CIK-FIA European Karting Championship racer makes first foray into single-seaters with Fortec Motorsport.

Brazilian set to get behind the wheel of Ford EcoBoost-powered British F4 car in Valencia with series stalwarts next month.

Success at home and abroad marks Faria out as an early contender for the Rookie Cup honours in 2019.

Karting ace Roberto Faria will graduate to the F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost in 2019 with leading outfit Fortec Motorsport.

The Brazilian joins the first rung on the FIA’s single-seater ladder after a campaign in the CIK-FIA OK-Junior European Karting Championship alongside appearances in the World Championship and third place in the Brazilian National Cup.

That followed extensive success in his home state of Rio de Janiero, with multiple State Championship titles in a range of classes and the 2016 Vice-Champion honours in the National Cup before turning his attention abroad.

Faria’s decision to make the step into single seaters in Ford’s winning formula underlines the reputation of Britain’s FIA-sanctioned Formula 4 series worldwide as the most competitive of its kind.

In Fortec Motorsport he joins one of the championship’s household names and will race in front of capacity crowds in support of the UK’s premier motorsport package, the British Touring Car Championship, with races screened live to the nation on ITV4.

His first on-circuit action in the Mygale-built, Ford EcoBoost-powered British F4 car will come in Valencia next month following simulator work at Fortec’s HQ in Daventry, Northamptonshire.

Beyond that, another ten-event, thirty-race calendar promising drama and wheel-to-wheel action aplenty gets underway at Brands Hatch over the weekend of 6th-7th April 2019.

“I am delighted to be entering the British F4 Championship with such a prestigious team such as Fortec Motorsport for 2019,” said Faria.

“This will be my first year in cars and I’m excited to learn and absorb as much knowledge over the season as possible.

“I can’t wait to start working with the Fortec Development program and learn all the British tracks on the Fortec Simulator while working on my fitness and strength. I’m focused on learning as much as possible this year and look forward to starting this new partnership with Fortec for the 2019 season.”

Fortec Motorsport’s Ollie Dutton echoed Faria’s delight and underlined his belief that Roberto will mature into a strong contender for the Rookie Cup, an initiative designed for those using British F4 as their first foray into car racing.

“We are thrilled to have Roberto join the team for the 2019 season,” added Dutton.

“It is clear that Roberto possesses plenty of ambition and passion and we look forward to fine tuning his skills and working closely with him in our driver development program.

“This year will be a massive learning curve for Roberto, but I am confident he will mature into a competitive driver challenging for the podium, and with hard work and determination a strong contender for the Rookie Cup.”