Derek Palmer to drive for Infiniti at Brands Hatch

Derek Palmer will drive the sole Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing Q50 at Brands Hatch this weekend after testing the car earlier in the week, the team has announced.

The Q50 ran for the first time at Mallory Park on Wednesday with Palmer at the wheel, but shortly after it was announced that technical issues would limit the team to one car for the season opener.

The decision for Palmer to race means Richard Hawken will sit out the action at Brands Hatch. The team says he will drive at Donington Park in two weeks’ time.

“The natural route to take was to put Derek in the car, as he’d has the experience of driving one of the cars earlier this week at Mallory, team principal Derek Palmer Snr said. “Richard will be in the team’s second car at Donington.”

Ahead of his debut, Palmer Jr said: “I’ve raced all over the world in many forms of car, but there is nothing quite as competitive as the BTCC.

“And for the guys as well, this is a completely new challenge to them, a new form of combat if you will. But this is something we have taken on willingly, knowing full well what and who we are up against. And believe me, we’re more than up to the challenge. I’m just excited to get started and to work with the guys.

“Realistically, three finishes would be fantastic. We want to ensure we maximise the opportunity to learn about the car and what we have underneath us, and how to utilise it as best we can.

“It’s the BTCC and you can never predict how it’s going to go, so I’ll just go out there and do the best job I can and let’s see where we end up.

“This is the first step on a very big adventure for the whole team and I’m just so excited to get out in the first free practice session on Saturday morning.”

Hawken added: “Naturally I’m disappointed to not be behind the wheel at the season opener.

“Having not driven the car yet due to technical issues faced earlier this week, and the BTCC a championship rarely being kind to the unprepared driver, I’ll now learn from the data we will collect over the weekend and head to Donington in a stronger position in two weeks’ time.

“We’ve already come so far as a team in a relatively short space of time. The Paras, as we expected, have learned their craft fast. It’s just amazing how they’ve switched their expertise from ‘rifle to ratchet’, testament to the continued training they receive at ISOPR HQ.

“I for one, along with many of our sponsors present at the weekend, will be cheering both the Paras and Derek Jnr on from the pit wall as he debuts the first of our stunning Q50 BTCC racers.”