Toronto, Ontario (March 04, 2015) – Canada’s Luke Chudleigh flies to Europe this week to prepare for his third consecutive European open-wheel racing campaign. The 19-year-old from Milton announced last month his move to British-based Fortec Motorsports for both the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup Series as well as the 2015 Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup Series (NEC).
Chudleigh’s immediate itinerary consists of a trip to Fortec’s Daventry HQ at the end of this week followed by a test outing next week at the Le Mans Circuit in France. Prior to undertaking the start of another exciting European adventure, the teenage racer shared his thoughts on his move to Fortec and surviving a long off-season!
Q: What was the appeal of racing for Fortec in 2015 and what kick started the dialogue?
Luke Chudleigh (LC): “I’m so happy to be racing with Fortec this season! We identified in each other the necessary elements to make 2015 a very successful season. Mutually we respect each other very much and we’re ready to hit the ground running. Martin Young will be my engineer exclusively all season long. That point alone was very important to me.”
Q: Having sampled the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup last season on a few outings, what stands out most about the series?
LC: “The Formula Renault World Series Eurocup Championship is a honour to be included in. Indisputably one of the most competitive stages for guys my age to compete in formula cars – I am excited to show my skills among the best. The championships go to some of my favourite tracks like Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and Monza in Italy. We’ll also be racing in the UK at Silverstone. I can’t wait for that!”
Q: Do you plan to base yourself in the UK during the year to be closer to Fortec’s base?
LC: “I am planning on relocating to England to be closer to the team HQ. That’s an important element to me. I like to build strong relationships with my crew and in my opinion that’s not possible if you don’t make a commitment to relocate.”
Q: Did you consider options to return to North America to compete and what swayed you back to Europe?
LC: “For 2015 we looked at a couple different series. Indy Lights was on our radar as a series that could offer some unique value with the new homologation. In the end, Europe and the World Series are still the most suitable arena for my career and sponsors.”
Q: What’s your approach to getting to getting up to speed with a new team, new engineer etc?
LC: “Martin and I have three test days together in Le Mans, France and Motorland, Spain before the first race. Fortec comes from a long pedigree of working with international drivers. I don’t think it will take very long to get into the swing of things at all. Driven to go faster than ever, our targets are clear.”
Q: How did you keep yourself occupied over what’s seemed like an eternal off-season?
LC: “Jeez, it seems like the off season has stretched on for ever! It’s been about five months this off-season, but believe it or not, I’ve been busier than ever. We’ve reconstructed our assets in a pretty large way and I’m really happy about how the future looks.
“Now, more than ever, we have a motorsports property that offers added value, in a very unique way. That’s what will take me to the next level. We’ll have to wait and see how the future unfolds but I’ve got some exciting things lined up.”
ENDS – www.lukechudleigh.com / @LukeChudleigh
