unveiled with next generation Fiesta in Cologne, Germany.
Sennan Fielding captures the imagination of guests driving British F4 car along with Andy Priaulx and Dirk Müller in Le Mans-winning Ford GT and GT40.
The F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford took to the spotlight at the unveiling of the future of Ford Motor Company at a special Go Further event in Cologne, Germany which saw the launch of the next generation Fiesta.
British F4’s 1.6 litre turbocharged EcoBoost racer driven by Sennan Fielding, along with the GT40 and Ford GT which won Le Mans in 1966 and 2016 respectively, set hearts racing as part of a procession that roared past thousands of guests and heralded the arrival of the world’s most technologically advanced small car.
It was an exciting moment for the Ford backed championship which uses a Fiesta ST as its safety car, and fitting that the series which has become renowned for developing the next generation of motorsport stars was present at the debut of the next generation of Fiesta.
The magnitude of the event was not lost on 2016’s FIA British Formula 4 vice champion Sennan Fielding. “To be at Go Further is an amazing opportunity,” said the driver who is in the hunt for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award on the back of a season which saw him claim five race victories for Steven Hunter’s JHR Developments squad.
“I cannot thank everyone at Ford and British F4 for letting me be a part of it; meeting so many people who make up the Ford family and seeing all these fantastic cars.
“The whole event has been incredible. The Ford plant in Cologne is so impressive and to fully immerse myself in the world of Ford has been a remarkable experience.
“Representing British F4 at the launch of the next generation Fiesta in front of the world’s media, as well as the likes of Ford Motor Company’s president and chief executive officer Mark Fields; Jim Farley (vice president and president, Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Roelant de Waard (vice president of marketing, sales and service, Ford of Europe) is such an honour.
“Days like today give me added motivation. I want to emulate the amazing careers of drivers like Andy Priaulx and Dirk Müller. What they are achieving with Ford in the GT car is very special and I dream of having a similar opportunity one day.
“Competing in British F4 has given me the perfect platform to do this. The series is on the renowned TOCA package, starring alongside the ever-popular British Touring Car Championship on live television.”
Added Ford GT driver Andy Priaulx MBE: “What has struck me is how engaging the next generation Fiesta launch has been. I think Ford have really tapped into the emotion and excitement of the brand using the race cars to open the show.
“You could feel the passion from the audience when seeing all the people clapping and cheering as the cars were driven past them. That had a real wow factor.
“Sennan has had a great 2016 so I’m really happy that he’s being recognised for his achievements in the F4 British Championship which has had an excellent year too. It’s brilliant to see the staircase of talent that is coming through at Ford which will hopefully work its way into the GT car in the future. British F4 is a fantastic series and I think that it’s right that it is present at events like this.”
Commented Dirk Müller who drove the No. 68 Ford GT to victory at Le Mans in 2016: “It’s a huge event and absolutely amazing to be part of the launch of the next generation Fiesta, driving our race cars like the Ford GT and the British F4 car. I couldn’t stop smiling during the whole procession. On days like this you can see how big, but how close the Ford family is and family is the key word here.
“Motorsport is a tough business and you have to work hard to bring home the trophies. I have Brits like Andy Priaulx and Richard Westbrook as teammates in the GT and Sennan can definitely make it to the top like them.”
