Motorsport: Surtees will be his own man (From The Argus)

Motorsport: Surtees will be his own man

1:11pm Sunday 5th July 2009 in

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Henry Surtees insists he is his own man the moment he steps into a racing car.

The highly-rated Surtees is proud of his father John, who was a double world champion and remains an iconic figure in the sport.

John Surtees also plays a big part in the career of his 18-year-old son, who has his eyes on Formula One.

But Henry says whether he achieves his goals will be down to what he does rather than what his father has done.

Surtees, who has attended Worth School near Crawley for the last seven years, is currently competing in the FIA Formula Two Championship which has returned this season after a 25-year absence.

The F2 series provides a stage for young, talented drivers to compete in top-level racing on a competitive budget.

Surtees is one of three sons of ex-Formula One drivers in the championship, joining Alex Brundle (son or Martin) and Jolyon Palmer (son of Jonathan), and all three will be in action at Brands Hatch on July 18/19 for one of the biggest events on the 2009 domestic racing calendar.

John Surtees, who was a world champion on both two and four wheels, will be there with his son for the meeting which features the FIA World Touring Car and F2 championships.

Henry said: “My father has a massive input on my racing. He is there every weekend, helping with the engine.

“Before he was a driver he was an engineer so he has a wealth of knowledge. But you have got to be your own man because it is me in the car not my father. It is me driving, not him, and if I am not fast enough it is down to me.

“I am very proud of my father and who I am but I am also the first to say, ‘dad, you are wrong’ if that is what I think. We have a great relationship. He is a big part of my career and my life.”

Surtees junior first took part in kart racing at the age of eight and has made steady progress since. He competed in Cadet karting, Mini Max, Junior Max and the Stars of Tomorrow Championship, where Lewis Hamilton got his break, before moving into the Junior Ginetta GT Championship in 2006, where he finished third.

Next came stints in the Formula BMW, Formula Renault and Formula Three and Surtees sees Formula Two as the perfect stepping stone to bigger goals.

He said: “It has been a mixed season. We have had a lot of pace and can be easily top three all the time. We got pole in Brno in the Czech Republic and have been consistently fast but that has not related to points or results.

“The car is really nice to drive and a lot faster than the car I drove last year, double the horsepower.

“A lot depends on this year and whether I can translate the pace into results and get points on the board. All I need is one good weekend and that will get me in contention again.

“I could do F2 next year or do something else. There are lots of opportunities. If one door closes, another will open. A week ago there could have been two Formula One classes, now that won’t be happening thank goodness.

“Formula One is definitely the aim and I think it is realistic but it depends on a lot.”

Surtees recently sat his A-levels and is now hoping to spend more time focusing on his racing and a visit to Brands Hatch in particular.

He said: “For the last month I have had to compromise because of my exams which are now out of the way.

“Brands Hatch is a brilliant spectator place. The way the circuit flows, the drops in heights and coming down Paddock Hill is brilliant for everyone.

“I haven’t done the full GP circuit a lot. It will be a real teaser and I think the atmosphere will be great.”