Photo: Gregory Lenormand / DPPI
Formula Renault frontrunners?Max Defourny and?Dorian Boccolacci and the BRDC British Formula 3 champion?Matheus Leist lead the series debutants in this week’s post-season GP3 test in Abu Dhabi.
Belgian driver Defourny, who ran Lando Norris closest for the Formula Renault Eurocup and NEC titles this year and has already tested in Formula V8 3.5 in recent weeks, will be in action for ART Grand Prix on the first day of the test.
He will be alongside the team’s Honda protege Nirei Fukuzumi,?former Arden driver?Jack Aitken?and ex-Formula 3 racer George Russell, who is expected to race for ART next year alongside a Mercedes development deal. The Briton took part in the same test two years ago with Arden as a prize for his BRDC F4 crown.
Frenchman Boccolacci, who beat Defourny to second place in the Eurocup standings and has also tested FV8, will test with Arden, as will Brazilian driver Leist and Red Bull Junior?Niko Kari. Helmut Marko has already stated that Kari will move from F3 to GP3 for next year after making his debut at Spa with Koiranen.
Koiranen will run a trio of newcomers: SMP-backed Formula Renault racer?Robert Shwartzman, BRDC British F3’s?Tarun Reddy and Pro Mazda runner-up?Pato O’Ward.
Arjun Maini moves from Jenzer to Trident alongside the continuing?Giuliano Alesi, former F3 driver?Ryan Tveter and last year’s South American F4 champion?Pedro Cardoso.
Alessio Lorandi stays on at Jenzer along with the team’s Italian F4 champion?Marcos Siebert (who did one day of last year’s test) and Formula Renault graduate?Bruno Baptista.
Campos promotes its Euroformula Open champion?Leonardo Pulcini, partnering Defourny’s Formula Renault team-mate?Julien Falchero and British F4 driver?Petru Florescu.
Haas development driver?Santino Ferrucci stays on at DAMS, joined by former Campos driver?Steijn Schothorst and South African?Raoul Hyman.
Wednesday line-up:
ART Grand Prix: Jack Aitken, Nirei Fukuzumi, Max Defourny, George Russell
Trident: Pedro Cardoso, Ryan Tveter, Giuliano Alesi, Arjun Maini
Arden International: Dorian Boccolacci, Niko Kari, Matheus Leist
Koiranen GP: Tarun Reddy, Robert Shwartzman, Pato?O’Ward
Jenzer Motorsport: Bruno Baptista, Alessio Lorandi, Marcos Siebert
Campos Racing: Julien Falchero, Petru Florescu, Leonardo Pulcini
DAMS: Santino Ferrucci, Raoul Hyman, Steijn Schothorst