First race in 13 years for former Fford ace England

Former British Formula Ford ace Christian England won on his racing comeback after an absence of almost 13 years in the European Le Mans Series opener at Silverstone.

The 34-year-old, who finished second in Formula Ford in 2002 but dropped out of racing after a part-season in the British Formula 3 Scholarship Class the following year, was part of the United Autosports Ligier JSP3 crew that won the LMP3 class alongside Alex Brundle and Michael Guasch.

“I’ve not been to a race track, not sat in a car for 13 years,” England said. “It’s amazing how we put this deal together. On January 1, I didn’t have a licence and had to do my ARDS test to get one. It’s a huge surprise, but what a way to start.”

England drove the final stint of the race and had to manage a limited fuel load on the way to the chequered flag despite a late splash-and-dash under full-course yellow. He admitted to being rusty but his pace improved after a tentative start.

“The traffic was a culture shock,” he said. “We were close on fuel at the end and it’s the first time I’ve driven in a race where I had to manage the pace as such. I’m used to just getting my head down.”