RACING driver Will Bratt made his long-awaited track return at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit by rejoining his former Formula Renault UK team Apotex Scorpio Motorsport during an official championship test session.

Agreeing to run with the Loughborough squad to assist with data and set-up work, the outing saw the 20-year-old from Adderbury end the day fourth fastest overall, with a best lap of 1m 47.968 seconds (106.49mph).

He said: “We were more than happy with our dry weather pace, fourth overall was a great result and especially so considering I haven’t been in a car for five months and the tyres we were using were pretty old – we didn’t have chance to run on new ones.”

Since his front-running GP2 test outing at the tail-end of 2008 where he emerged second fastest against a whole array of category regulars, Bratt has been concentrating on his final few months of study at Oxford.

Having debuted in the FIAT Spanish Formula 3 Championship last year, after three successful seasons in Formula Renault UK, he is looking to move further up the single-seater ladder this season and had planned to make his race debut in Formula One support category GP2.

Due to conflicts with his Oxford commitments though, the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) Rising Star has had to look at alternative championships for 2009 and is weighing up several options on the international stage.

He added: “As far as the 2009 season goes for me, we’re unsure what we’re doing at the moment, but we hope to be able to announce something in due course.”