Photo: Fotospeedy
Drivex School has announced that, following its move into the new Eurocup-3 series, it will not race in Euroformula this year.
It comes as a blow for Euroformula, which so far only has five entries across two teams confirmed for 2023 and has had Drivex as a regular on the grid since 2009.
The Spanish outfit has contested 209 races in the series, claiming eight wins, 10 poles and 45 podiums in that time. It missed two rounds in 2012, skipped the 2014 season and all but the final round of 2015, then missed one round last year.
Drivex’s move into Eurocup-3 had been all but official for some time, as it is among the teams that forms the promotional body for Spanish Formula 4 and who thought up and then launched Eurocup-3 last November.
The series will use Tatuus’s T-318 Formula Regional chassis as the basis of the car, but will run with a lighter bodykit and tuned-up Alfa Romeo engines to put itself above FRegional in its performance range.
“The Eurocup-3 championship will be the new point of focus for Drivex alongside the Spanish F4 effort, with the aim to compete for the first positions from the start,” said the team in a statement posted to Instagram.
“The expansion into this new and exciting series for which Drivex has already started putting together a team of experienced professionals attracted the attention of several drivers who are excited to make a good impression in the inaugural season. More news on our driver line-up will follow shortly.
“As excited as we are about the move towards the Eurocup-3 championship, we are equally saddened to have to stop our commitment to the Euroformula Open championship, a series to which we have been fully committed for many years and in which we have won trophies and have fought for titles.”
Team owner Miguel Angel de Castro also commented: “Eurocup-3 is a very exciting new formula in which the focus is put on equality and driver development, as much as it is on performance. The budget cap along with the testing limitation, together with the exciting fresh look the cars have makes this a very attractive package.
“We are pleased to have secured the services of top level management and engineering for this effort, in a complete revamp of our operation. Work has already started and we are very happy with the progress so far. On the other hand, this is a bitter-sweet announcement, because the Euroformula Open means a lot to us on a personal and professional level.
“We have tried until the last possible moment to participate in the 2023 season, but this was simply not possible. We want to thank [Euroformula promoter] GT Sport for all their support and professionalism over the years, as we hope to be able to return to the series when the circumstances will allow it.”