Former W-Series driver Esmee Hawkey will compete for the third year in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship, as she is set to tackle the title with top team Parker Racing.
2019 W-Series driver Esmee Hawkey will make her return to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship this year, as the racing driver from Kent, UK, is set to join championship-winning team Parker Racing.
“I’m really excited to be joining Team Parker Racing for my third year in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB." - said Hawkey. "After being in a single-car team for the past two seasons it will be interesting to join what is looking like a great line up at Team Parker Racing. There will be some top Pro drivers in the team who I am looking forward to working alongside, sharing data with, and ultimately fighting against on track."
It will be the third consecutive season for Hawkey in the British-based Carrera Cup championship, after claiming three class victories last year, along with six podium finishes.
Esmee comes from a very busy 2019 season, where she combined full seasons in the fastest one-make series in Great Britain, together with the all-female Formula 3 championship W-Series, where she was selected as one of the inaugural 18 race drivers.
Competing for the very first time in single-seaters, Hawkey scored two points thanks to a 9th place finish at the Norisring and famously qualified on third place for the season finale at Brands Hatch. However, she failed to qualify for the top-12 in the final standings and will now focus her 2020 efforts on a GT racing program.
“Last year was extremely busy, racing two totally different cars in both the Carrera Cup and W-Series." - she commented. "It was difficult jumping between the two, but I still proved that I had the outright speed in both."
"I’m really glad I had the opportunity to race the W-Series’ F3 car as it introduced me to racing with downforce which I had never experienced before. This will benefit me when the time is right to step up to GT3, and Team Parker Racing is the perfect place as they can help facilitate this."
Hawkey joins in fact front-running team Parker Racing after two seasons with the GT Marques squad. Hawkey briefly led the Pro-Am championship standings last year mid-season, but her title chase was hindered by two incidents in the Silverstone rounds. She ended third in the class standings.
Parker Racing, which brought Karl Leonard to the 2019 Pro-Am class title and Josh Webster to 2nd place in the Pro class, will enter its 17th seasons in the Porsche one-make championship.
“I’m looking forward to working with Team Parker Racing and meeting all the team members there. I feel I have unfinished business and things to prove in the series. I can’t wait to get started and show my true potential.” Esmee will hit the track in March for the Championship media day, before the opening round at Donington Park on 27-29 March.
Full Porsche Carrera Cup UK 2020 Calendar:
28/29 Mar - Donington Park 11/12 Apr - Brands Hatch (Indy) 16/17 May - Thruxton
13/14 Jun - Oulton Park 25/26 Jul - Snetterton 29/30 Aug - Knockhill 26/27 Sep - Silverstone 10/11 Oct - Brands Hatch (GP)
In Esmee's words:
"It was difficult jumping between the two [Porsche Carrera Cup and W-Series], but I still proved that I had the outright speed in both."
Ph Credits: Torque Motorsport / Esmee Hawkey