South African racer Callan O’Keeffe will join Douglas Motorsport for the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship season, it has been confirmed today (27 February).

The 20-year-old competed in the recent British Formula 3 Autumn Trophy at Snetterton, finishing third overall with Fortec Motorsports. O’Keeffe has also made numerous Formula Renault outings during his career thus far, finishing seventh overall with three podiums in the 2015 Northern European Cup (NEC) category, having scored his maiden win in the NEC during 2014.Prior to that, he competed in the ADAC Formel Masters and Formula BMW Talent Cup, scoring four wins and nine podiums in the latter during 2012. O’Keeffe also enjoyed much success in karting at the world level, finishing as runner-up during the 2011 CIK-FIA World Cup in the KF3 category, and was formerly a member of both the Red Bull Junior Team and the Lotus Young Driver Programme.

O’Keeffe said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic to be back racing again. It’s a great championship and car so we should be set for an exciting year. It’s taken a lot of hard work to make this drive happen and I really have to say thank you to a few key individuals from South Africa who have helped enormously. Douglas Motorsport is a great team and I already feel really at home there. The hard work has begun and we will be doing everything we can to make sure that we get the South African flag flying above the podium this season.”

Wayne Douglas, Team Principal of Douglas Motorsport, commented: “It is fantastic to be able to welcome Callan to our team for the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 season. He showed his talent and speed during last year’s Autumn Trophy and I am confident he will hit the ground running at Oulton Park