Manor Competition, the new name of former champion Manor Motorsport, has unveiled an exciting driver line-up as it prepares for its first season in the Formula Renault UK with Michelin Championship under its new racing title. The team, which continues to be managed by Tony Shaw, is looking to recapture the Drivers’ and Entrants’ titles it won in 2005.
Leading the young quartet of drivers is the reigning Formula Renault BARC champion Richard Singleton (Conwy, Wales). The 18-year-old Welshman dominated the Formula Renault BARC Championship last year in his family-run RS Racing team, picking up six victories from 12 races. The experience gained from driving the Formula Renault 2.0 car in the low-cost entry-level series should stand him in good stead and enable him to immediately be on the pace in 2007.
Alexander Sims (Peterborough) boasts an impressive karting CV including the 2000 Super One Cadet title, 2002 Super One Formula JICA title, a 12th place finish in the 2004 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship final and a pole position in the 2006 World final. His single-seater racing debut came in the 2006 Formula Renault UK Winter Series where two top-four finishes and a fastest lap marked him out as a potential race winner in 2007.
Alex Morgan (Bridgend) joins Manor Competition after making his debut in Formula Renault UK in 2006 with Macob Motorsport. The 19-year-old finished 22nd overall and fifth in the Graduate Cup but his experience of both the car and the circuits used in the championship should enable him to challenge higher up the grid in 2007.
The fourth member of the team is Northern Irish driver Kris Loane (Kesh, Co Fermanagh). Loane, 18, raced the final two rounds of the 2006 Formula Renault UK Championship and then finished 17th overall in the Winter Series. His recent single-seater experience includes racing Formula Ford in both Northern and Southern Ireland and he won the prestigious Leinster Trophy in 2006.
Commenting on his hopes for the season, Team Manager Tony Shaw said: “I’m very happy with the line-up we have and it’s nice to have all four drivers in place early in the year to bring stability to the team. We’re a relatively new team in some respects but many of the key staff remain the same, so the main change is where we go to work.
“Alexander’s performance in the Winter Series means he should start the season in strong fashion and Richard is in much the same position. Alex and Kris are slightly unknown prospects to us but both have been impressive in testing so far. The way we set the car up is different to how they are used to but they’ve been improving in leaps and bounds over recent weeks and could surprise some people with their pace at the first round. â€
Manor Competition is in the midst of its pre-season testing schedule ahead of the first official Formula Renault UK test at Rockingham on 1st/2nd March. Rounds one and two of the championship are at Brands Hatch Indy circuit on 31st March /1st April
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