In what seemed like an 11th hour decision, Will Hoskins has secured a drive for the 2022 season, ensuring that he continues in Formula Virtual for his tenth year. Up until very recently it seemed as though British driver Will Hoskins was going to have to sit out on the 2022 season, with FIRST confirming their driver line up of Felix Perez and Stefan Klien. However, whilst rumours were circulating that Hoskins may have been returning to the team he started his Formula Virtual career with, Franklin have now confirmed that the 2014 runner up will be making his return to the three time World Champions. "We're delighted to be announcing that Will shall be returning to the team for 2022. We shared a lot of success in those two years together, with Will taking seven of his nine wins with us, and half of his overall 30 podiums as well. We're also well aware of the fact that many believe there was animosity between us following the end of the 2014 season, and whilst there may have been some heated discussions at the time, we can assure you that it is not something that lingers. As many of you will remember, Will drove for us in the GT class of the Virtual 24 hours last year, doing a fantastic job for the team and almost securing a class win, something I know he's really keen to go better with this year. The collaboration in that event allowed us to rebuild some of that relationship we'd lost over the years. We've been in talks with him throughout the entirety of the 2021, and it soon became clear that FIRST weren't looking to keep him on, and Will was looking for a change of scenery," Hoskins was keen to remind everyone of how close he came to the 2014 title when he tweeted that he and Franklin and unfinished business, posting it with a picture of the Championship winning JF-02. He also went on to mention that he didn't know how long he had left in the sport. "A lot has changed since I started my career in Formula Virtual. I think I'm a lot more of a complete driver than I was back then, but I think as a racing driver you always have to believe that you're constantly improving, you don't want to believe that you're ever going to lose it. Having said that, I don't know how long I have left in the sport. I'll be 36 at the beginning of next season, but what I do know is that I still have that same passion for racing that I did ten years ago. Obviously, I don't think my performances this year have reflected that, but I think some of that comes down to external factors. I really enjoyed reconnecting with a lot of the guys and girls when I did the V24 last year, and I'm super excited about gunning for the GT class win this year. But most importantly, I want to get back to my roots and finish what we started. I think a Championship win with Franklin at this late stage of my career would be perfect," After just two wins this season, Hoskins will be hoping that Franklin take another step forward next year to be able to make a competitive challenge for another Championship. Franklin are yet to comment on who will be partnering the returning Hoskins for next year, with both Forini and Addison making strong cases for the seat, and only separated by a mere 5 points with two races to go.
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