JHR Fill F4 Squad with Simmons, Sulaimán and Skelton

JHR Developments, who last season competed with Billy Monger have come into this years F4 British Championship with a three car assault as it looks to challenge for the title.

Manuel Sulaimán was teammates with Monger last season and will return alongside the experienced Ayrton Simmons and rookie Josh Skelton. Both Sulaimán and Simmons will be expected to launch a title assault with Simmons now the series most experienced driver.

While JHR have never won the F4 series, they came close in 2016, when Sennan Fielding lost out to Max Fewtrell in a battle that went to the final race.

Coincidently, Fielding lost out as he was held up by Simmons who recorded his first podium at Brands Hatch. He returned at the start of 2017 to pick up his first win, collecting five further podiums with the TRS Arden team.

“When we were given the opportunity to join JHR Developments for 2018 it was a no brainer. I have seen how professionally they operate over the last couple of years.

“We will have a limited testing plan due to my other commitments, but we all feel that I can have a genuine shot at the championship.” – Ayrton Simmons

Simmons would also welcome Sulaimán, exclaiming that he appreciated another Spanish speaker on the team. Even though he’s British, Simmons spent much of his childhood competing in Spain, while Sulaimán raced last year in his native NACAM F4 (Mexico) series, winning the Rookie Cup.

“I am delighted to return to race in the F4 British Championship. It is the toughest F4 championship in the world to win given the quality of the drivers that compete in it. It’s where you want to be racing because battling with the best talent makes you raise your game.

“To be able to contest the season with JHR Developments again is brilliant. They know how to fight for the top positions having finished runner-up and third in the overall standings in the past. Their determination to win is incredible.” – Manuel Sulaimán

JHR become fourth major team to announce three drivers, behind Arden, Fortec and Double R. The quartet are expected to vie for championship superiority in the first year of the post-Carlin era.

Joining them will be Josh Skelton. The young Brit had been preparing for a year with the Fortec Motorsports team after testing with them, but appeared with JHR at the Rockingham test this week, finishing thirteenth on his first outing.

“I am thrilled to join JHR Developments for 2018. They have such an incredible record of getting the best from young drivers and helping them to achieve high levels of success.

“I know that Ayrton, Manuel and I will work well together and I hope to repay the faith placed in me by my sponsors Alpine Stars, Skelton Joinery and BJ Human Performance by bringing home some great results.” – Josh Skelton.

The announcement brings the number of F4 drivers up to thirteen for the year. In testing, Simmons immediately showed his hand at Donington Park, ending the day second quickest, while maintaining good pace to finish fifth at Rockingham.

The next test will be at Snetterton on the 21st March.

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