GP3

Tatiana Calderón will return to the GP3 Series in 2018, joining forces with the established race-winning Jenzer Motorsport team.

The Colombian rising star will be looking to capitalise on the valuable experience she gained last year as she continues progressing towards her ultimate goal of racing in Formula 1.

Jenzer Motorsport has been part of the GP3 Series since its inception in 2010, and last year the Lyss, Switzerland-based outfit finished third in the teams’ standings with two of its drivers, Arjun Maini and Alessio Lorandi, winning races.

It was also one of two teams Tatiana tested with during last year’s post-season Abu Dhabi test following the exit of her previous team, DAMS, from the Formula 1 support series.

Tatiana will continue be part of the successful Escudería Telmex driver programme, the biggest of its type in Latin America, and she will also continue to enjoy the support of the Colombian government through Coldeportes.

She is set for an equally busy year off-track as well, following the announcement that she has joined the FIA Women in Motorsport commission as driver representative as well as the FIA Drivers’ Commission.

Tatiana Calderón: “I’m extremely happy to be racing with Jenzer in GP3 this year. They have a great history in the series; last year they had a really successful season and everything went really well when I tested with them last year."

"I like the way they work, and I think together we can make a great combination and be very competitive. I’ve also been working really hard during the winter to be as ready as possible, as both the team and I want to be challenging the front-runners. I want to thank Escuderia Telmex and Coldeportes for their support in making this possible, hopefully we can enjoy a really great year together.”

Andreas Jenzer: “I was hoping to sign Tatiana back in 2016 when she tested for us the first time, because we knew we would have a very competitive Team. Now I am very happy Tatiana joins us for the 2018 campaign. I am sure with her experience she will be able to contribute on the technical and driving side.

I would say is not that we understand the female-driver situation, which is a bit harder then for boys, but we already proved in the past with other female drivers that have raced at Jenzer Motorsport that we can do a very good work. I am sure we will have a very successful season if we work hard together.”

Team Trident announced that New York-based racer Ryan Tveter will race under the team's banner for the upcoming season, returning for the second straight year in the GP3 Series after his 2017 debut.

Last year, the young American delivered an increasingly impressive season, securing three podium finishes, three separate top-5’s, and eighth place in the driver standings helping to propel Trident to second in the team’s championship.
 
Over the 2017 season, Ryan delivered consistently strong results and established himself as a contender for victory and a benchmark in terms of the team's technical choices. Ryan and the team have been working hard over the off season to make a further step forward and have high targets for the upcoming season.
 
"We are delighted to have Ryan back on the team for our 2018 GP3 campaign. He is a very skillful and precise driver who has a very different background to most drivers in racing at this level." Commente team manager Giacomo Ricci.

"After joining Trident, Ryan found an environment to thrive in and continue to progress with stellar consistency delivering many great performances and results along the way. To finish on the podium in such a category as GP3 is a huge achievement in and of itself and Ryan came away with three, along with many other strong points finishes."

"Following him with the utmost care and providing the strongest car possible to chase his first GP3 win will be our absolute priority. Ryan had a breakthrough season in 2017 and I believe 2018 will be even stronger."
 
Tveter added: “I’m so happy to continue to race for Trident in GP3 and want to thank the team and my supporters for making this possible."

"Last year was a breakthrough season for me and a huge part of that was the support and focused environment in the team. Everyone works with common goal of fully supporting the driver to get the best results possible. That support really helps you to feel confident in yourself and the car underneath you."

"I narrowly missed out on my first win on a couple occasions, but nonetheless we achieved some fantastic results with great consistency. To stand on the F1 podium for the first time was something I’ll never forget and spraying the champagne after receiving your trophy doesn’t get old either. The team and I have high targets going into 2018 and I can’t way to get pre-season testing underway.
 

ART Grand Prix has confirmed that Anthoine Hubert will continue his motorsport career with a second consecutive season in its GP3 team.

The announcement of the 21-year-old Frenchman finalizes the quartet of drivers for the French based squad, which will be fighting for both titles in the 2018 season.

Anthoine Hubert had a strong first GP3 season by adapting well to his new work environment and ART Grand Prix’ goal is to use 2017 as a stepping stone for him to fight for the title this season.

"After a decisive integration within the team in 2017 but a feeling of unfinished business, I’m keen to capitalize on the experience gained the last year and aim my goal with ART Grand Prix in 2018." Said Hubert

"It is also what the team wants and I thank them for trusting me. I also want to thank my partners, because without them this agreement would not have been possible, Lamirault Automobile Group and KML Management. This year, my goal will be to win the championship. "

Dorian Boccolacci finally grabbed his elusive maiden win in this afternoon’s Race 2 at the Yas Marina Circuit, making a strong start before overtaking for the lead early in the race and then soaring off into the distance in the last race of the 2017 GP3 Series, ahead of teammate Ryan Tveter and Daniel Ticktum.

The race opened once again to gloriously sunny conditions, with poleman Tveter making a perfect start to lead Boccolacci, Steijn Schothorst, Alessio Lorandi, Ticktum, Arjun Maini, Niko Kari and George Russell into turn 1: the Frenchman was soon all over the race leader as the pack took shape, with Ticktum putting Lorandi on notice on the back straight and Kari squeezing by Maini for P6 just behind them.

It only took 2 laps for Boccolacci to make the pressure stick: he was easily through Tveter for the lead on the back straight before heading off into the distance, while further back Russell and Maini were already involved in a lengthy battle for supremacy, swapping positions for lap after lap. Ticktum was less interested in a protracted fight though, and blasted inside and through Lorandi on the back straight on lap 7 and was soon looking for more.

Next time through he tried to repeat the move on Schothorst, who looked to close the door: Ticktum squeezed past but with all 4 wheels over the line, picking up a 5s time penalty in the process. Worse was to come for Lorandi, who also tried the move a lap later but lost his front wing on the Dutchman’s rear tyre, prompting an unscheduled pitstop for the Italian.

Russell finally broke the chain with Maini on lap 11 and headed off after Kari, who himself was closing in on Schothorst: it took just 2 laps for the trio to engage, with the Dutchman and the Finn colliding to give the new champion a clear run through at the marina complex.

Ticktum, meanwhile, continued his serene run up the timesheets as he easily dispatched Tveter for P2 on the road, and pushed hard to overturn his time penalty.

At the flag Boccolacci has sailed to a simple win by 5.5s over teammate Tveter, who stayed close enough to Ticktum to gain P2 back after the Briton’s time was added, with Russell rounding out a tremendous season in P4 ahead of teammate Anthoine Hubert and a recovering Kari, with Bruno Baptista holding on from Maini on the line by 0.1s for P7.

So the 2017 GP3 Series season closes with George Russell as champion ahead of teammates Jack Aitken and Nirei Fukuzumi, and their team ART Grand Prix once again finishing as Teams’ champions, ahead of Trident and Jenzer Motorsports.

Anthoine Hubert has been handed a 5 second time penalty by the race stewards following a review of this afternoon’s Race 1 at the Yas Marina Circuit, which showed that the Frenchman failed to observe the 80km/h speed limit under the VSC.

Car data determined that Hubert went back onto the throttle before using the speed limiter, in violation of the Sporting Regulations.

The Frenchman, who finished P8 in the provisional standings, will now be classified P11, handing P8 and tomorrow’s pole to Ryan Tveter, with Kevin Joerg and Bruno Baptista filling the remaining points positions.

source: gp3series.com

Niko Kari drove a perfect race in this afternoon’s Race 1 at the Yas Marina Circuit, pushing up to the lead at the start and absorbing all the pressure his rivals could through at him, along with a couple of VSC periods, for his maiden win in the GP3 Series ahead of 2017 champion George Russell and Arjun Maini.

The victory was made at the start: when the lights went out Arden teammates Leonardo Pulcini and Kari made great getaways from P2 and P3 respectively, leaving poleman Russell the choice of which driver to cover.

He chose the Italian and pushed across to the inside line, leaving the outside wide open for Kari to swoop through and into the lead at turn 2, ahead of Russell, Pulcini and Maini, while behind them Nirei Fukuzumi and Raoul Hyman were slow to get away from the grid, delaying most of their rivals.

The Japanese driver clattered into Giuliano Alesi at turn 8, forcing both drivers to pit, while ahead of them Pulcini blew past Russell to set up an Arden 1-2 on track, with the top 4 edging away and behind them Dan Ticktum leading Dorian Boccolacci, Anthoine Hubert (who was hoping to insert himself into the fight for the vice-champion position), Alessio Lorandi, Steijn Schothorst and Ryan Tveter.

Kari was looking to build a DRS buffer back to his teammate when Marcos Siebert stopped at turn 8, prompting a brief VSC period on lap 5: the Finn easily controlled the restart with Russell almost catching Pulcini napping and being forced to run over the kerbs to avoid the Italian, handing Kari the vital 1s gap he needed to avoid the DRS and allowing him to control the race, and his tyres.

Ticktum and Lorandi were both mugged at the restart but soon regained their positions, with the Briton sailing away into the distance and the Italian soon looking for more: as Hubert suddenly slowed with some sort of gremlin dropping him back through the field, Lorandi got the jump on Boccolacci on the back straight for P6 just before Alesi rolled to a stop at turn 20, bringing out the VSC boards once again.

Russell caught out Pulcini once again at the restart, but this time made it stick for P2 on the final turn, while Lorandi and Boccolacci resumed battle again, swapping position all around the circuit before the Italian finally made it stick on lap 14, with Schothorst inserting himself into the battle and forcing the Frenchman to keep an eye on his mirrors.

There was soon more bad news for Pulcini: his left rear started to deflate, dropping him back down the grid before an inevitable retirement on lap 17, handing Maini a place on the podium. Ahead of him Russell was unable to do anything about the speed of Kari, who punched the air with delight as he was greeted by the flag across the line.

Ticktum rolled home a lonely 4^th, ahead of Lorandi and Schothorst, who both broke away from the squabble behind them: Boccolacci just held off a fast charging Hubert, who drove a magnificent recovery effort for P8 and tomorrow’s pole, just ahead of Tveter and Kevin Joerg.

source: gp3series.com

Juan Manuel Correa has been handed a 3 grid place penalty by the race stewards following this afternoon’s qualifying session at the Yas Marina Circuit after being judged to have impeded Kevin Joerg during the session.

The American, who finished the session in a provisional 19^th position, will be unable to serve the penalty in full: as such he will start tomorrow’s Race 1 from the pitlane.

source: gp3series.com

George Russell pulled out a champion’s drive in this afternoon’s qualifying session at the Yas Marina Circuit: the Briton defied the difficulty of jumping from GP3 to F1 with Force India and back today with a stunning last lap to claim his fourth pole position of the season (and rounding out 2017 by ensuring that ART Grand Prix grabbed every pole of the year) by three tenths from Arden International teammates Leonardo Pulcini and Niko Kari.

The new champion’s best time of 1:54.751 came after the chequered flag had dropped: Russell was the last man in a series of quickest laps to ensure that his rivals realised he will not be taking this weekend easily just because the pressure of the championship is over.

The track opened to hot and sunny conditions, with all of the drivers running straight out to take advantage of the F1 rubber from their recent free practice. Russell, who had helped to lay down some of it, was taking the early part of the session easy as his rivals squabbled over the top spot: Dorian Boccolacci, Arjun Maini and Dan Ticktum all spent time on the top spot before returning to the pits, with Russell staying out one lap later and running green in sector 1 and purple in sector 2 before ominously aborting the lap as he returned to the pits, confident he had more to come.

With 5 minutes remaining the drivers were swapping best times in the various sectors as they warmed their tyres for the push to the flag: Pulcini and then Russell claimed P1 with a few minutes remaining, then pulled back for a slow lap before pushing again on the last tour. Maini ran wide out of the marina section and lost his chance while up front Kari topped the timesheets before being usurped by teammate Pulcini and then Russell as the chequered flag dropped, and the session was over.

Behind the top 3 Ticktum just missed out again for P4, but finished ahead of Maini, Nirei Fukuzumi, Boccolacci (who lost time in sector 2 and missed his chance to shine), Raoul Hyman, Anthoine Hubert and Alessio Lorandi were among the 12 drivers within a second of the top spot, all of whom will be looking to unleash their speed in tomorrow’s Race 1.

source: gp3series.com

Niko Kari has laid down a marker for his rivals for the final round of the 2017 season by claiming the top spot on his final lap of the Yas Marina Circuit in this morning’s free practice session, biding his time before claiming the honours when his rivals had no chance to usurp him for a laptime that was less than a tenth faster than Dorian Boccolacci and Nirei Fukuzumi.

The Finn’s best time of 1:55.796 after the chequered flag had dropped was the quickest of a string of fast laps that came in the final minutes of a session which saw times tumbling throughout but was otherwise quiet, with no major off-track drama given the short gap before this afternoon’s qualifying session.

The track opened to warm and sunny conditions, with a number of drivers spending time on the top of the timesheets: Fukuzumi was the first person under the 2 minute mark with Kari, GoLeonardo Pulcini swapping P1 between them until Boccolacci grabbed the top spot just before the 20 minute mark and held on until late into the session as everyone worked on their race simulations.

With 5 minutes remaining everyone turned up the wick once more: Anthoine Hubert picked up the pace ahead of a string of drivers swapping the top spot between them, with Giuliano Alesi, Kevin Joerg, George Russell, Kari and Fukuzumi rotating through before Boccolacci reclaimed P1 with 2 minutes remaining.

Ticktum went purple in sector 1, soon overtaken by Boccolacci, and it looked like the Frenchman had done enough as he slowed in the 2^nd sector only to hear that Kari had claimed P1, leaving him no time to improve as he rolled to the flag.

Behind the top 3 Ticktum, Russell, Hubert, Raoul Hyman, Pulcini and Arjun Maini were among the 14 drivers within a second of the top spot, promising fireworks in this afternoon’s qualifying session in just a few hours’ time.

source: gp3series.com

GP3 Series organisers confirm that MP Motorsport have found an agreement to takeover DAMS’ entry.

This will be effective at the end of the 2017 season with the new Dutch team running for the first time in the Series during the post-season tests which will take place at Yas Marina Circuit from 30^th of November to 2^nd of December.

MP Motorsport who currently also take part in the FIA Formula 2 Championship will compete in the 2018 GP3 Series season taking over DAMS’ entry.

GP3 Series CEO Bruno Michel said: “I am very pleased to welcome MP Motorsport to the GP3 Series. I am confident they will be able to adapt quickly to the category. They are a great addition to the grid.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jean-Paul Driot and his team for their dedication for the past two seasons in GP3.”

MP Motorsport team manager Sander Dorsman said: "Moving into GP3 Series for 2018 is a very exciting development for MP Motorsport and perfectly complements our existing programmes. We are delighted we’ll be on the grid next year.”

“We're obviously taking over the entry left by DAMS and we would like to thank them for their great help and wish everyone there the very best for the future.”

DAMS team owner Jean-Paul Driot commented: “The expansion of FIA Formula E means that we need to concentrate more on this programme in the future."

"With manufacturer involvement growing, Formula E requires additional resources and the need for DAMS to strengthen its workforce."

"We have therefore decided to stop our GP3 Series operations at the end of the 2017 season. We are very happy to hand over the entry to MP Motorsport and wish them a lot of success in the category."

"I would like to thank Bruno Michel and the entire GP3 organisation for the close and positive collaboration we had together during these two seasons.”

Niko Kari has been handed a 10 second time penalty following this morning’s Race 2 at the Circuito de Jerez, when the race stewards judged the Finn to have rejoined the circuit unsafely and caused a collision with Dan Ticktum: as a result Anthoine Hubert has been promoted to P3 and the final podium position.

On lap 13 Ticktum pushed to get past Kari, with Hubert right behind the Red Bull junior pair: the trio ran side by side into turn 4 with the Briton and the Finn coming together and Ticktum being pushed into the gravel and retirement, prompting a safety car period to remove the stricken car.

With the race running live on the final lap, the time gaps at the flag were minor: as such Kari is now classified in P19, with Hubert claiming the podium ahead of 2017 GP3 Series champion George Russell in P4 followed by ART Grand Prix teammates Nirei Fukuzumi and Jack Aitken, with Giuliano Alesi in 7^thand Tatiana Calderon promoted to P8 for the final point of the race.