Australian Joey Mawson will make his debut on English soil when he competes in the British Formula 3 Autumn Trophy event at the Snetterton circuit this weekend.

The recently crowned 2016 German Formula 4 Champion will join the Douglas Motorsport outfit in a one-off appearance. He fills the seat that has been held by Thomas Randle throughout the year while his fellow Australian competes in an event in Spain.

The PODIUM-backed driver who won ten races on route to the German Championship is excited about the opportunity to compete in England this weekend.

“The opportunity came as a bit of a surprise, mentally I had already started to focus on the off season and onto winter testing. Now it’s quickly back to focusing on a race weekend,” said Mawson.

“It’s a great opportunity to be back in a car again and have a race meeting while learning a new track at the same time.”

The British Formula 3 cars are of a similar specification to the machines Mawson has campaigned during the past two years, with the major difference being a larger powerplant and more aerodynamics.

“I’ve never driven the BRDC Formula 3 car before, although there are some things that will be familiar like the Pirelli tyres,” said Mawson.

“It will be nice to drive a slightly faster car as I prepare for the next step in my career during 2017.”

Jamie Caroline, who won a race at the final round of the British Formula 4 Championship, will be alongside Mawson in the Douglas Motorsport garage.

Mawson will head to England from his base in the Netherlands on Wednesday before hitting the Snetterton circuit for the first time on Thursday.

The weekend format includes a qualifying session and two races on both Saturday and Sunday. The grid for the first race is set in qualifying order, with starting positions for race two of each day set by the fastest laps from race one.

Live Timing from the event will be available by clicking here (link: http://www.britishf3.com/)

Fresh from victory in the ADAC German Formula 4 Championship, Australian Joey Mawson has spent the past two days testing aboard a Formula 3 at Monza, Italy.

In an impressive run, Mawson traded fastest times with 2016 Formula Renault Eurocup and NEC Champion Lando Norris for the majority of the test.

The two-day hit out with the Van Amersfoort Racing outfit has left the PODIUM-backed driver eager to make the next step in his flourishing career.

“I got a bit of a taste of an F3 car last year in a test day but it was wet for the majority of the day, now with two full days in dry conditions I feel like I was really able to show some good potential,” said Mawson.

“The cars themselves are about 10 seconds a lap faster than the F4 cars I’ve been racing but I feel as though I adapted very well.

“To be able to mix it with drivers who had more F3 experience than me at the top of the timesheets was very pleasing.  It was also great to be able to work with the team on improving the car during the day.

“During the test I was able to refine my technique and I really felt comfortable by the end of the two days.”

While his 2017 plans are still to be confirmed, Mawson is keen to make the step into Formula 3 next year.

“Formula 3 is definitely the aim for 2017.  It’s now about getting everything in order to make that happen,” said Mawson.

Mawson will return to his base in the Netherlands tomorrow for several weeks before heading back to Australia for Christmas with his family in mid December.

Australian Joey Mawson has re-written the record books to become the first Australian driver to be crowned Champion in the ADAC German Formula 4 Championship.

The PODIUM-backed driver secured the crown with victory in the opening two races of the final round at Hockenheim.

After qualifying on the front row for the opening two races on Friday, Mawson was dominant on his way to victory in race one crossing the line six-seconds clear of Mike-David Ortmann.  His main Championship rival, Mick Schumacher incurred a penalty prior to the race meaning he started 23rd.  He would eventually finish sixth.

The young Australian then further stamped his authority on the Championship with his tenth race win of 2016 during a rain-interrupted second race.  Mawson was unfazed by the challenging conditions as he took the flag by 0.6 seconds from Thomas Preining and Kami Laliberte, while Schumacher was eighth.

After starting tenth in the reverse top ten final race, Mawson was edging his way closer to the front of the field before Lirim Zendeli made an ambitious passing maneuver on the Australian entering turn one on the fifth lap.  The pair made heavy contact damaging Mawson’s car which led to him spearing off the circuit and out of the race, Zendeli received a drive-through penalty for the incident.

“While the final race today didn’t go to plan, it’s an amazing feeling to know that I’ve won the Championship,” said Mawson.

“Mick and I had a great battle all year long, we’ve certainly pushed each other hard on the track to make sure whoever ended up with the title had earned it.

“To be able to win the Championship for Van Amersfoort Racing is a great reward for everyone in the team who have given me so much support over the past two years.

“Being able to win it on Saturday relieved a lot of pressure on everyone, we could then really enjoy the second race before going into the final race of the year without the stress of the title on the line.

“If it wasn’t for Tom Warwick and Geoff Morgan and everyone else involved with PODIUM, this year would not have been possible.  I can’t thank them enough for their ongoing support.”

Mawson finished the year on 374 points, 52 clear of Schumacher in the standings.  Throughout the year he claimed ten race wins, 15 podium finishes and seven out of a possible 16 pole positions.

Mawson will remain in Europe until mid December to finalise plans for 2017 before returning to Australia for a brief period over Christmas.