Nick Tandy focussed on F2 drive in 2010
"There is only one aim and that is to win the championship"
Talented British driver Nick Tandy is eyeing a switch to Formula
Two in 2010 as he believes the championship gives him the best
chance of reaching the highest tier in motorsport.
Tandy's name first shot to prominence after winning the
prestigious Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 2007. He also
won the FPA Shootout later that year and subsequently became the
final nominee for the coveted McLaren Autosport BRDC Award. He
was then part of a fascinating success story in British F3 in 2008
and 2009, which culminated in Nick claiming a race victory for his
late brother Joe's JTR team at Rockingham last May.
"If I am racing in F2 this season then there will be no messing
from me," he said. "There is only one aim and that is to win the
championship. F2 is my greatest and probably my last real chance of
becoming a professional single seater driver.
"The link with Williams is a massive draw - testing an F1 car
would be a huge achievement and of course there is the chance to
win an FIA superlicense - F2 has rewards that you just don't get in
other series."
Tandy was regarded as a genuine championship contender in
British F3 last season - no mean feat when you consider his
relatively modest JTR team were up against the might of Carlin and
the Red Bull Junior driver Daniel Ricciardo. In less than 12 months
Ricciardo has since been confirmed as the Red Bull F1 reserve
driver for 2010, whilst Tandy is still looking for the support that
his undoubted talent deserves.
"I was the first ever driver in the JTR F3 team, which was
largely built around car development for Mygale. It turned into a
lot more than that of course, as we went from nothing to being a
front running team in just 12 months, which was pretty unheard of
in F3. The win at Rockingham was obviously the biggest win of my
career so far.
"I genuinely feel we would have been able to challenge Daniel
Ricciardo for the title last year, but unfortunately we had to stop
racing midway through the season as the funding just wasn't
there.
"When you see the opportunities that Ricciardo has had since
then of course it can be frustrating, and I think that Formula Two
is now my opportunity to continue my career in single seaters. F2
gives drivers like me the chance to reach Formula One for a
fraction of the budget when compared to things like F3 and most
definitely GP2."
Tandy grew up just a few miles away from F2's headquarters at
Bedford Autodrome, England, and he has closely monitored the
development of the FIA Formula Two Championship over the last 18
months. No longer simply an observer, Tandy is targeting a race
seat by the time the season gets underway at Silverstone in
April.
"I know most of the guys at Bedford Autodrome and I have kept a
close eye on the Formula Two project. It is a fantastic facility
and I have great belief in the quality they produce there,
particularly the F2 operation. With the combination of the Williams
F1 Team and MSV I am convinced the F2 car will be great to drive -
the opportunity to race in F2 certainly excites me but we will see
what develops over the coming weeks."