Spanish racer Belén García announced a part-time campaign in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with G4 Racing, as she prepares for the upcoming W Series season.
Belén García was selected at the end of 2019 to compete in the all-female W Series championship, following a remarkable single season in formula cars. She had in fact secured the Female Trophy in the Spanish F4 Championship and claimed an overall victory at Navarra, becoming the first ever female driver to win a F4 race in Europe.
With W Series taking a year off in 2020 due to the logistic challenges posed by the Covid19 pandemic, Belén García was also forced to sit out a full season from single seaters. She returned to the very competitive Spanish national karting championship and, towards the end of the year, she made her GT4 debut at Barcelona.
Belén was set to compete in selected Formula Renault Eurocup rounds in preparation of her W Series debut, but the program was also put on hold.
Now, her plans to get back into a F3 car have just resumed: García will enter the upcoming pre-season tests at Barcelona next Thursday, and announced a two-races program in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with G4 Racing, as she is committed to maximise her track time in the Tatuus T318 car before the start of the W Series 2021 season in June.
“It is a pleasure to announce that I will join G4 Racing for the first rounds of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. I am confident that this will be the best preparation for the W Series, and I will make the most of it” – said the Catalan driver.
“It has been a very long wait, too long." – she added, as her last appearance at the wheel of a formula car dates back to February 2020 at the Valencia collective tests for Formula Renault Eurocup, literally a few days before the outbreak of Covid19 in Europe.
"It's actually been two years since my debut in formulas and one and a half years since my last race in the F4 Spanish Championship. I have almost the illusion and the nerves of the first day. ” – she said.
"I'm sure I have the opportunity of a lifetime. I have worked very hard to be here, I have a whole year of Formula 3 racing ahead of me and I want to make the most of it."
“I am delighted to confirm Belén García as a driver for our new Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine team." – commented Adam Muñoz, Sporting and Technical Manager of G4 Racing.
"Unfortunately, due to her full-time commitment to W Series, she will be with us only on a part-time basis. I have known Belén since she started with single-seaters in Formula 4. I am convinced that she will show the same talent and professionalism and adapt quickly to the car and team”.
García is expected to enter the first two rounds of the newly-rebranded Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, at her home race in Barcelona – contested in conjunction with the Spanish F1 Grand Prix – and at Circuit Paul Ricard, France, the track that will crucially also see her debut in W Series a few weeks later.
“To build rhythm you have to compete and fight with everyone. In this sense, entering the first two races of the Formula Regional will allow me to get better prepared and will also help me in an aspect that I must work hard this year, which is to adapt to new circuits. In the W Series I will have to adapt very quickly, as I will have less track time” – explained Belén.
The 21-year old driver from Barcelona, who has been intensively training both at the simulator and on her physical and mental program, will have two collective tests prior to making her race debut: drivers will hit the track at the Montmelo circuit on March 25-26 and at Paul Ricard on March 30-31.
“I think that I have matured as a driver. I feel very different in terms of attitude on and off the track. I have worked very hard and now I hope that all what I have learned and worked on will be reflected in the results”.
