GP3

The opening round of the GP3 Series, scheduled for the second weekend of May at Montmelò in conjunction with the Spanish Grand Prix, is getting closer and closer, and Team Trident announced the final addition to the 2018 driver roster.

The Italian team, headed by Maurizio Salvadori, announced that nineteen-year-old Brazilian Pedro Piquet will drive one of their four GP3 Series racecars this season.
 
The South American driver will wear the Trident colors for his first year in the series after posting excellent results at his debut in the collective test held last November at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

Then, he continued to show a remarkable level of performance in  2018 preseason testing. Piquet finished 2017 with a good sixth place in the challenging Macau Grand Prix of Formula 3, a category in which he won the Brazilian title in 2015.

Born in Brasilia, Piquet started racing go-karts at the age of eight with the guidance of his father Nelson, a three-time Formula 1 World Champion.

 
Maurizio Salvadori - Team Principal and Team Owner: "It is with great satisfaction that we announce the agreement signed with Pedro Piquet, a highly-talented driver who will certainly impress and aim for some prestigious results in our team's colors. I am sure that, within Team Trident, Pedro will find the right chemistry to show his full potential".
 
Pedro Piquet: "I am very enthusiastic about my first GP3 Series season under the Team Trident banner. It is a winning squad that, year after year, confirmed its position among the series' frontrunners. I am sure I will find everything I will need to be a contender even in my debut season in the series".

Italian Pulcini battled it out for the top spot both days. Campos Racing delivered a strong performance as Laaksonen and Menchaca also showed competitive form

Campos Racing conducted a positive two-day collective testing of GP3 Series at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Leonardo Pulcini, Simo Laaksonen and Diego Menchaca completed more than 300 laps with their Campos Racing-run Dallara GP3/16.

On Wednesday, after a morning with rain and sometimes snow, Pulcini posted a best lap of 1:49.599 to finish 4th on the timesheets. Laaksonen and Menchaca, they both making their debut in the series this season, clocked lap times of 1:50.653 and 1:51.888 respectively.

Today grip conditions improved and consequently times also dropped with morning session being faster. Pulcini ended 3rd fastest with a lap of 1:49.051, despite some traffic, and Laaksonen took 8th spot with a time of 1:49.643. Menchaca also impressed in the afternoon with his quick adaptation to finish 9th.

The second collective testing will be carried out in Jerez de la Frontera on 14-15 March.

Anthoine Hubert set an overall fastest time in the first 2018 GP3 test in the morning of the second day in a 1:48.674, as ART Grand Prix teammate Callum Ilott topped a truncated afternoon session at Le Castellet, France with a 1:49.144.

Although overcast, dry weather conditions meant that the teams could start their morning running immediately on slick Pirelli tyres. Trident was the first team to hit the track, sending out all four cars as soon as the light went green – Ryan Tveter leading the quartet onto the circuit.

The ART trio of Nikita Mazepin, Ilott and Hubert immediately set about trading best times, but after the first half an hour of running, Trident’s Alessio Lorandi sat atop the standings.

It wasn’t long until the front-running cars were lapping faster than yesterday, with Mazepin the first driver to beat the fastest Wednesday time set by Jake Hughes. Hubert was quick to displace his teammate at the top, leading the way after the first hour.

There was something of a lull approaching the midpoint of the session, but Ilott got the ball rolling once more midway through the morning’s running to break into the 1m48s bracket, holding top spot for almost an hour.

With 40 minutes of the session remaining, Hubert once more returned to head the timesheets with under a tenth in hand over Ilott. The Frenchman remained unchallenged throughout the rest of the morning, once more going into the break on top of the standings.

Ilott remained in second place, and Leonardo Pulcini (Campos Racing) broke ART’s stranglehold on the top three with a late 1:49.051 lap. Mazepin was fourth best ahead of Tatiana Calderon (Jenzer Motorsport), while yesterday’s fastest runner Hughes was sixth best ahead of Lorandi.

Simo Laaksonen (Campos) was eighth ahead of MP Motorsport’s Dorian Boccolacci, while Pedro Piquet (Trident) rounded out the top 10 having completed a session high of 54 laps.

In opening 30 minutes of the afternoon session, Ilott was the first to exit the garage and followed out of the pits by Hubert. Jenzer pairing Calderon and Juan Manuel Correa were next to hit the circuit, while Boccolacci leaped to the top of the timing board. Piquet briefly led the session, before Calderon was the first of the pack to dip below the 1:50s mark in the afternoon.

Focus was once more on the longer runs across the afternoon, although newcomer David Beckmann (Jenzer) found half a tenth over teammate Calderon to lead the session at the halfway point.

ART were able to hit back, which allowed Ilott and Hubert to trade fastest laps before the conditions worsened. With an hour of the session left, a smattering of drizzle relegated most of the teams back into the pits, with Ilott ending the afternoon’s dry running with the best time after the break.

The rain briefly worsened, with new team MP Motorsport using the opportunity to send Boccolacci, Niko Kari and Leonard Hoogenboom out for some wet running. The majority of drivers followed suit, but Ilott’s time was left untouched for the final hour. Hubert’s time of 1:49.193 was enough for second, as Calderon, Piquet and Hughes completed the top five. Beckmann was sixth ahead of Tveter, as Mazepin, Diego Menchaca (Campos) and Lorandi finished inside the top 10.

This concluded the opening pre-season tests of the 2018 season. The GP3 paddock will gather next at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain on March 14-15.

Day 2 morning session times

Day 2 afternoon session times

source: gp3series.com

Anthoine Hubert opened the second day of GP3 Series testing at Le Castellet, France with the fastest lap of the morning session, setting a 1:48.674 to wrest top spot from ART Grand Prix teammate Callum Ilott.

Although overcast, dry weather conditions meant that the teams could start their running immediately on slick Pirelli tyres. Trident was the first team to hit the track, sending out all four cars as soon as the light went green – Ryan Tveter leading the quartet onto the circuit.

The ART trio of Nikita Mazepin, Ilott and Hubert immediately set about trading best times, but after the first half an hour of running, Trident’s Alessio Lorandi sat atop the standings.

It wasn’t long until the front-running cars were lapping faster than yesterday, with Mazepin the first driver to beat the fastest Wednesday time set by Jake Hughes. Hubert was quick to displace his teammate at the top, leading the way after the first hour.

There was something of a lull approaching the midpoint of the session, with teams prioritising longer runs and data assessment rather than chasing outright laptimes. Ilott got the ball rolling once more midway through the morning’s running to break into the 1m48s bracket, holding top spot for almost an hour.

With 40 minutes of the session remaining, Hubert once more returned to head the timesheets with under a tenth in hand over Ilott. The Frenchman remained unchallenged throughout the rest of the morning, once more going into the break on top of the standings.

Ilott remained in second place, and Leonardo Pulcini (Campos Racing) broke ART’s stranglehold on the top three with a late 1:49.051 lap. Mazepin was fourth best ahead of Tatiana Calderon (Jenzer Motorsport), while yesterday’s fastest runner Hughes was sixth best ahead of Lorandi.

Simo Laaksonen (Campos) was eighth ahead of MP Motorsport’s Dorian Boccolacci, while Pedro Piquet rounded out the top 10 having completed a session high of 54 laps.

source: gp3series.com

Jake Hughes was fastest overall in the first GP3 test session of 2018, setting a best lap of 1:49.456 to beat ART Grand Prix teammate Nikita Mazepin and Niko Kari of MP Motorsport to the top of the timesheets.

The day was greeted with a mixture of early snowfall and drizzle, and the teams spent the first hour of the session completing their customary installation laps in the wet. New team MP Motorsport were quickest out of the blocks, as Kari took to the circuit first and was shortly followed out by team-mates Dorian Boccolacci and Leonard Hoogenboom.

Following the flurry of activity in the opening hour, the teams waited for warmer conditions at the Circuit Paul Ricard before returning to the track for their first flying runs, Juan Manuel Correa of Jenzer Motorsport eventually breaking the stalemate after half an hour.

As the sun came out, the times quickly began to tumble. With 15 minutes left on the clock, Trident’s Alessio Lorandi broke into the 2:00s before Hubert eclipsed the field with the first laptime below the two minute mark, ending the morning on top of the timesheets. At the end of the morning session, Lorandi and Alesi were second and third, followed by Trident stablemate Pedro Piquet.

Mazepin went into the break fifth fastest, ahead of Tatiana Calderon (Jenzer) and Hughes, while Boccolacci, Leonardo Pulcini (Campos Racing) and Joey Mawson (Arden International) completed the initial top 10.

With the afternoon’s track conditions much clearer compared to the morning’s running, the drivers were lapping far quicker than they had managed earlier in the day.

The circuit was buzzing with activity in the opening 30 minutes – Jenzer’s David Beckmann first to break ground – as all the teams sought to maximise their time on-track. Hubert immediately picked up from where he left off in the morning to set the early pace, heading fellow ART teammates Mazepin, Callum Ilott and Hughes after half an hour.

Newcomer Mawson leapfrogged the ARTs at the hour mark, becoming the first driver to drop into the 1m50s laptimes, before Hubert once again returned to the top of the timesheets half-way through the session.

The circuit was quiet at the midpoint of the session as the teams geared up for the final hour of the session. A number of drivers traded fastest times, with Boccolacci first to set a lap in the 1m49s bracket before being displaced by Hubert and Pulcini.

Hughes then surged to the top of the standings with 15 minutes remaining, jumping ahead of teammate Mazepin, and remained unchallenged for the rest of the session. Kari beat Pulcini to third fastest, while Hubert dropped to fifth overall.

Boccolacci was sixth fastest, ahead of Gabriel Aubry (Arden), while Trident trio Lorandi, Ryan Tveter and Piquet completed the top 10.

Day 1 Morning Results

Day 1 Afternoon Results

Campos Racing announced a new addition to the GP3 Series driver line-up for 2018 as Diego Menchaca will race under the banner of the Alzira-based team. Menchaca (20 October 1994, Mexico City) will make his debut in the Formula 1 support package to further strengthen his established career.

Menchaca’s racing career began in his native country before moving to Europe. After two seasons in England contesting the Formula Renault and the BRDC Formula 4 series, he graduated to the Euroformula F3 Open with Campos Racing. Menchaca came home with five podiums during this period in Formula 3. Finally, the new Campos Racing signing took part in the World Series Formula V8 3.5 also securing podium results in the championship.

Diego Menchaca: “I’m very happy to be back with Campos Racing, in such a competitive environment as GP3 is. My relationship with the team has been built over the past four years, so basically they’re my family.”

“We evaluated many different scenarios for the 2018 season which included Japan and also the USA, but in the end together with Escuderia Telmex and my backers we decided that what Adrián offered was the best program available for me this year. I know the team went through a couple of difficult seasons, but after being at the workshop over the past week it’s very clear to me that the potential for good results is there, I can’t wait for testing to begin.”

“I’d like to thank my backers; Unifin, Escuderia Telmex, Interproteccion, Betroom & TMA for their continuous support. And of course to Adrian Campos and his organisation for the opportunity they’re giving me.”

Adrián Campos: “We are proud to announce that Diego is making his comeback to our racing family at Campos Racing. For sure, he is making a step forward in his racing career and both parties have high expectations for the season ahead. Diego perfectly knows how Campos Racing works and we now have a strong trio of drivers to fight for ambitious goals in the 2018 GP3 Series. For our part, Diego will have our professionalism and commitment to meet his targets and achieve brilliant results together.”

Diego Menchaca will carry out their first testing of the year with Leonardo Pulcini and Simo Laaksonen at Paul Ricard on February 21-22.

Campos Racing announced a new addition to the GP3 Series driver line-up for 2018 as Diego Menchaca will race under the banner of the Alzira-based team.

Menchaca (20 October 1994, Mexico City) will make his debut in the Formula 1 support package to further strengthen his established career.

Menchaca’s racing career began in his native country before moving to Europe. After two seasons in England contesting the Formula Renault and the BRDC Formula 4 series, he graduated to the Euroformula F3 Open with Campos Racing. Menchaca came home with five podiums during this period in Formula 3. Finally, the new Campos Racing signing took part in the World Series Formula V8 3.5 also securing podium results in the championship.

Diego Menchaca: “I’m very happy to be back with Campos Racing, in such a competitive environment as GP3 is. My relationship with the team has been built over the past four years, so basically they’re my family.”

“We evaluated many different scenarios for the 2018 season which included Japan and also the USA, but in the end together with Escuderia Telmex and my backers we decided that what Adrián offered was the best program available for me this year. I know the team went through a couple of difficult seasons, but after being at the workshop over the past week it’s very clear to me that the potential for good results is there, I can’t wait for testing to begin.”

“I’d like to thank my backers; Unifin, Escuderia Telmex, Interproteccion, Betroom & TMA for their continuous support. And of course to Adrian Campos and his organisation for the opportunity they’re giving me.”

Adrián Campos: “We are proud to announce that Diego is making his comeback to our racing family at Campos Racing. For sure, he is making a step forward in his racing career and both parties have high expectations for the season ahead. Diego perfectly knows how Campos Racing works and we now have a strong trio of drivers to fight for ambitious goals in the 2018 GP3 Series. For our part, Diego will have our professionalism and commitment to meet his targets and achieve brilliant results together.”

Diego Menchaca will carry out their first testing of the year with Leonardo Pulcini and Simo Laaksonen at Paul Ricard on February 21-22.

Team Trident announced that 19-year-old Italian racer Alessio Lorandi will be part of their four-car line-up for the 2018 GP3 Series.

Born in Salò, near Brescia, Lorandi will be representing the Italian squad for the upcoming season after lining up with Trident in the collective test held last November at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.
 
The Italian teenager will be entering his second full season in the series after securing one win and seventh place overall in points in 2017.

He also ended up as the leading Italian in the series. Lorandi, who will represent the ACI Team Italia project together with Team Trident, has a remarkable experience in single seaters which also includes two seasons in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. In 2016, he cruised to win the prestigious Pau Grand Prix, one of the most renowned races in F3 competition.
 
Throughout the years, Lorandi showcased amazing potential and established himself as one of the most promising Italian talents since his karting days.

Giacomo Ricci – Team Manager: “We are extremely satisfied to announce the deal with Alessio Lorandi. He will surely be able to continue the great tradition in terms of results scored by Italian drivers under our banner. "

"Alessio impressed our technical staff in testing and I'm sure that we have everything we need to aim for some excellent results together. Alessio will make our driver roster even more competitive."

Alessio Lorandi: "Being at my second GP3 Series season, there is only one possible goal, fighting for the title. I think that Team Trident has the staff and work ethics needed to accomplish the feature. "

"In addition, my quick and experienced team-mates will motivate me to push even harder. Last but not least, for the first time in my career I will race with an Italian team and I'm determined to reward everybody at Team Trident for their trust and support with some outstanding results".

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.