Fresh off the back of his GP3 campaign, Leonardo Pulcini will join Hitech GP in the 2019 FIA F3 Championship, set to get underway at Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona on 10-12 May.
The 20-year-old Italian will join the race-winning team in the 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship in what is set to be a thrilling season, featuring eight rounds as a support category for Formula One.
Finishing third in last year’s FIA F3 European Championship, Hitech GP will field the 2019 FIA F3 Championship in brand-new machinery based on the GP3 car following a merge between the FIA European F3 Championship and GP3 Series, with the aim to simplify the junior single-seater ladder. Features include a 3.4-litre Mecachrome engine and six-speed Hewland gearbox, alongside DRS and halo.
Pulcini joins the Silverstone-based team with a wealth of experience behind the wheel. Debuting in single-seaters in 2014, he contested the inaugural Italian F4 Championship finishing fourth in the standings. Stepping up to the Euroformula Open Championship in 2014, Pulcini scored his maiden victory in his first race at the Red Bull Ring and finished ninth in the standings. He also partook in the first round of the 2015 Auto GP Series.
Continuing his winning streak, Pulcini clinched title honours in the 2016 European Open Championship, securing seven race wins, three pole positions and eight fastest laps. In 2017, Pulcini made his debut in the GP3 Series, finishing fourteenth and fourth the following year, securing two race wins.
Leonardo Pulcini commented on the signing with Hitech GP for the 2019 FIA F3 season: “I am very happy to announce that I’ll be racing for Hitech GP in the FIA Formula 3 this year.”
“I have a lot of confidence in the team and I cannot wait to start the season! Given the past results, I’m sure that we have the potential to achieve great results together. I’ve seen the team working and I was impressed by the very professional approach and work method. That’s exactly what I need as the coming season will be crucial for me.
Hitech GP’s Team Principal, Oliver Oakes, added: “We are delighted for Pulcini to join us in our FIA F3 campaign this year. The professionalism and talent he has demonstrated last season in GP3 proves that he is a great fit for our team as we enter the new era of Formula 3 together. We look forward to the challenge of fighting for the FIA F3 title with him this year.”