Barnicoat replaces Ahmed at Carlin for Silverstone F3 round

Ben Barnicoat will replace Enaam Ahmed at Carlin Buzz Racing for this weekend’s FIA Formula 3 championship round at Silverstone.

After enduring a difficult start to his first F1-supporting season in FIA F3, Ahmed and his sponsors parted ways with the British squad on the eve of his home race at the British Grand Prix venue.

Ahmed was 23rd in the drivers’ standings and yet to score a point in the series heading to Silverstone having registered his best finish of 14th place in the first race in Hungary last time out.

Following the 20-year-old’s split with Carlin after the opening three rounds of the season, his seat will be taken by fellow Brit Barnicoat, who joins Clement Novalak and Cameron Das to complete the team's line-up. 

The former McLaren F1 junior has most recently raced in GT series as a factory driver for the British manufacturer ever since moving away from single-seaters at the end of the 2016 FIA Formula 3 European Championship.

Barnicoat will get his first taste at the wheel of the new-spec F3 machinery this Friday during the 45-minute free practice session at Silverstone, before contesting his first single seater race since 2016.

Carlin confirmed the split with Ahmed via a short statement on social media, which read: “Enaam Ahmed and his sponsors have parted ways with the team.  Ben Barnicoat will replace Ahmed in this weekend’s FIA F3 round at Silverstone.”

While it has not been announced whether Barnicoat will race for Carlin for the remainder of the 2020 season, Crash.net understands that Ahmed will not return to FIA F3 this year.

Last year Ahmed contested the All-Japan Formula 3 series and finished third in the championship with two victories. Ahmed moved to Japan after claiming two wins on his way to ninth in his rookie European F3 campaign with Hitech Grand Prix in 2018.