Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

Matevos Isaakyan will race for Sauber Junior Team by Charouz in the remaining Formula 2 rounds of 2019, standing in for the injured Juan Manuel Correa at Sochi and Abu Dhabi.

The SMP Racing-backed Russian last raced single-seaters in 2017, when he finished second to Pietro Fittipaldi in World Series Formula V8 3.5. Previously, the 21-year-old had raced in GP3, Formula Renault Eurocup and Toyota Racing Series.

In 2017, Isaakyan joined SMP Racing’s sportcar programme and raced in the World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series. He was replaced by former Formula 1 driver Sergey Sirotkin in the team’s line-up this year.

?I?m excited to drive in the Formula 2 championship, especially in my home grand prix,? said Isaakyan.

?This is quite an unexpected development in my season, but I?m very thankful for this opportunity and happy to join the team. It won?t be an easy job as I?ll be jumping straight in the car for Sochi practice.

“The biggest thing will be understanding the tyres ? that will be the main focus for me as it was when I did GP3.

?But I don?t think it will be an impossible task to try and get into the top 10 and score some points.?

Isaakyan joins the F2 grid in place of Alfa Romeo Junior Correa, who remains in intensive care with leg injuries and breathing complications after being involved in the crash that claimed Anthoine Hubert?s life at Spa-Francorchamps.

?We?re pleased to welcome Matevos to the team for his home F2 race in Russia and also the final round in Abu Dhabi,? said team owner Antonin Charouz.

?He has a proven pedigree in single seater racing and we?re excited to see him join the F2 grid. It?s always a difficult situation when one driver standings in for another, but we?re ready to do our best and to finish the season positively.?

The post Matevos Isaakyan joins Sauber Junior Team for rest of F2 season appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

In 1998, Marc Gene beat Angel Burgueno to win the first ever World Series by Nissan title. Twenty years and multiple name changes later, third generation racer Pietro Fittipaldi became the final driver to take the very same title.

World Series Formula V8 3.5, a series which was struggling to attract entries since Renault cut its support ahead of 2016, came to an end last November. Fittipaldi beat just nine other full-time drivers to take the title, and did so by 44 points from Matevos Isaakyan, who like many others, is set for a career in sportscar racing.

Even in its final year, the championship gave a platform for some of the stars of the future, with some standout performances over the course of the year.

With their FV8 3.5 programmes having ended, several of the teams will be moving on to new categories in this year.

Charouz Racing System, which has ran as Lotus since 2012 and won last year?s team title, will move to FIA Formula 2, and will be joined by Fortec Motorsports.

The Italian RP Motorsport has set up a team in America, with the intention of competing in Pro Mazda.

Pietro Fittipaldi?BRAZIL Lotus
1st in standings, 259 points (6 wins, 10 poles, 2 fastest laps)

Photo: Sebastiaan Rozendaal/Dutch Photo Agency

Having ended 2016 with his first outright podium in the series, Pietro Fittipaldi switched to Lotus for his second season and was aiming for a little more than a few more podiums.

The Brazilian made his intentions clear immediately at Silverstone, taking two pole positions and two victories. It was a dominant start to the season, but not quite a sign of what was to come.

Poor race starts cost the Lotus driver on multiple occasions early on and he lost the championship lead fairly quickly. Things picked up in the middle third of the season, including reclaiming the championship lead, but Fittipaldi still struggled to find consistency and a title that could have been wrapped up much earlier dragged on to the final weekend.

One of the most notable mistakes came in the penultimate round of the championship. Fittipaldi locked up and ran into the barriers on the opening lap of the second race at COTA. It gave the opposition a chance to close the gap to the top of the standings, but a pair of second places in Bahrain meant it was Fittipaldi, grandson of motorsport legend Emerson, who won the title.

Fittipaldi’s primary aim for this year is to race in F2, although he is in contention for the remaining Dale Coyne Racing IndyCar seat, and recently tested Jaguar’s Formula E car in Marrakesh. His prize test in Porsche’s Le Mans prototype racer may also encourage him to make the switch to sportcars in the future though.

Matevos Isaakyan RUSSIA SMP Racing with AVF
2nd in standings, 215 points (2 wins, 1 pole, 4 fastest laps)

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

After a relatively consistent season, it’s fair to say a few mechanical problems cost Matevos Isaakyan the title in his second year in the championship.

It was a bumpy start for the Russian, who was caught up in a collision with Nelson Mason in the second race at Silverstone and retired on the opening lap of the first race at Spa-Francorchamps.

But Isaakyan bounced back in race two in Belgium, when a late pit stop promoted him into the race lead and he finished three seconds ahead of the next best driver.

From that point onwards, Isaakyan was a regular podium finisher, taking seven podiums from the next 10 races. The string of top results put him in prime position to take advantage of Fittipaldi?s retirement from the second race in Austin, but he could only finish sixth.

He arrived in Bahrain just 10 points behind Fittipaldi, but any chance at the title was wiped out when he suffered engine problems on the way to the grid. He returned to the pits and, though he did manage to get back out, it was too late to rescue his title hopes.

Egor Orudzhev RUSSIA SMP Racing with AVF
6th in standings, 198 points (2 wins, 1 pole, 1 fastest lap)

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

A second win of the season at the Circuit of the Americas should have put Egor Orudzhev in a strong position to take the title heading into the final weekend. But an illness denied him a chance to compete and dropped him down the standings.

Orudzhev is one of the all-time stars of FV8 3.5, and had the best podium record of anyone this season. The SMP Racing driver may not have won in the opening race weekend at Silverstone, but started his season strongly with a pair of second places. A storming drive from 10th to third in the opening race in Spa followed, but it wasn?t until the first race at Aragon, the fifth round of the season, that the Russian finally secured his first win of the year.

As impressive as his strong finishes were, Orudzhev?s season wasn?t without faults. All four of the Russian?s retirements were caused by collisions, including a double DNF in Mexico, and he simply didn’t win enough in 2017 to win the title.

His nine career wins put him only behind double champion Frank Montagny, Ricardo Zonta and Oliver Rowland in the all-time list, but this may be the end of his single-seater career as SMP line him up for a future in endurance racing.

Alex Palou SPAIN Teo Martin Motorsport
10th in standings, 68 points (1 win, 3 pole positions, 1 fastest lap)

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

Teo Martin Motorsport?s Alex Palou only competed in a handful of FV8 3.5 races, but instantly made an impact ? not least of all by colliding with Fittipaldi on his debut.

Palou joined the championship at the Nurburgring and, other than the opening lap collision, impressed on his debut. He qualified second for the first race of the weekend and took pole for race two, which he managed to convert into a race win.

He took another podium in the following race in Mexico, but was wiped out of the second race there when he was hit by Isaakyan.

His third podium came from his final race, putting him ahead of Nelson Mason in the standings ? the man he was drafted in to replace at Teo Martin.

As a member of Campos Racing’s Academy, there are plans for him to eventually race in their F2 team full-time after he made his debut at the end of 2017. He will be spending this year in FIA European Formula 3 though, having signed to partner Enaam Ahmed at Hitech GP.

Alfonso Celis Jr MEXICO Fortec Motorsport
3rd in standings, 204 points (1 win, 1 pole, 2 fastest laps)

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

Alfonso Celis Jr made a strong start to his third season in FV8 3.5, but his results began to fall away in the second half of the season.

Celis started the year with his second career podium, followed by his maiden single-seater victory at Spa. Another podium in race two and Celis was leading the championship, albeit only by a single point.

A spin in the second race at Monza marked the end of his championship lead and a difficult weekend at Jerez dropped him further back.

Celis?s results picked up again at Argon, but it was a rocky second half of the year which cost him a realistic shot at the title, and potentially contributed to the loss of his Force India reserve driver role for 2018.

Rene Binder AUSTRIA Lotus
4th in standings, 201 points (4 wins, 2 poles, 2 fastest laps)

Photo: Sebastiaan Rozendaal/Dutch Photo Agency

Rene Binder won the final ever FV8 3.5 race, securing fourth in the championship and a reassessment by many in the process.

It was a mixed, but much improved season for the Lotus driver. There were moments where the Austrian outshone his championship winning team-mate, including taking a double victory in Monza. But he spent most of the year in the second half of the top 10.

In three seasons of GP2 he finished in the points seven times, and his five podiums with Lotus in FV8 3.5 in 2017 came as a surprise.

After two solid performances at the beginning of last year at Silverstone and Spa, Binder?s Monza success put him in the lead of the championship. But he couldn?t stay at the top for long, with a string of midfield finishes dropping him back down the standings.

The final four races of the year summed up much of Binder?s season. He took victories from the opening race in Austin, and the season finale in Bahrain, but a mechanical problem and a puncture kept him at the bottom of the top 10 in the two middle races and cost him what could’ve been second in the standings.

His only confirmed drive for this year is a part-time IndyCar seat with Juncos Racing, which will encompass the season opener at St. Petersburg as well as Barber Motorsports Park, Toronto and Mid-Ohio.

Roy Nissany ISREAL RP Motorsport
5th in standings, 201 points (1 win, 2 poles, 1 fastest lap)

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

After a breakout 2016, in which he won three times, Roy Nissany was one to watch at the start of 2017.

Despite retiring from the opening race of the season on the first lap, the RP Motorsport driver took five podiums from the first nine races and was a regular top five finisher. He took his first ? and only ? win of the season after a strong race in the Jerez opener, putting up an impressive defence against Fittipaldi to take the victory.

But the strong results fell away in the second half of the season and, despite a return to the podium in Bahrain, he couldn?t deliver the top championship position his early results promised.

Konstantin Tereshchenko RUSSIA Teo Martin Motorsport/SMP Racing with AVF
8th in standings, 94 points

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

As the best placed rookie, Konstantin Tereschenko produced a solid debut, and therefore only season in the championship, and showed clear growth as a driver as the season progressed.

Tereschenko spent the majority of his time in the bottom half of the top 10, but enjoyed some standout performances in the latter part of the year.

He looked set for his maiden podium at the Nurburgring, taking the chequered flag second behind Teo Martin team-mate Alex Palou after a strong drive, but the Russian was handed a 10 second penalty for crossing the pit exit line, dropping him to fourth. Another fourth place followed in the Mexico opener before finally taking that first podium with a third place in race two.

Tereschenko arrived in Bahrain ready to challenge Yu Kanamaru for seventh in the championship, buoyed by a move to the championship winning AVF team to replace ill SMP Racing stablemate Orudzhev. It was not to be, as a seventh and a spin put him more than 20 points behind the Japanese driver.

Yu Kanamaru JAPAN RP Motorsport
7th in standings, 115 points (0 wins, 1 fastest lap)

Photo: Diederik van der Laan/Dutch Photo Agency

2017 was Kanamaru’s best season yet in FV8 3.5, and his seventh place in the standings came off the back of his seven seventh place finishes.

Other than a mechanical problem in the second race at Silverstone and a retirement in the first Monza race, Kanamaru also finished in the points in every race.

Though the majority of his results were in the bottom half of the top 10, mostly seventh, he produced some stunning drives to put his RP Motorsport car at the sharp end of the field, including his maiden podium in Monza race two. After a safety car period, he jumped past Fittipaldi and Konstantin Tereschenko to take third and held off attacks from both drivers to hold the position to the chequered flag.

He drove for Team Impul in the post-season Super Formula tests, and hopes to one day race in the category.

Diego Menchaca MEXICO Fortec Motorsport
9th in standings, 64 points

Photo: Klaas Norg/Dutch Photo Agency

Menchaca was a consistent top 10 finisher, and the best finisher, in his first season in FV8 3.5.

He took points from every race, bar the second at Monza, where he stalled on the grid and failed to start. But the Fortec driver struggled to break into the top five and didn?t see the improvement some of his competitors managed towards the end of the season.

The second round of the championship in Spa proved Menchaca?s promise. The Mexican took fourth in the opening race after battling with multiple drivers, then managed fifth in race two. But the results didn?t continue through the rest of the season, and he didn?t return to the top half of the points positions until Mexico City late in the championship.

He then took his maiden podium in the series at COTA after battling past Isaakyan, but failed to repeat that result in Bahrain after receiving a drive-through penalty.

Menchaca’s finishing record was something to marvel at, seeing the chequered flag in all 17 of the races that he started. He had intended to continue that finishing run, having already signed to continue in the championship for this year.

The Rest

Nelson Mason and Damiano Fioravanti only completed part seasons. Mason dropped out of the series after Aragon, having taken just one top five finish from 10 races, while Fioravanti continued until after the Nurburgring round with a best finish of sixth.

Henrique Chaves and Tatiana Calderon both appeared on the podium, despite only joining the championship in its final round. Formula Renault Eurocup midfielder Chaves took victory in the first race, having started from the front row of the grid, with Sauber development driver Calderon taking second in the final race, and becoming the first and last female to stand on the FV8 3.5 podium.

52-year-old Giuseppe Cipriani continued for a second season in FV8 3.5, and finished with more than three times as many points as he did in 2016. The Il Barone Rampante driver rarely finished higher than 10th, although did finish a remarkable sixth in the second race in Mexico, and predictably ended the year bottom of the standings.

The post World Series Formula V8 3.5 2017 season review appeared first on Formula Scout.

Matevos Isaakyan took pole position for the first Formula V8 3.5 race in Bahrain, with title rival Pietro Fittipaldi set to start the penultimate race of the season in fourth.

SMP Racing by AVF driver Isaakyan, who arrives in Bahrain 10 points behind Fittipaldi in the standings, claimed his first pole of the season with a 1m44.727s lap around the Bahrain International Circuit.

The last-minute lap put him a tenth of a second clear of Lotus driver Fittipaldi, who was second when the chequered flag fell.

Championship leader Fittipaldi, who had been top of the times for most of the session, had his best time deleted due to a track limits infringement. His second best time of the session puts him fourth on the grid, starting alongside team-mate Rene Binder.

FV8 3.5 debutant and AVF driver Henrique Chaves was therefore promoted to the front row of the grid, with a time just 0.172s slower than Isaakyan?s pole lap.

RP Motorsport duo Tatiana Calderon and Yu Kanamaru occupy the third row of the grid, with newcomer Calderon beating her team-mate by 0.2s.

Konstantin Tereschenko, standing in at SMP Racing for the ill Egor Orudzhev, took seventh, ahead of Diego Menchaca, another to have their fastest time deleted, Alfonso Celis and Roy Nissany.

Qualifying 1 Results
1 Matevos Isaakyan SMP Racing by AVF 1m44.727s
2 Henrique Chaves AVF +0.172s
3 Rene Binder Lotus +0.387s
4 Pietro Fittipaldi Lotus +0.444s
5 Tatiana Calderon RP Motorsport +0.455s
6 Yu Kanamaru RP Motorsport +0.673s
7 Konstantin Tereshchenko SMP Racing by AVF +0.874s
8 Diego Menchaca Fortec +1.159s
9 Alfonso Celis Fortec +1.204s
10 Roy Nissany RP Motorsport +2.092s

The post Isaakyan on pole, Fittipaldi fourth for first race of FV8 3.5 title decider appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: RPM Racing

Matevos Isaakyan has joined AVF for his second year in World Series Formula V8 3.5.

The 18-year-old Russian is backed by SMP Racing, which ran him out of its own Amato Ferrari-run outfit last year, but the same team has not been seen in testing action since the 2016 season ended.

Isaakyan, who raced in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2014-15, only scored two points in his first nine starts in the series, but then claimed a pole position and a podium at the Nurburgring, a win at Jerez and three further top-six finishes from?the final three races to end the year ninth in the standings.

He missed two weekends while concentrating on his efforts in the GP3 Series with Koiranen, where he was only 17th in the points.

Isaakyan appeared with the Arden team in post-season FV8 3.5 tests, but will race for?the AVF squad which ran Tom Dillmann to the 2016 title.

?I am delighted to join AVF Formula for this season,” he said.

“The team has a successful history and it is the right place for my development as a driver.

“Next year could be a very good year, I am aiming to fight for the top three positions in the championship.

“I have good knowledge of the car now, so I am more confident going into my second season.?

Team boss Adrian Valles added about Isaakyan: “We tested him in the past with Renault 2.0 and we know he is a really fast and talented driver.

“Last year he had a very good season in 3.5, so I think his experience will be key in order to battle for the lead from the beginning.

“We are very proud to have him on-board and really motivated to fight for the title again.”

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Photo: GP3 Media Service

Alex Albon?has taken a big step towards the GP3 points lead with his maiden pole, beating?Charles Leclerc?by seven tenths in qualifying session at Silverstone.

Track conditions were cold and initially dry but moments before the session began, the forecasted rain arrived.

The session was red flagged five minutes into the session as Kevin Jorg binned it at the end of Stowe. Jorg,?like everyone else,?was desperate to set a competitive time on slick tyres but as the drivers took to the track, the conditions only got worse.

Despite the lack of grip, Campos driver?Konstantin Tereshchenko was able to complete his lap the fastest as others had their times deleted for track limits infringements. Albeit, the Russian?was nearly 12 seconds off the pace of the fastest time set in practice.

When the session was restarted, the grid was split between drivers who had changed over to the wet tyres, and those who had stuck to slicks.

However,?since?the rain had passed, the slick tyres were the right option despite some patches of water left on sections of the track.

Lap times began to tumble down into the 1:48s but drivers were still getting their times disallowed for breaching track limits. Jake?Hughes held provisional pole with a time of 1:48.567 before?the mid-session lull, only 0.001 ahead of Antonio Fuoco. Matt Parry popped a time into the 1:47s but had his time removed for track limits.

As the track became busy for the final laps, debutant Arjun Maini briefly took pole position but?Albon?was able to put in a time of 1:47.348, a full second and a half faster than the Indian driver.

Championship leader Leclerc?was on a faster lap but Santino Furrucci?blocked the?Monegasque driver into Club corner and the two collided. Leclerc finished his lap but had to pit due to front wing damage.

Another red flag was brought out for a couple?minutes as Ferrucci stopped out on?track with a rear puncture, but he was able to get his car going again. When the track went green again with 3 minutes left on the clock, the rain had returned which effectively handed?pole position to Albon.

The four bonus points will put the British-born Thai just one point behind ART team-mate Leclerc, who must?serve his five place grid penalty from Austria.

Sandy?Stuvik?would inherit second for an all-Thai front row in a reversal of the top two from Friday practice.

Maini will start third ahead of Matevos Isaakyan, Hughes, Fuoco and Leclerc, with Akash Nandy, Nirei Fukuzumi and race winner last time out Ralph Boschung rounding out the top 10.

The post Alex Albon takes his maiden GP3 pole at a wet Silverstone appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: RPM Racing

Egor Orudzhev has won the first Formula V8 3.5 race at Paul Ricard, becoming the first driver to win two races this season.

After the start was aborted due to stalling drivers on the formation lap,?Orudzhev made?a blistering launch?from the second row to muscle his way into first place at the first corner. On the other hand, both?Matthieu Vaxiviere on pole and Roy Nissany had poor starts dropping them both behind the Russian for the first lap.

By the second lap though, Vaxiviere was able to get back ahead of?Orudzhev as the top three broke away from the rest of the pack.

But his lead was cut short?as Vaxiviere would start to struggle with his car mid way into the race and fell behind both?Orudzhev and Nissany in a matter of laps.

For the rest of the race it was a well fought battle between Orudzhev and Nissany with the two almost colliding on numerous occasions before Orudzhev eventually won out to take first position with Nissany finishing second.

Third place went to Nissany’s team mate Rene Binder, who was able to keep ahead of championship leader Tom Dillmann in fourth, with Dillmann?struggling for pace for the entirety of the?race.

Vaxiviere eventually finished down in fifth?while leading a train of cars that included Louis Deletraz, Yu Kanamaru and Aurelien Panis who started from the pit lane.

Ninth position went to Beitske Visser with Matevos Isaakyan, who also started from the pit lane, rounding out the top 10.

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Photo: RPM Racing

Tom Dillmann has claimed pole for the second Formula V8 3.5 race at Spa-Francorchamps, beating?Roy Nissany by less than two hundredths of a second.

With a lap of 1m59.745s, championship leader Dillmann edged out Lotus driver Nissany by 0.016 seconds.

Aurelien Panis was also within a tenth of pole, 0.071s back in third.?Matthieu Vaxiviere, who claimed pole on Saturday before being excluded, took forth, just beating impressive Euroformula Open champion?Vitor Baptista.

Louis Deletraz took sixth in front of?Alfonso Celis,?Rene Binder,?Matevos Isaakyan and?Pietro Fittipaldi.

Egor Orudzhev‘s inconsistent season continued, the race one winner ending up 14th after stopping on track.

The post Dillmann edges Nissany for Spa FV8 race two pole appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Zak Mauger/GP3 Series Media Service

Alex Albon?took victory in race two of the opening round of the GP3 season at Barcelona, claiming the second win of the weekend for a fast-starting ART Grand Prix driver.

Albon repeated team-mate?Charles Leclerc‘s trick from race one of flying from third on the grid to take the lead, although the British-born Thai had to hold on around the outside of pole-sitter?Oscar Tunjo at Turn 1 in order to complete the move.

Albon and Tunjo pulled away from the rest of the field and remained fairly close to each other during the race, but Albon managed to twice gap?his former Lotus F1 Junior stablemate, finishing 1.2 seconds clear for just the second win of his single-seater career.

Antonio Fuoco made another fast start to go from fifth to third at the start, but once again?he lacked the race pace to keep with the leaders, trailing home six seconds behind Tunjo.

Jake Dennis lost ground from a front-row start and though he caught Fuoco at the end, he had to settle for fourth.

Nyck de Vries salvaged something from an otherwise disappointing debut weekend, climbing from ninth to fifth on the first lap. He held off?Matevos Isaakyan, who had?an even more impressive first lap to go from 11th to sixth.

DAMS drivers?Kevin Jorg and?Jake Hughes remained pretty inseparable in seventh and eighth, with Leclerc failing to score in ninth after falling to 10th with a not-so-great start before re-passing?Ralph Boschung early on. The Monegasque driver remains the championship leader, though.

The most eventful moment of the race was an overly aggressive defence from?Matt Parry of 11th place at the start of lap two, forcing?Santino Ferrucci into the pit exit. The Welshman, who conceded?the place anyway shortly afterwards, was given a 10-second penalty for changing direction more than three times down the straight, relegating him to 20th.

The post Alex Albon makes it a double win for ART in opening GP3 round appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photos: GP3 Series Media Service

GP3 has seen a remarkable increase in popularity among drivers over the winter as it introduces its first brand new car since the series began.

While there are two or three favourites before the season begins, the number of potential race-winners is huge, and there are many drivers who are good enough to?realistically launch a title bid if their team gets to grips with the new car better than anyone else.

It could be that a just a short?run of good results at the right time could pay dividends, like it did for Valtteri Bottas in 2011 and Daniil Kvyat in 2013, or it might be that Esteban Ocon levels of season-long consistency could seal the deal.

ART Grand Prix

ART can always be relied on to be frontrunners, particularly if there’s a new car to get to grips with, but its incredible 2016 line-up will make it hard to beat. They’re all new to GP3, but they’re all good enough to win races.

1.?Charles Leclerc
Monaco, age 18, fourth?in European F3?in 2015 ??There are plenty of contenders to choose from, but Leclerc starts as a favourite for more than most. He’s yet to win a title in cars and only has two seasons under his belt, but led midway through the?European F3 season in a relatively unfancied team. Testing form hasn’t been as headline-grabbing as it was when he jumped in the old car in November, but that shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

2. Nirei Fukuzumi
Japan, age 19,?fourth?in Japanese?F3?in 2015 ??In a field as strong as this, with just one proper single-seater season to his name, Fukuzumi should not stand a chance. There’s something special about him though, defying his inexperience to score a double win in Japanese F3 last year, and he’s been on the pace since Honda brought him to GP3. Surely won’t have the consistency to fight for the title, but wins are certainly possible.

3. Alex Albon
Thailand, age 20, seventh in European F3?in 2015 ??Albon put the slow start to his single-seater career behind him last year with a fine European F3 campaign, in which he sometimes took the fight to Prema on behalf of?a relatively small Signature operation. In GP3 he’ll again be considered a dark horse against higher-rated?competition, but some consistent results could pay off.

4. Nyck de Vries
Netherlands, age 21, third in FR3.5?in 2015 ??In a world of?Max Verstappens and Stoffel Vandoornes, it’s easy to feel underwhelmed by de Vries, but?he hasn’t done an awful lot wrong so far. He’s been very quiet in testing, but it would be a surprise if he’s not competing at the very front and fighting for the title. He needs to capitalise on his relative experience though by converting it into some valuable consistency.

Trident

Trident was a popular team in the driver market thanks to its 2015 form with Luca Ghiotto, but without the history of ART,?it can’t be automatically relied upon to crack the new car in the same way.?Some similar speed has been shown in testing, though.

5. Antonio Fuoco
Italy, age 19, sixth?in GP3?in 2015 ??This is a big season for Fuoco. He’s seen Raffaele Marciello lose his place at Ferrari, and given his erratic form in the two seasons since his Formula Renault title, he’s lucky not to have gone the same way. Going up against new FDA recruit Leclerc adds plenty of pressure too. Joining Trident is arguably a gamble, but if the team can get the most out of his potential like it did with Ghiotto, it could be a wise move.

6. Artur Janosz
Poland, age 22, 14th?in?GP3?in 2015 ??Though he was Euroformula Open runner-up in 2014, his lack of experience meant Janosz took a while to get to grips with GP3 last year despite the form of Ghiotto across the garage. Things suddenly clicked later in the year, and although he’s now got a new car to learn, he could well spring a surprise or too against much bigger names.

7. Giuliano Alesi
France, age?16, fourth?in French F4?in 2015 ??There’s no point hiding it: Alesi’s step up from French F4 to GP3 is ludicrous. If Ferrari’s decision to sign him?has anything to do with?potential, it’s seen something that wasn’t clear from his French F4 campaign – aside from the?double win in the opening round that went unrepeated. It would be a big jump in any season, but particularly this year. If he’s not in the final five places, he’s doing a good job.

8. Sandy Stuvik
Thailand, age 21, 17th?in GP3?in 2015 ? After his two strong seasons in Euroformula Open – scoring the most points in the first and dominating the second – Stuvik’s first season in GP3 was a disappointment. Status was struggling though, so a move to Trident should be positive, but he’s another who may?not find it easy to make a significant impression in such esteemed company.

Arden International

Arden had an up-and-down time with the previous generation of car, from Daniil Kvyat’s title to a tough follow-up season to some impressive race pace with Emil Bernstorff last year. Its 2016 line-up is strong, with one driver having a definite shot at the title.

9. Jake Dennis
United Kingdom, age 20, third?in European F3?in 2015 ? Having beaten him in the European F3 standings last year, Dennis could feel hard done by that most bets are on Leclerc now they’re together in GP3. He’s had a habit of being second during?pre-season, but that’s not necessarily a bad sign. A big part of his Arden deal is about making use of its tie-up with sportscar squad Jota, but he’ll be out to show his single-seater career still has legs.

10.?Tatiana Calderon
Colombia, age 23, 27th?in?European F3?in 2015 ??Calderon had a nightmare 2015, conspiring to not score a single point in European F3 with Carlin. Her reputation continues to grow though, and she’s deservedly one of the most prominent female racers around. She certainly doesn’t shy away from competition, and will hope for a more constructive season even though the level of opposition is high.

11. Jack Aitken
United Kingdom, age 20,?Formula Renault Eurocup/Alps champion?in 2015 ??In what may well have been a politically-motivated move from new backers Renault, Aitken became the first Eurocup Formula Renault champion since Valtteri Bottas to not move up to the 3.5-litre series. Winning?another title in more experienced company might be a big ask, but the same would have been said about Daniil Kvyat, who made the same step with Arden.

Koiranen GP

It feels like Koiranen’s focus has been mostly on its F4 championships of late, but withdrawing from Formula Renault can only have benefited its GP3 programme. It was almost always competitive with the previous car, and has drivers capable of doing?good things?with the new?one.

14. Matt Parry
United Kingdom, age 22, eighth in GP3?in 2015 ??Parry put some momentum back into his career with a promising first year in GP3 in 2015, putting in some great race drives, and he could have scored more points than he did. Though he’s stayed with the same team, the new car means there’s little other continuity, so the advantage of a year’s experience may be negligible.

15. Mahaveer Raghunathan
India, age 17, 39th?in European F3?in 2015 ??Struggling to keep pace in European F3 last year hasn’t put Raghunathan off from making another early step up.?Or does the fact he competed in Auto GP last weekend (scoring two podiums) mean it’s not a step up? Regardless, it’s impossible to see how GP3 will be any easier for him.

16. Matevos Isaakyan
Russia, age?18, 10th?in Eurocup Formula Renault?in 2015 ??His second year in Formula Renault might not have really fulfilled the potential shown in the first, but Isaakyan demonstrated further promise in two GP3 appearances with Koiranen at the end of last year prior to signing up for a full campaign. He’s also competing in Formula V8 3.5, and that may end up taking priority since results will be easier to come by in a smaller field.

17.?Ralph Boschung
Switzerland, age?18, 11th?in GP3?in 2015 ??Boschung had a genuinely impressive season in GP3 last year after making the fairly large step up from ADAC Formel Masters, outscoring?two more experienced team-mates and stringing together a series of points finishes. Joining?Koiranen is a positive move, but taking a step?forward in the standings won’t be easy, even if big results are possible on occasion.

Jenzer Motorsport

There’s no hiding that Jenzer is GP3’s least fashionable team these days, unhelped by a lack of wins with the previous?generation?car. The new machine gives it a new start though, and in Oscar Tunjo it has a driver capable of an upset.

18.?Akash Nandy
Malaysia, age?19, second in Austrian F3?in 2015 ? Nandy spent 2015 in the relative wilderness of Austrian F3 – preparing for a European series bid that never came – but he showed promise earlier in his career in Asia and he remains young. This will be a big step up for him, but expectations won’t be high either.

19.?Richard Gonda
Slovakia, age 22,?second in Renault Sport Trophy (Prestige/Endurance)?in 2015 ??Gonda is one of two drivers to have made a return to single-seaters via GP3 after competing in the Renault Sport Trophy. He’s certainly had an unconventional career so far, but a good?year in the A1 GP-based FA1 series in 2014 could help him to some decent results.

20. Oscar Tunjo
Colombia, age 20, 15th?in GP3?in 2015 ??Tunjo’s had a disrupted couple of seasons after the promise of his early career. Just when a shock win at Spielberg last year showed what?he’s capable of, he ran out of money. It’s good to see him back, and although mounting a title fight with Jenzer seems unlikely, he’s certainly capable of a giant-killing or two.

Campos Racing

Campos didn’t have an easy first season GP3 last year, with lead driver Alex Palou hobbled by misfortune for most of the season. He leads the line again, but the team needs to match the pace of the best for him to stand a chance.

22. Alex Palou
Spain, age 19, 10th?in GP3?in 2015 ??Palou clinched a well-deserved but overshadowed win in the last race of 2015 after impressive one-lap speed through the year. In any normal season, he’d start among the favourites, but the new car and influx of talent makes for a much bigger challenge. Only two years out of karts, he’s a huge prospect, but needs to make the most of?every opportunity.

23. Steijn Schothorst
Netherlands, age 21, second in Renault Sport Trophy (Elite)?in 2015 ??Schothorst makes a move that had been more expected 12 months earlier, having spent last season racing with his father. Mentored by Giedo van der Garde (who undertook Campos’ initial shakedown) he’s shown glimpses of promise before in Formula Renault, the Toyota Racing Series and a podium in a Masters of F3 one-off, but results could be hard to come by here.

24.?Konstantin Tereshchenko
Russia, age 21,?second in Euroformula Open?in 2015 ??Tereshchenko signs up for a full season with Campos after contesting the last three rounds of 2015 alongside his Euroformula Open campaign. Finishing second in that shows he has some speed, but proving it in this company will be an entirely different matter.

DAMS

The multiple GP2 champions switch their secondary junior programme from FR3.5 to GP3, and with every team starting from scratch with the new car, there’s no reason it can’t immediately get on top of it. It’s driver line-up is promising, but may lack the combination of speed and experience to win the title.

26.?Santino Ferrucci
United States, age 17, 11th in European F3?in 2015 ??Coming from F3, it feels like Ferrucci has been around for a while, but he doesn’t 18 until the end of the month. There are still some rough edges for him to perfect and some maturing to take place, but he’s got?plenty of potential, and Haas has recognised he’s probably America’s next best F1 hope.

27.?Jake Hughes
United Kingdom, age 21, sixth?in Eurocup Formula Renault?in 2015 ??Hughes may well have beaten then-team-mate Aitken to be a double Formula Renault champion last year were it not for an unresolved problem with his car at the end of the year.?Though he’s older than some,?contending?for the title here would be punching?above his relative inexperience.

28. Kevin Jorg
Switzerland, age?20, third?in?Eurocup Formula Renault?in 2015 ??Jorg has made very few headlines in his career to-date, but rapid speed in FR3.5 and GP3 tests over the winter show what he could yet achieve. Like his team-mates, if DAMS quickly masters the car, he could upset the bigger names.

The post GP3 Series 2016 season preview appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: RPM Racing

Tom Dillmann?has taken pole position for race one of the Formula V8 3.5 round at the Hungaroring by more than six tenths of a second.

Dillmann set his lap of 1m28.439s before the end of the?session and then remained well clear even though the next four fastest drivers set their bests after the chequered flag.

Aragon winners and joint championship leaders?Aurelien Panis and?Louis Deletraz?ended up second and third, separated by just 0.026s.

After setting the pace on Friday,?Johnny Cecotto took fourth with RP Motorsport, edging out?Matthieu Vaxiviere by 0.018s.

Dillmann’s AVF team-mate?Alfonso Celis?was also close behind in sixth ahead of?Matevos Isaakyan and?Roy Nissany, with the Teo Martin Motorsport pair of Yu Kanamaru and?Beitske Visser?rounding out the top 10.

Egor Orudzhev, who left Aragon without any points, was only 13th of the 15 drivers.

The post Tom Dillmann takes dominant Hungaroring Formula V8 3.5 pole appeared first on Formula Scout.