17–year–old Shahaan Engineer to stay with champion team Fortec Motorsports for 2013

Shahaan Engineer will remain with leading squad Fortec Motorsports for the 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup after today, Monday, 21st January, finalising a new deal with the reigning champion team.

The teenager delivered a highly successful debut season in single–seaters last year in the ultra–competitive Northern European series, ending the championship seventh in the standings from more than 50 registered drivers and finishing 2012 as the best of the car racing rookies.

“I’m pleased to have re–signed with Fortec for this year, I had a great first season in cars with the guys last year and I know we can build strongly on that this season”, said Shahaan, “The new car will obviously be a fresh challenge but one I’m really looking forward to, it should be an exciting year.”

Shahaan produced a number of stand–out performances in 2012 where he was the youngest racer in the championship. Qualifying third fastest on his debut weekend at Hockenheim in Germany, the then 16–year–old went on to solidify his position among the prime challengers.

Achieving his first category pole position at Zandvoort in The Netherlands, part of a triple front–row qualifying performance during the penultimate event of the season, the young driver went on to take back–to–back podium finishes and accrue the highest points score of anyone that weekend.

Speaking on the opportunity to continue working with Shahaan, Fortec’s Jamie Dye said: “We are delighted to re–sign Shahaan, 2012 saw the strongest grids in NEC yet and it was a learning year for Shahaan against tough competition in his first full season of racing in single–seaters.

“It was a great learning opportunity for him and by achieving double poles mid–season and strong finishes along the way, including back to back podiums, it gives him the strength and experience to attack from the start of the new season. Fortec would like to thank Shahaan for the faith he has shown in the team and we wish him the best of success for the coming season.”

Germany’s Hockenheimring will host the opening weekend of Formula Renault 2.0 NEC action on 6th/7th April before the series visits the Nurburgring, Silverstone in the UK, Spa–Francorchamps in Belgium, Assen in The Netherlands and Most in the Czech Republic. Zandvoort in The Netherlands will be the venue for the championship finale over the weekend 12th/13th October.