1996 world champion Damon Hill’s teenage son will contest the Ginetta Junior series in 2008. Josh Hill, 17, is also the grandson of double world champion of the 1960s Graham Hill, and therefore the British family’s third generation to embark on a motor racing career. Ginetta Junior is a one-make sportscar series for teenagers, as a next step up from karting. Josh will also remain at school this year, the magazine Motorsport News said. “He could have done another season of karting, but he is a tall teenager so cars were the ideal route at this stage,” said Damon Hill. “We aren’t making any great claims about how he will get on, and this is simply a toe in the water,” he added.

By DueMotori

Robert Foster-Jones demonstrated a textbook drive to take a scintillating win in the European karting season’s annual curtain-raiser - the Winter Cup at Lonato, on the southern tip of Lake Garda, Italy - last weekend (16/17 February).

With a quality-packed field of 132 of the world’s best up-and-coming drivers, Southend-based Foster-Jones was also taking on the might of the works teams. He says: “It’s fantastic, I’m over the moon – couldn’t be better! The weekend didn’t start brilliantly - I wasn’t great in practice or in Qualifying - but it all came good in the end.”

In a nail-biting 28 lap final, he got a great start from 4th on the grid, and within a handful of laps had moved into 2nd place. “I sussed out the leader (Jesper Wernersson, from Sweden) and the gap (between us) maintained itself but we edged away a little bit (from the chasing pack). Then Flavio Camponeschi (Italy) got involved and he overtook me, dropping me back to 3rd. I realised after two or three laps of following him, that he wasn’t fast enough to take me back up to Jesper. So I overtook him and could see that Wernersson had a little bit more power going up the straights but I reckoned that towards the end of the race fitness would come into it”.

His prediction was right. With the race run at a frenetic pace - during which Rob recorded the fastest lap - the sheer effort began to take its toll on some of the drivers around him. “I could see Wernersson’s kart beginning to slide around a little bit and I caught and passed him about 6 or 7 laps from the end and thought I could get away, but he could still stay with me. He was able to overtake me again about three laps from the end but on the penultimate lap I re-passed him going into the 2nd of the three hairpins and just held it to the line.” Wernersson desperately attacked in the last three corners - but Rob coolly responded by backing the Swede into the clutches of the rapidly advancing Jack Harvey, giving himself sufficient space to take his debut European victory.

As he walked to the podium ceremony, Rob said: “It’s a feeling you can’t explain, really. It’s just fantastic. I hope that we can produce more of the same for the rest of the season. And I must thank all the people who have helped me throughout the weekend – Moose, my mechanic (Mickey Higham), Ricky (Flynn), Gordy (Gordon Finlayson of GFR Engines), plus Martin and Dan of Pro Performance”

Team boss, Ricky Flynn commented: “It was a fantastic drive. That was one of the best last laps I’ve ever seen – at any level”.

Rob and the RFM team return to Italy next week to test at Parma, in readiness for the Margutti Trophy there on 8/9 March 2008.

JRP have released KF3 driver Max Goff, with immediate effect. Goff, 14-years old - from Brigstock, Northamptonshire, England - was set to contest the key European and international races, including the WSK series, with the Lonato-based team.

Team principal, Mark Berryman said:

“Since Max joined the team in late 2007, we have enjoyed a run of success that has seen us take victories in the Italian Open Masters, the Bridgestone Cup and at Monaco. He is a great little pilot and has a promising future ahead of him but increasing differences of opinion had begun to affect our relationship. Before things became worse, we have decided to make a clean break – allowing Max to find a new berth prior to the season starting in earnest. I and all at JRP wish him and his family, all the best for the future”.
JRP will continue to run Luke Wright and Stefano Marcello in KF2, with Russell Danzey in KF3. Any further additions to the 2008 driver line-up will be announced in due course.

Junior Max racer Ed Brand scored his second victory in as many weekends, when he romped to a crushing victory at PFi, Lincolnshire (3 February).

With the Super 1 Championship starting in 6 weeks, 13-year old Ed is beginning to look like a serious contender for overall honours.

In the heats, he went from 19th to 5th in the first race, before winning the 2nd heat by over 4 seconds - and duly claiming pole position for the final.

Ed said: “It’s funny, someone asked me the other day if I ever get nervous before a race and I said ‘Only if I’m on pole for the final’. So yeah, I was a bit trembley beforehand.”

If he was nervous, it didn’t show on the track. With 25 karts all vying and jostling for position behind him, Ed made good his advantage and quickly opened up a gap over his pursuers. From there, a string of consistently fast laps saw him extend his lead to nearly 6 seconds, and put the race beyond doubt.

“I hit the first corner and cleared off. But it still wasn’t easy - when you’re out on your own, it’s hard to keep your concentration” he smiled afterwards. “I’m very happy to have taken my 2nd win (in succession) but I just have to keep my feet on the ground. I think I’ve got the pace to win the British Super 1 Championship, but we’ll just have to see. The Shakedown (the season’s annual curtain raiser at the Clay Pigeon Raceway, Dorset on 24 February) will be a good place to see if we’re in the right situation.”

Ed was also keen to point out that he owed his success to a genuine team effort from Paul Carr Racing: “It’s all thanks to Dad, Dean my mechanic and Paul that things are going so well at the moment”.

Michael Schumacher has taken his first steps into the world of team management by setting up his own go-kart team to compete in the German championship. The seven-time Formula One World Champion, who rejected an offer to run Ferrari’s Formula One operation, will run the team with his friends and business partners Peter Kaiser and Thomas Munchov, whose names contribute to the team’s identity of KMS Racing.

By Eurosport