Photo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Andretti Autosport will join the FIA’s single-seater pyramid to Formula 1 by racing in Formula Regional Americas this year with Danial Frost.
The title-winning IndyCar team intended to run Frost this year in its successful Indy Lights squad, but the season was called off after just one free practice session as a result of pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Singaporean racer Frost was a race-winner last year in Indy Pro 2000, the series immediately below Indy Lights, and was linked to a return to the category after Indy Lights’ cancellation. He and the team have now chosen FRegional Americas instead.
“I am excited to be taking part in the Formula Regional Americas series this year,” said Frost.
“It’s a new car for myself and the team, which will be challenging for both of us. I believe in our capability and am looking forward to what we will be able to do this year.”
This year’s FRegional Americas champion will receive a Honda-funded scholarship to enter the 2021 Indy Lights season.
Andretti will be on the grid when Indy Lights returns, and will continue to test the Dallara IL-15s it uses in that series this year. Its entry into FRegional Americas is a coup for regional Formula 3 series.
“Given the circumstances that postponed the Indy Lights season, and many other events across the world, we as a team were tasked to find a way to keep our Indy Lights drivers fresh in the race car,” Andretti president J-F Thormann said.
“We see that the FR Americas series and Danial are going to be a great pair and we are excited to see what he can do in Round one at Mid-Ohio.”
Andretti’s other Indy Lights drivers have no confirmed replacement race programmes.
IP2000 and FRegional Americas champion Kyle Kirkwood is unlikely to return to either series, and still has a scholarship to enter Indy Lights in 2021, Megennis has already decided on racing in Indy Lights in 2021 and may focus solely on testing this year, and one-time Super Formula starter Tristan Charpentier is currently based in Europe.
Photo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway