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Unbeaten champions, Racing Engineering, quit Spanish Formula 3 to focus on higher categories |
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Wednesday, 21 February 2007 |
After six years in the Spanish Formula 3 Championship and having won the team championship in all its years of participation, Racing Engineering has taken the decision to aim for new goals in motor sport and retire from Spanish Formula 3.
This is the logical consequence of events. Racing Engineering did the same after consistently stepping on the podium in two consecutive years of another intermediate category. Such intermediate categories are for drivers and teams who wish to grow in efficiency and performance and there is no reason to stay dominating forever, in Racing Engineering’s opinion, if there are higher challenges to go for. The vital cycle has been completed in those categories. The unbeaten Spanish Formula 3 team Champion is looking back on six extremely victorious years. Many drivers had a successful season with the Andalusian Team, and this success has allowed them to step up to other categories in their quest to get to Formula 1.
An amazing amount of drivers have had their careers incremented after
their season with Racing Engineering. Names such as Garcia, Leidners,
Montagny, Rissatti, Sarrazin, Soucek, Wilson, and others have been put
on the track to win thanks to their professional growth in the
intermediate categories. Many have gone on to F1.
Since the team decided to spend full time on GP2, the stepping stone to
Formula 1, and reaching the point of maturity as a structure, it was
tempted by the fact that no other team has put as many drivers in GP2
and therefore F3 was a sort of racing academy for engineers, mechanics
and drivers. Racing Engineering has always worked with its drivers and
the objective to provide them with a solid base to further their motor
sport careers.
But all this would not have been possible without a stable and professional relation with the team’s sponsors.
Principal amongst these is Repsol, who has been a Racing Engineering
partner focused on the same goal – provide young drivers with the
possibility of working in a professional environment and support them
when stepping up to the higher categories. This young driver
development program has been extremely successful and saw in only a few
years many of its drivers being promoted to the GP2 Series or F1.
Now it’s time to further bet on a youngster, and Javier Villa, the most
talented driver ever to race with the team in the opinion of the team's
principal (and a legion of connoiseurs in this business, by the way)
has joined this championship. In 2006, he raced the full season at only
18 years of age and will continue with the team in 2007, being once
again, the youngest driver in the category.
Throughout the years, Racing Engineering has tried to add an
international touch to this national Formula 3 championship by always
having a good mix of national and international drivers, something that
has also raised the interest of the international press. Repsol has
proven its trust in Racing Engineering, something the team is extremely
thankful for. It is convinced the results justified this cooperation,
which came at a critical stage for many drivers in their careers.
However, Racing Engineering’s relationship with Repsol, the company
known for its commitment, knowledge and support in motor sports, finds
its prolongation in the GP2 Series. Racing Engineering will now center
all its efforts in GP2 and prepare for the new challenges ahead. Racing
Engineering would also like to express its gratitude to its long-term
faithful sponsors like Snap-On, Galuppo, Pago, Motorarte, and
SportGraphics, who continue with the team in GP2 and its future
programs.
Last, but not least, Racing Engineering would like to thank all the
dedicated people who have been working hard and professionally on this
very successful Formula 3 project. Their efforts have made these
exceptional results possible.
Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon states, “Six consecutive team championships,
three driver championships, two driver vice-champions and a third
place. Plus all four Racing Engineering drivers winning within one
season, what more could we have expected? And all this was achieved
together with Repsol, a great partner at our side! But now it’s time to
concentrate on new goals and challenges. Some people want an easy life,
we prefer challenges.”
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