Formula 4 racewinner Joshua Dufek will make his competitive F3 debut in this winter's Formula Regional Asian Championship, having agreed a deal to join British team Hitech GP for the first three rounds of the 2022 series.
The 17-year-old enjoyed success in the Italian and ADAC F4 championships in 2021, winning at Mugello and taking a string of podium finishes in both series to help Van Amersfoort Racing clinch a brace of teams' titles, before ending the year with a taste of F3 machinery during post-season testing in France and Spain. Joining Hitech not only confirms Josh's place on the grid, but also pairs him with one of the more successful F3 teams of recent times, having enjoyed championship success on three continents, including back-to-back 2018-19 crowns in Asia. Hitech currently runs teams from F2 to F4 and, until recently, provided full race operations for the W Series.
Josh, who was born in England but races under a Swiss flag, will make his F3 race debut at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi on 21 January, before taking in the following two rounds at the Dubai Autodrome, ensuring that he maximises his development opportunity without compromising his rookie status for the remainder of the 2022 season.
The Asian F3 Championship, meanwhile, moves into its fifth year with a reputation for providing the brightest European talents with a competitive outlet in what would traditionally be their off-season. This year, it introduces the added challenge of a reverse top ten grid for race two of each weekend and expects to attract a highly-rated field looking for valuable FIA super license points and a chance to join series alumni Nikita Mazepin and Guanyu Zhou in F1 in coming years.
“I’m excited to be getting my 2022 programme underway this early in the year,” Josh commented. “Although I'm a stranger to the two circuits we'll be using in the Formula Regional Asian Championship, I’m really looking forward to getting out there and racing again. Post-season testing went well, allowing me to get comfortable with the F3 car, and I'm expecting to form a great working relationship with an experienced team like Hitech, which has won this championship twice in the past.”
Dufek continues to benefit from the specialist management and coaching services of Peak Performance Management this season.
“We’re delighted to help Joshua graduate to F3 and excited to see what he can do in the Formula Regional Asian Championship over the next few weeks,” PPM director Kevin Korjus added. “He made a confident transition during post-season testing and that should bode well for the year ahead.”
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