Richard Plant wins FPA title and Formula Two scholarship
Briton clinches £50,000 prize after securing the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi Championship at Snetterton
Richard Plant has won a £50,000 scholarship prize towards a seat in the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship after winning the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi Championship this weekend (17/18 October).
In what has been an incredibly competitive season in FPA, four drivers Richard Plant, Tristan Vautier, Kazim Vasiliauskas and Adam Foster – remained in contention for the championship heading into the final round of the season. Plant emerged victorious after a frenetic weekend of racing, clinching the title in the very last race of the season, with Vasiliauskas and Foster finishing as his closest rivals.
The 19-year-old Briton was presented with the £50,000 scholarship prize by MotorSport Vision Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer, who also invited him to attend the final round of the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship at Barcelona on 31 October/1 November. Plant was also handed a three lap demonstration run in the F2 car, which has been designed by the AT&T Williams F1 team, at the Snetterton event ahead of a full test in the car later in the year. Vasiliauskas and Foster will also be handed a full test in the car as a result of finishing in the top three championship positions.
Speaking after his three lap run, a jubilant Richard Plant said: "The F2 car was a completely different animal to the FPA car. It was amazing – the power and grip was on another level and I loved every second of it. I just wanted the demonstration to run into a full test – I think I went even faster after the chequered flag came out. It was a fantastic experience to run the car in front of everyone from FPA and it is something I will never forget.
My Dad and I have been invited to watch the final F2 round in Barcelona which will be mega and then I will hopefully be having my real F2 test in December. It is hard to take it all in but it was just such a great day for me and now I am fully focussed on racing in Formula Two next season."