Laura Tillett enjoyed her time racing in the MRF Challenge during the winter so much so she is hoping to race in the series again this winter.

Initially she only expected to be racing in one round as part of the Indian Grand Prix but that soon turned to the full season when her talents behind the wheel were realised.

Speaking about her experienced during the winter, she said: “I really enjoyed the series it is a really well run series. The fact that everyone is under one tent you all share data and knowledge and it is a really great atmosphere.

“It really helps as a learning driver like myself it helps so much because you are learning from drivers in GP3 and GP2 and it is great to then and go out and race. Normally when you are in a team you get certain people share data but it is very restricted and you certainly don’t get to share data with the entire grid.

“It doesn’t matter who you are with the guy who is leading whoever it is you will get to share their data which is brilliant.”

Once everyone shares data it all comes down to individual driver talent as no one driver has any major advantage and that makes the races exciting.

She added: “Obviously a lot is the drivers as with the car set-up they are all pretty much the same and you can’t do anything much with them without everyone else knowing. Everyone has to have the same set-up and that is another good thing, you aren’t being cheated because everyone gets the same data.”

Laura’s results also consistently improved the more she raced and got used to the car that she was racing which was a massive positive for the young race ace.

“Throughout the championship the more confidence I got, the better I got as I got used to the car and the results I was getting I was putting in top ten finishes.

“I was then getting top eights towards the end of the year and they were great results for me, especially as I was racing against some great drivers. It was brilliant and more than I could ever have expected from the series.”

These results saw her earn the respect of those more experienced drivers on the grid around her as she started to beat them in races not knowing much about her.

She said: “When I went into the series all the other drivers knew of each other from higher racing and I just sort of came in having done a bit of BARC Renault racing. Towards the end they were all commenting on my racing and saying how much I had improved and that I stood out as a competitive driver.

“It has definitely given me a boost to my confidence knowing that I am putting the fright up some of my competitors and being the big drivers that they are from GP2, saying how well I have done it is definitely worth noting for when I go to race again. It will always be in my head that I have raced and competed with them and they rate me as a good driver.”

As part of the season the MRF Challenge supported the India Formula One Grand Prix and that experience was something that she will never forget.

She added: “I was only supposed to do that one race and they sort of said to me, we have a seat open for the Indian Grand Prix would you like to do it. I didn’t think that it was actually going to happen and when I did it, it was an amazing experience and one that I won’t ever be able to get again.

“To be in a support race of a Grand Prix, it is almost like being able to give yourself a title. I am a driver that has been never been able to achieve that. To be able to race on the same track as the Indian Grand Prix was amazing. I then did well in my first race and it gave me the opportunity to be able to do the rest of the series.”

“Everyone wants to do it and I was getting a lot of comments about how lucky I was and yes I was very luck, but then the opportunity to race in the rest of the championship came up. That was a great opportunity as well and to some people that might not have been the ideal opportunity, for me though it is the best thing that I could have done.”

This opportunity also led to Laura being interviewed as part of Sky Sports F1 coverage for that weekend, something she certainly wasn’t prepared for.

She said: “That was all a bit short notice, I ran from just coming into the pits and straight onto Sky Sports all sweaty and unprepared. They said we are going to speak to you and I got like five seconds of fame but it was an experience.

“To be interviewed by people who millions of people round the world watch and being named on TV was amazing. I think because I was just shoved out of the car and in front of the camera I didn’t have time to think about it and I was a lot more relaxed. I was still in my car thinking mode and didn’t have time to think about what I was going to say, so it was a good interview.”

Laura is keen to take part in the 2014 MRF Challenge if the opportunity was to come up for her again during the winter.

“I think they want me back to do the next season and I am hoping that they do. Looking at what they have said the tracks will be quite good, they are looking at doing Abu Dhabi or Singapore as well with the Grand Prix. Hopefully they want me included and I will get some good racing with some good coverage.

“I really did like that it was winter based, there are some drivers that do the series as well but a lot of them are on their cool down after the season. As all the other drivers are coming to a halt for the winter, mine is just starting so while everyone isn’t in the news and being interviewed, I am still up there and it gets me noticed for the following year.”

Even though the MRF Challenge is high on Laura’s agenda, she is also looking for opportunities to race during the summer as well.

She said: “I am still looking to do some single seater Formula Renault like NEC but I am not sure that I can get the budget for it at the moment.

“It is a tough world out there for money but I am still aiming to do that for the summer series and take the MRF series at the end of the year. Everyone is under the impression that it is easy to get sponsorship and being a girl it is even easier but at this moment in time, the only drivers able to get the seats are those that have the money themselves or have connections with someone.

“It is very rare that you can write to a company and say sponsor me unless you have a connection there already, it is so tough to be able to raise the money to race in a series. The one that I am looking at is £250,000 for the season and to get that from one sponsor is tough to get that from several is even harder.”