Walker currently competes in the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship

Jersey racing driver James Walker admits it will be extremely difficult to raise the £3m required to race in Formula 1 next season.

He has been approached by Manor GP to be their third driver, meaning he would race in GP2 and step into F1 if one of their top two drivers were out.

He told BBC Jersey: "When you get told that you have to raise that sort of money over the winter, it's a shock.

"I've been spending a lot of time with my manager working on proposals."

"It's up to me now to make this work commercially and that is why I have been in Jersey, trying to drum up support from all the local businesses."

If the deal with Manor doesn't come through then we've actually been speaking this week with one existing team and one new team James Walker

Walker is at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain this weekend for the final race of the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship.

He is currently third in the standings, seven points behind second placed Charles Pic, and just two points ahead of F1 rookie Jaime Alguersuari.

He said: "You really have got to try and get stuck in, finishing on the podium really sets you up for the winter.

"I think you have to do everything you can to give yourself the best possible chance, especially as there is a big fight for the runner-up spot this year."

If Walker is unable to raise the funds to join the Manor GP team he says he has other options.

"If the deal with Manor doesn't come through then we've actually been speaking this week with one existing team and one new team and we could just try and do GP2 on our own," he said.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version