Photo: Trident
Christian Mansell will step up to Formula 2 with Trident for the rest of this year, replacing Roman Stanek in the team’s line-up.
Stanek was only contracted up to the most recent round at Monza, and lacked the budget to remain on the grid for the final three rounds that all take place outside of Europe.
Mansell has been racing in single-seaters’ third tier since 2021, doing three Euroformula rounds that year and then the full season in 2022 when he came third in the standings with three wins.
He also debuted in the FIA Formula 3 Championship that year, and has been racing there ever since. After his two outings in 2022, he took two podiums en route to 12th in the points last year and came fifth in 2024 with five podiums and one pole position. Going into the final round at Monza, the Australian was one of six title contenders. In 2023 he also contested the Macau Grand Prix, which he finished 16th in.
The 19-year-old’s F2 debut will come in Baku this weekend, then he will be back in the cockpit for December’s rounds at Losail and Yas Marina Circuit. All three venues will be new to Mansell.
“I can’t wait to make my F2 debut with Trident,” he said. “I’m extremely happy to race with this Italian team on the Baku street circuit and in the next two events before the end of the season. It will be a fiery debut on a challenging track like the Azerbaijani one, but I must confess I’m more excited than nervous.”
He is not the only driver making their maiden F2 outing in Baku, as Prema has called up Mansell’s F3 title rival Gabriele Mini to take the place of Ollie Bearman, who is racing for Haas in Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend rather than the supporting F2 races.