FAMOUS COOK NAME RETURNS TO FORMULA RENAULT WITH HILLSPEED

Company press release.

Jake Cook (Rotherham), one of the UK's most highly rated young single-seater racers, is all set to mount a challenge for the Protyre Formula Renault Championship crown after signing a deal with former title-winning squad Hillspeed to spearhead the team's 2013 attack.

The 19-year-old, who was Vice-Champion in British Formula Ford last year, is delighted to be making the step up into Protyre Formula Renault and will be team-mate to Matt Rao (Oxford) who made his debut in the championship at the end of the main 2012 season before tackling the Winter Series.

'I'm really pleased to be racing as it really looked like we wouldn't be this year, the plan after last year was to step-up from Ford and I definitely see this as a step-up', said Cook, 'I'm only in it to try and win it. Hillspeed has won the championship before and the Renault is a proven, reliable car so I'm looking forward to it.'

The Newcastle University student's arrival in the ultra-competitive 'slicks and wings' category also means a welcome return to Renault UK motorsport for his famous racing family which has strong links with the French marque dating back around 20 years.

David Cook became 1996 Formula Renault UK Champion, driving a DC Cook entered Tatuus RC96, while Jake's aunty and manager Paula made history as the first female to qualify on pole position in an international race when competing in Formula Renault in the mid-90s.

Paula later moved into saloon car racing and the British Touring Car Championship where she ran as part of the family-entered DC Cook Motorsport team in 1999. Prior to this, David and Paula's late father Derek who founded DC Cook ran a Renault Laguna in the 1998 BTCC Independents Cup for Norwegian driver Tommy Rustad – the partnership took five victories en-route to the class title.

'We're delighted to welcome Jake into Protyre Formula Renault, it's fantastic to see the Cook name back with us', said championship promoter Simon North, 'From David's Formula Renault title win in 1996, and Paula's exploits in Formula Renault, right through to the BTCC Independents success with the Renault Laguna, the Cook name has been synonymous with success in Renault motorsport.'

Jake Cook's racing career only began in 2008 in the ranks of Ginetta Junior, where he became Vice-Champion the following season before a switch to single-seaters. Enjoying great success in British Formula Ford over the last three years, the Yorkshire youngster won twice on his way to becoming 2012 Vice-Champion.

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New team-mate Rao arrived in Protyre Formula Renault for the 2012 championship finale, just a week after clinching the Duratec Class title in British Formula Ford. Remaining with Hillspeed for the Winter Series, the 18-year-old is now aiming to use that experience to become a consistently strong front-runner in the ultra-competitive championship.

'Ideally, I want to be finishing in the top five most weekends and trying to mount a challenge for a few podiums but we'll have to see where we are when the season starts', said the Oxford Brookes University student, 'The team is great, they're a really nice bunch of guys and they know what they're doing. We've all gelled well and I'm really looking forward to the season.'

Donington Park National Circuit in Leicestershire will host the first two rounds of the 2013 Protyre Formula Renault Championship on 13th/14th April. Before then, the official pre-season test and Media Day will take place at Silverstone in Northamptonshire on Thursday, 21st March.

Along with headline sponsor Protyre, Formula Renault is additionally supported by Michelin, The Lubricant Consultancy, Petronas Syntium and NGK Spark Plugs.