Earlier today, Team Principal and Owner of Franklin FV - Jamie Franklin stated on Twitter that he would be announcing his plans for the future following recent comments leading many to believe that he would be leaving the sport. Finally, the news has broken on the Franklin team website, and Jamie himself has made a statement regarding what he'll be doing for 2022.
"It comes with a heavy heart that I shall be stepping down as Team Principal of the Franklin Formula Virtual team. I have spent a long time with this team, building them up, enjoying a lot of success together, and of course staying strong with them through some of the lows. I've made it clear already why I'm making this decision, but I want to assure everyone that it was not an easy decision to make; but for the good of the team, I feel now is the right time, so that they can continue to grow and receive the plaudits that I feel that they really deserve, not held back by people's opinions of me as an individual. In my place, Felicia Quinn will be stepping up. She will continue to lead the design department as well, with a number of trusted people around her, but will oversee the running of the entire team. I fully believe that she is up to the task and has shown on many occasions the kind of leadership qualities that this team needs. I hope that with her in that position, it will allow young women everywhere to have a role model to look up to, to prove to them what can be achieved, even in Motorsport, which has been predominantly been very male orientated in the past. I know this isn't the first time that we've had a female leading a team in Formula Virtual, but I do feel like it's still a step in the right direction for equality. But in general, I wouldn't be giving her this position if I didn't think she was the best person for the job. As for me, this is my chance to announce a new venture. In early 2022, the JFPT brand will be launching the very first JFPT Hero Academy in my home town of Colchester. The Academy will be a multi-purpose facility aimed at setting up our children for the future. Open to kids aged from 8-18, the JFPT Hero Academy will aim to help kids become the best versions of themselves through fitness and Motorsport. I, personally, will be overseeing the entire Academy whilst also running the fitness side of things, whilst we have a number of experts who will be teaching both aerodynamic and mechanical engineering; a specially made kart track with a variety of layouts for the children to hone theirs skills; along with an array of other activities that will continue to grow as we do. We aim to get youths involved no matter their background or privilege, as we hope to gift anyone with the determination to work hard at their passion an opportunity to pursue their dreams by offering scholarships to those deserving individuals. There will be no contract of incentive to join our teams in the future, we just want to give everyone the chance succeed, and we hope that we see some of those talents in Formula Virtual in the future. Thank you to everyone reading. If you're interested in the JFPT Hero Academy, please feel free to contact us at www.JFPTHeroAcademy.co.uk. That's it from me now, but I'll be seeing all of you at the Virtual 24 hours at Daytona Speedway.
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