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Australian teenager Christian Mansell will race in the 2020 F4 British Championship after signing with reigning champions Carlin.
The 14-year-old enters the championship having excelled in the karting scene both in Australia and Europe before completing a short successful stint in the Australian Formula 4 Championship.
Mansell took part in just two Formula 4 rounds last year, but it was enough to give him confidence as the New South Wales based driver secured a number of positive results, including a fourth place.
Following on from his Phillip Island appearances, Mansell then trialled for the British Championship’s scholarship at Silverstone in November for Carlin, where he was good enough to secure a position with the outfit for the 2020 season.
“The first impression you have of Carlin both in terms of the workshop and past achievements and drivers is that it’s clearly a good environment,” Mansell said.
“I tested with a few other teams, but this Carlin car feels really good to me and I feel like it really suits my driving style. You can’t just have a good car though, everything around you has to feel right.
“I think it’s really important to feel comfortable in an environment. You’ve got to spend the year with these guys; you have to have a good connection. Everyone gets on so well here but at the same time everyone is super serious about the job they have to do.
“I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.”
With Mansell spending time testing for his new team over the British winter, Team Principal Trevor Carlin was impressed with the former FIA Karting European Championship regular’s attitude and skill.
“Christian is very young, but has exactly the right attitude,” Carlin explained.
“He is ready to learn and listen and applies that on track in a very mature way, despite his young age.
“He’s developed very well during winter testing and I’m looking forward to seeing his potential unfold in the season ahead.”
Mansell will be the first Australian to race in the Championship since Jack Doohan’s outright fifth place in 2018.
The F4 British Championship begins at Donington Park in Leicestershire on 28-29 March.
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