Teenager Alex Dunne will step up his mission to become a Formula One star this year as he prepares to compete for Irish team Pinnacle Motorsport in the Spanish F4 Championship.
The 15-year-old, who is from Dublin but living in Clonbullogue in Offaly, has been impressing on the European Karting circuit but he's now ready to make the move to car racing.
The Spanish F4 Championship is part of the FIA's global feeder series for International Formula 3 and the recognised first step on the road from karting to Formula One.
Preparations for the season are well underway with Dunne's F4 car already being prepared at Pinnacle's Kildare base for its first shakedown run, before the team travels to Spa Francorchamps in Belgium for the opening test of the season in early April.
Pinnacle Motorsport is run by former Irish Champion and Asian F3 race winner John O'Hara. The team has experience competing at all levels across Asia, including race and championship wins in Asian F3 and F4.
The Spanish Championship is one of a number of regional FIA Formula 4 series which have been designed to provide kart racers with a first step into car racing.
The series will take the drivers to three current Formula One venues as they travel around Europe, beginning in April with Spa, the home of the Belgian GP.
The seven-event calendar will also include trips to the Portuguese Grand Prix venue, Portimao, and November's season finale in Barcelona.
"I've been doing a lot of work over the winter, with my physical training and also learning the tracks through sim racing, so I'm ready now for the real thing," said Dunne.
"This is a very exciting step especially with racing at such amazing venues as Spa and Portimao. The team will be a great fit for me as I know John already and I know he will help me to learn the car and achieve my goal of challenging for race wins and the championship."
Pinnacle Motorsport team owner O'Hara added: "We've been following Alex's progress at the highest level of Karting over the past couple of years so we are really looking forward to working with him as we tackle the Spanish series for the first time.
"We've had a lot of success in Asia and we are aiming to replicate that in Europe with Alex. Initially it will be about building Alex's experience and confidence in the car but by the end of the season we will be aiming to challenge at the front and win races."
Dunne's Spanish F4 campaign starts with Rounds 1, 2 and 3 on 24 and 25 April.
