02/04/2010- NATIONAL CHAMP READY FOR INTERNATIONAL F3 BATTLE
Reigning National class Formula 3 Champion Daniel McKenzie is to return for a full tilt at the Cooper Tires British F3 International title, it is announced today. The 21-year-old from Poole, Dorset, will race a Mercedes-powered Fortec Motorsport Dallara and says he's confident that he and the team can enjoy a fantastic season.
McKenzie has spent the winter engaged in a punishing physical programme devised by an F1 trainer. "I have never been as fit in my life," said Daniel, "and I'm hoping that I'll have the best stamina of any driver on the grid. I believe that the expansion to 30 races this year is really going to be a tough test. The team has been working extremely hard over the winter, as has Mercedes, and I have never been so excited and pumped-up at the beginning of a season. I cannot wait to get out in the car."
McKenzie won the National class in 11 of his 20 outings with Fortec in 2009, and finished all bar one race. It's that sort of consistency which he believes can pay dividends during the coming 30-race season. "You don't have to win every race, nor even finish on the podium in every race, to win the title. But if you can finish nearly every race and score points, like I did last year, then the chances are that you will have a fantastic result in the championship."
He is excited to be partnering 18-year-old F3 rookie Oli Webb at Fortec: "I know Oli well and he's a good friend, and he will be quick, which is fantastic for me. I want a fast team-mate because that will push me forward and help progress the team."
30/11/2009- WEBB SIGNS FOR 2010 FORMULA 3 CAMPAIGN
One of Britain's brightest single-seater prospects, 18-year-old Oli Webb, has signed with the race-winning Fortec Motorsports team to contest the 2010 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series.
Manchester-based Webb steps up to F3 after two seasons in Formula Renault UK, where he has established himself with Fortec as one of the quickest and most consistent in the field. Oli won two races in 2009 and collected a further eight podium finishes on his way to championship third.
He's already pleasing the team with his F3 testing performances: "We have been impressed with how easily young Oliver has adapted to the car," says Fortec's senior race engineer Mick Kouros. "He has been in the top three at all the tests he's attended, and was quickest at a couple of those, particularly the wet-weather ones. We are sure that Oli is going to be among the very fastest in F3 next season."
University student Webb said: "I am delighted with how pre-season has gone so far and I am really happy with how I have adapted to the car. The Formula 3 car has a lot more downforce and engine power and the way it drives suits my driving style more than the Formula Renault car did.
"To have gone so well in the tests is more than I could have hoped for when I am up against guys with a year of experience in the car already. The list of drivers who have done a season or more in British F3 before going on to race at the highest level is pretty incredible and I am determined to join them."
30/08/2009- FORMULA RENAULT UK
The UK Formula Renault team enjoyed another good weekend at Silverstone. James Calado taking both race wins from pole position, setting both fastest race laps and also setting another lap record, Oli Webb missing out on the lap record by just 8 thousandths of a second.
Oli starting third in the first race managed to get passed a poor starting Fredrik Blomstedt to take 2nd putting pressure on James throughout the race eventually finishing 2nd to James by less than a second.
Oli in the 2nd race started poorly due to the slippery conditions dropping down to 5th, then whilst trying to pass Stoneman for 4th they touched and Oli spun.
Oli then was demoted to the back of the field, fighting his way up trading fastest laps with James to eventually finish 7th.
Fredrik had a poor start in the first race from 2nd position and dropped back down the field to finish 8th. In the 2nd race Fredrik started 11th and finished 12th. Will Stevens had a bit of a mixed weekend, starting 9th in the first race making reasonable progress managed to get caught up in Josh Scotts accident demoting him to 12th.
In the second race Will started 8th and managed a 10th place in the very slippery conditions.
The next Race is at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby where Oli and James will be looking to push Dean Smith for the top place in the Drivers championship.
05/07/2009- The Fortec Motorsport Formula Renault UK team enjoyed a highly successful weekend at the Silverstone World Series by Renault meeting. A crowd of over 150,000 spectators saw the team score 3 podium places over the weekend including a win for Oliver Webb and a pair of second-place finishes for James Calado. One qualifying session was used to decide the starting positions for the weekend’s two races with Fredrik Blomstedt 3rd and 10th, Will Stevens 8th and 3rd, James Calado 2nd and 1st, and Oliver Webb 6th and 2nd on the grid. Race 1 saw James Calado finish in 2nd position with Webb 5th, Stevens 7th, and Blomstedt in 9th position. Race 1 would also see James Calado record a new lap record for the category around the Silverstone GP circuit. In Race 2, it was a Fortec one-two with Oliver Webb leading home James Calado followed by Will Stevens in 6th and Blomstedt 14th after suffering a technical problem. James Calado, Will Stevens, and Oliver Webb will now travel to Le Mans with the Fortec Formula Renault Eurocup team before the next UK race at Snetterton (1+2 August)
09/06/2009- Fairuz Fauzy (Mofaz Fortec Motorsport) scored the teams first win of the season with a lights to flag victory in Race 1 of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series at Hungaroring. Benefitting from the reverse grid procedure, the Malaysian driver led into the first corner and successfully contained Marco Barba (Draco) and Bertrand Baguette (Draco) all the way to the chequered flag. The only threat to Fauzy’s first win in the series was a safety car period brought about by Filip Salaquarda (Prema) spinning off the track. Fauzy timed the re-start to perfection, taking a lead of over one-second from Barba as he crossed the start/finish line. Fauzy then controlled the race, ultimately taking the win from Barba, Baguette, Walker (P1 Motorsport), Alguersuari (Carlin), and Martinez (Pons). Race 2 would see Fauzy start from 8th position on the grid with team-mate Sten Pentus in 18th position. Both cars made good starts before the safety-car was brought out to neutralize the race after incidents on lap 1 and 9. With Fairuz and Sten making their mandatory pit-stops for tyres on laps 12 and 13 respectively, the continued to take the chequered flag in 7th and 15th positions. Taking valuable points from the weekend, Mofaz Fortec now moves into 7th place in the teams championship with Fairuz 10th and Sten 15th in the drivers championship.
