Red Bull role for Lewisposted in F104 | 12 | 2011

    HIGHLANDER LEWIS WILLIAMSON has joined the Red Bull Young Driver Development Programme, the route which guided current champ Sebastien Vettel into Formula One. And Williamson also confirmed today he will contest the 2012 Formula Renault 3.5 World Championship.

    Williamson, the 22-year-old from Golspie, will race with Arden International, an evolution of the MW Arden team owned by Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner.

    The Scot raced with Arden in this year's GP3 Championship, winning at Silverstone and bagging three podiums.

    "It's a fantastic opportunity for me," Williamson said today, as he prepared to attend the Autosport Awards in London. "I only found out on Friday, and it's something I've been hoping would happen for ages."

    The graduation into the F3.5 World Series mirrors the route followed by Daniel Ricciardo: the Aussie, who dovetailed his role as Toro Rosso test driver with his F3.5 race season, is now an F1 racer with Hispania Racing.

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    As part of his new role, Williamson — who will still work closely with the Highland Arena consortium which has backed his career — will also continue to spend time on the Red Bull F1 simulator helping develop the world champions' new 2012 racer.

    And Williamson, recently chosen as one of the 18 drivers for the prestigious FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy, appreciates his move from GP3 to F3.5 is another significant step towards what he states as "the ultimate goal", a seat in F1.

    "Obviously that remains the ultimate goal," the Dundee-borne racer, who moved to Golspie with his family when he was seven, continued.

    "To be part of the Red Bull programme is a fantastic boost for me, but I know there's a huge amount of work I need to put in over the next few months and years.

    "I've always worked intensely hard to move my career forward, and this latest development merely means I need to increase that intensity even more.

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    "I've never taken anything for granted, and I'm definitely not going to start doing that now.

    "I fully appreciate the opportunity I've been given with Red Bull and Arden International. Now it's up to me to ensure I do everything I can to deliver the results."

    Williamson, who completed an impressive test in a McLaren F1 car at Silverstone as part of his prize for winning the McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award, won't drive his new F3.5 car until March.

    "There's a completely new car arriving for the championship this year, so no one will drive the car until the first official test in March," he said.

    "Now though I'm going to chill out for a few weeks and recharge the batteries. Then it'll be a case of going on maximum attack for the new season."

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    Jim McGill

     

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