with the team, and they have such a proven track record for developing drivers. Silverstone is such a fantastic track, and Brands Hatch is a personal favourite of mine with all the elevation changes, so the ingredients are there for us to learn a lot and have some fun.”

Fortec’s Team Manager Oliver Dutton is looking forward to his team returning to the British F4 series.

“James is a driver with real promise, so it’s fantastic to welcome him formally to the team. We’ve made a lot of progress with him as a driver during testing, so I’m excited to see it all come together in a racing environment,” explained Dutton.

“These last two events are as much a learning exercise for 2023 for us as a team, as well as James as a driver. So, there’s a shared objective there, and the aim is just to gather as much experience and information as possible to make sure we’re hitting the ground running over the winter and into next year.”