DAMS have completed their 2019 line-up with the signing of Sérgio Sette Câmara.

The McLaren F1 test and development driver will race alongside Nicholas Latifi.

Last season, the 20-year-old Brazilian ace scored eight podium finishes, a pole position in Hungary, and he finished sixth in the championship, despite having to sit out the Monaco round following an injury.

Sette Câmara is also a proven winner in Formula 2, after taking victory in his debut campaign at Spa-Francorchamps in 2017.

He tested with DAMS at the post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit where he impressed the team.

Jean-Paul Driot said: “We are delighted to have such a strong team for the 2019 FIA Formula 2 season. We are excited for Sergio to come on board with us. We have followed him for several years and in 2018 he demonstrated his impressive speed with a lot of podium finishes."

"The goal is to fight for both championships, and Sergio should be in the battle for victories at every race. We hope to give him the best opportunity to showcase his skills next year, and earn an F1 drive in the near future.”

Sergio Sette Camara added: “I’m really glad to join DAMS for 2019. The team is extremely well prepared, which I’ve seen first-hand when I went to the workshop and during the Abu Dhabi test. Through my career DAMS has always been a reference in Formula 2 and GP2 before that."

"It has had plenty of success across the various series it has competed in. I already know many of the squad members, especially the F2 department who made me feel really comfortable. It’s very satisfying when you go to a team and feel so welcome. I am looking forward to 2019, and believe we will have an excellent season.”

The FIA Formula 2 confirmed that the 2019 calendar will once again comprise 12 rounds in total, all support events of the Formul 1 World Championship.

Just like in 2018, eight rounds will be held in Europe, and there will be four flyaway events to complete the calendar.

The third season of the FIA F2 Championship will open overseas at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 29-31, before moving to Baku a month later on April 26-28. The paddock will go to Europe next, stopping first at Barcelona on May 10-12 and then at Monte Carlo two weeks later on May 23-25.

The month of June will hold two back-to-back events: Le Castellet on the 21-23 and Spielberg on the 28-30. The action will resume in Silverstone on July 12-14, followed by Budapest on August 02-04. After a three-week break, the paddock will gather at Spa-Francorchamps on August 30 – September 01 before going to Monza a week later on September 06-08.

The final two rounds of the season will be flyaway events starting with Sochi on September 27-29 and concluding with Yas marina on November 29 – December 01.

FIA Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel said: “I am very pleased to confirm that once again all twelve rounds of the 2019 FIA F2 calendar will take place alongside Formula One weekends. It is worth noting that we could have raced on more circuits willing to have F2, but for obvious cost reasons we have decided to limit the number of rounds to twelve.

“This calendar is a good balance between eight rounds held in Europe and four events overseas. It is the same calendar as the current season’s which has provided us with great racing and a gripping fight for the title.

“The fact that all rounds take place during a Formula One Grand Prix weekend is a wonderful opportunity for our drivers to race in front of the F1 teams, but also to learn the F1 tracks, to learn how to work quickly and efficiently with limited track time, and to prove their worth overall. The path towards Formula 1 has never been clearer now that Formula 2 and Formula 3 are part of the F1 weekend entertainment.”

2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship Calendar 

source: fiaformula2.com

Mick Schumacher was taken aback by the performance of the Formula 2 cars as he completed his first test day in Abu Dhabi.

After claiming the European F3 championship with eight wins to his name this year, the son of seven-time world champion Michael confirmed he would take the next logical step up the motorsport ladder this week.

Then, on Thursday at Yas Marina, Schumacher got the first taste of the machine he'll be driving in 2019.

"Incredible, I was very excited!" he told Motorsport-Magazin.com of the experience.

Later on Twitter, Mick added: "The performance and weight are the biggest differences compared to a Formula 3 car, and it's amazing how much faster you can go in a straight line.

"We only did aerodynamic tests because we are trying to improve the car, but I would like to do even a few extra fast laps on the limit."

Also Read:

• Prost: Formula 2 move will reveal 'how good Schumacher is'
• Sainz says Schumacher name alone won't get Mick into F1

The 19-year-old also spoke about the decision to remain at Prema in F2, rather than try to push for an immediate jump into F1.

"I feel ready for the task and it was logical to stay with the Prema also in this category," he said.

"We'll see about the rest in the future. We'll take it one step at a time. There's no hurry."