UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Ollie Hancock joins F2

Filling gap left by Surtees

Reigning British Formula Renault 2.0 BARC champion Ollie Hancock has announced he will contest the final three rounds of the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship, starting at Oschersleben in little over a week's time.

The 21-year-old Briton had originally been hoping to contest the full season of F2, but failed to raise the budget in time as all 25 seats were in heavy demand. He instead chose to race in the main Formula Renault UK Championship, but admits he jumped at the chance to contest the final three rounds of F2.

"Originally I wanted to do a full season of Formula Two this year but missed out," Hancock explained. "It's a fantastic package though, and I'm delighted to be contesting the final three rounds of the year.

"The plan is definitely to use these next races as preparation, and hopefully to come back next year and have a proper go at the title. I'm clearly playing catch up, and I'll have to learn the cars and the circuits quickly, but I'm confident I can do well. Ultimately I'm not putting too much pressure on myself - everyone has the same chance, so I'll just take it step by step and concentrate on my own agenda."

With just ten days until the next round at Oschersleben, Hancock admits he is throwing himself in at the deep end but insists he will be up for the challenge. "I've been doing an intensive training course for the last week, and I'll keep it up until Oschersleben," he declared.

"F2 is clearly very competitive throughout the field, but I'm not fazed by drivers like Andy Soucek and Robert Wickens. Everyone has the same chance in F2, unlike a series like Formula Renault where you know only two or three teams have a chance to win, and that's a great boost for drivers. The budget for F2 is great, and the coverage it generates is also fantastic, so I'm very happy to have joined the series even at this late stage."

Written: Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:34:53