Photo: F3 Open/Fotospeedy
The Italian racing squad RP Motorsport has announced a four-driver lineup for the 2013 season of European F3 Open, fielding two cars in “Class A” (on Dallara F312 cars) and two cars in “Copa F308” (Dallara F308 cars).
The team’s main class lineup will consist of Frenchman Alexandre Cougnaud and Formula Abarth graduate Santiago Urrutia from Uruguay. Alex Toril and Andrea Cicconetti, meanwhile, are the two drivers who will contest the Copa F308.
Cougnaud, 21, has raced in various Formula Renault categories before joining F3 Open in 2012, as part of the French Top F3 outfit. Racing an F308 car, he finished 15th in the main standings (with the best result of fifth at Monza), but was an impressive overall third in the Copa standings.
Urrutia, 16, has made his debut in international racing in 2011, participating in select events of Formula Abarth, before switching to the series full-time in 2012. He placed fourth both in the European and the Italian standings, winning three races and ending the year as the top rookie.
The 16-year-old Spaniard Toril graduated from French F4 in 2011 and contested a season in F3 Open in 2012, switching from Spanish Team Cedars-Escuela Profilltex-Circuit to RP Motorsport mid-season and finishing the year in 18th in the main standings, with 9 points, and seventh in the Copa.
For Venezuelan Cicconetti, meanwhile, it will be his debut season in cars, as he graduates from karting, having raced in multiple Easykart series since 2009.
RP Motorsport finished last year’s F3 Open season as the teams’ champion. Their two main class drivers – Gianmarco Raimondo and Niccolo Schiro – fought each other for the drivers’ title until the very last round, with Schiro ultimately prevailing as series champion.