by Russell Atkins
Ben Clucas is making a welcome return to Britain this year, on the back of a stunningly successful campaign in the Australian F3 Championship. Though he knows he will be facing a far stiffer challenge in 2007, it is one he is clearly relishing.
It will mark the second time the former
McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year finalist has competed in British F3, having taken part in eight races in the National Class two years ago. Driving for all-new outfit Ultimate Motorsport, he is keen to mark his return to racing on home soil with a bang…
Q:
Ben, first of all how excited are you about the season ahead?
Ben Clucas:
A hell of a lot. I’ve really wanted to do British F3 for probably the past three or four seasons but have never been able to come up with the right deal to be in the paddock, so to finally get a chance at it is great.
Q:
You raced Down Under last year, becoming the Australian F3 Champion after winning 11 of the 12 races you contested. How good a feeling is it to be competing in Britain again?
BC:
I think the Australian F3 Championship is competitive, but it’s fair to say it’s not as competitive as British F3. I think the British and the Euroseries are really the most competitive F3 championships in the world, so if you can get good results here I think it will open doors for you in Europe and the rest of the world as well.
Q:
You are with a new team this year in Ultimate Motorsport, new both to British F3 and also new to racing in general. How are you settling in at the team, and how has testing gone up to this point?
BC:
It’s good. I’ve only really done one day of testing so far – half a day here and half a day last time I was at
Silverstone – but the team have made me feel very welcome. Everyone there is very good and highly-qualified. If you speak to any of them they have huge amounts of experience. I’m excited at the prospect, and I think as the season goes forward we will make bigger steps forward and go quicker and quicker.
Q:
Your team-mate Esteban Guerrieri has a lot of experience too, as a race-winner in the F3 Euroseries. How are the two of you working together so far?
BC:
Good. I knew Esteban anyway from 2005 – I raced with him in one of the rounds of the Euroseries with Midland. He’s a good guy and is easy to get on with. We’ve only done one test together so far, but generally we’ve been saying the same things about the car and the relationship is working well.
Q:
You said it’s more competitive in British F3 than in Australia. How tough a field are you expecting it to be this year?
