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Formula 3 team Double R Racing has confirmed its expansion into the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, with its first driver the protege of ex-British F3 race winner Danilo Dirani.

Brazilian Matheus Leist, who took fifth in this year's MSA Formula standings with Double R, will remain with the team for his second season in Europe.

The 18-year-old, who was runner-up in the 2014 Brazilian F3 Lights class, also contested one round of the F3 European Championship with Double R as a stand-in for the injured Nicolas Pohler.

Double R joins fellow F3 teams Carlin and Fortec Motorsport in adding BRDC F4 programmes in the wake of the series' move to a new Tatuus-Cosworth racer.

"It's really great to be staying with the guys at Double R for the move up to BRDC F4 and I'm really looking forward to racing the new car," said Leist.

"The car is a big step on from the car I raced this year - it's very quick and has a lot of grip from the aero, and I'm really impressed by it."

Double R boss Anthony 'Boyo' Hieatt added: "Matheus is a great talent, we had some fantastic results in MSA Formula this year including a couple of wins, and we intend to show that same level of performance in BRDC F4."

Fresh from its podium finish in the Macau Grand Prix with Alexander Sims, Double R plans to test drivers for its F3 team this month and will also continue in MSA Formula.