Jon Lancaster will switch teams for the Macau Grand Prix after inking a deal to join Manor Motorsport for the end of season Formula Three event.
The Briton has enjoyed a solid debut season in the F3 Euroseries with ART Grand Prix, with the highlight to date being a maiden F3 win at the Nurburgring and fine third place finish in the Masters of F3 at Zolder earlier this year.
Lancaster will now hope to at least match that result in the most challenging F3 race of them all, but is in good hands with Manor having enjoyed success in the Chinese enclave in the past.
“The team has had some very good results at Macau already, including winning it with Lucas di Grassi so I think it's a good seat to get into,” Lancaster said. “I've never raced there before obviously and it looks like a pretty daunting track but I've spoken to a lot of people who have and like every street circuit, it will be critical to drive with your head and not get caught up in the action over the opening couple of laps.
“I'll aim to keep improving over the course the sessions and hopefully that will put me in a good position for the race. I had my first F3 podium on a street circuit at Pau and could have won on another at the Norisring before being taken out so street tracks don't pose a problem for me. Macau is the major event that every Formula 3 driver wants to win and although I've not had the best of seasons results-wise for many different reasons if I can win the end of season race in Macau it would be a great way to finish the year.
“It's good to end the season on a high as that's what people remember and also, sponsor wise to bring 2008 to a close with victory would be a great boost for 2009. Macau is like the World Cup of Formula 3 and if you can win that you prove that on your day you can beat anyone. Winning it is a great achievement that not many people get to do and not many people in Formula One have done. I don't think there's any reason why we can't win and I've got two good team-mates who raced there last year so we'll have the data already.”
