Sam Bird says he hopes to be able to challenge for honours in the F3 Euroseries this season, although the Briton admits it won't be an easy task on his debut in the series.
Bird, who finished as top rookie in the British F3 International Series last season with Carlin, will form a new-look line-up at Manor Motorsport for the coming season, with fellow Carlin refugee Niall Breen and Japanese F3 pair Kazuya Oshima and Koudai Tsukakoshi completing the four-driver line-up.
Speaking to
Crash.net at the recent
Autosport International show, Bird admitted that his debut season of F3 competition had put him in good stead for the year ahead.
"I think it was a solid year," he said. "I was relatively pleased, [even if] there were some bits of the season that could have been improved, both on my part and also I didn't get the luck when I needed it. I had five mechanical failures throughout the year, which to be honest was a couple too many.
"The team were awesome though, and I won two races and had ten podiums which was good; we just lacked the consistency to come second in the championship, and I felt a little hard-done-by not coming third.
"Overall I learnt a lot and it was a great stepping stone for me going into Europe. I think it will be very tough to now make the move, as they are new tracks for me and very, very good drivers. I have to learn a new tyre compound with the Kumhos and it is a new car as well, so there is a lot to learn in one year but hopefully I can a good job."
Bird added that the change of tyres would be one of the key things for him to get to grips with, having spent the past season using Avon rubber in the British series.
