Photo: Gavin Baker Photography
Formula Regional Japanese Championship runner-up Sebastian Manson will join TJ Speed in USF Pro 2000 next year.
The Kiwi kicks off 2025 in FRegional Oceania (which he did two rounds of this season as a slicks-and-wings rookie), before going to the USA to step up to USFP2000. In FRJC he never won, but claimed two poles and six podiums.
His single-seater career began in 2022 with seventh in New Zealand Formula Ford and fourth in North Island FFord.
Last year he was fourth in NZ FFord and ninth in South Island FFord, then despite winning half of the races came two points short of the 2024 NZ FFord title. He was South Island FFord champion, and starred in a Formula Open NZ cameo driving an old Toyota Racing Series car.
Manson’s team-mate will be fellow 16-year-old Evagoras Papasavvas, a USF2000 graduate. He twice came fourth in the points, taking 14 podiums but only three wins in three seasons with Jay Howard Driver Development.
Pabst Racing has a mix of experience in its 2025 USFP2000 line-up of Michael Costello, Jacob Douglas and Max Garcia.
Costello joins after two years with JHDD. The 17-year-old member of Fernando Alonso’s A14 Management firm won three races and was fifth in the United States Formula 4 standings in 2023, and won once as he came ninth in USF2000 this year.
However he targets the USFP2000 title: “My prospectus for my first year in USFP2000 is quite promising. I had a strong second half of the USF2000 season scoring podiums and a win. I feel I have the skill and the desire to be up front.”
Garcia won five races and the 2024 USF2000 title with Pabst, having come ninth as a rookie with them in 2023.
“My goals are to run up front and fight for wins [in 2025],” said the 15-year-old. “I get to continue to work with the best team in the USF Pro championships paddock. I always enjoy a challenge and getting to learn the bigger car has been fun.”
In 2022, Douglas was sixth in NZ FFord, raced in the USA’s F4 Western series then came 12th in USF2000 with Exclusive Autosport.
He won the 2023 YACademy Winter Series, and in USF2000 switched mid-season to Pabst. His campaign ended with two wins and a second, lifting him to sixth in the points. For 2024 the Kiwi primarily karted, but did do two GB3 rounds.
“It feels great to be back at Pabst,” said the 19-year-old. “Goal for the 2025 season is to go out there and win races.”
Pabst had tried to get Douglas in its 2024 USFP2000 line-up, but once clear that was not possible sights were set on 2025.
Turn 3 Motorsport has signed Alessandro de Tullio for next season. The 18-year-old joined BN Racing for the final third of the 2024 USFP2000 season and with a best finish of fourth came 20th in the standings. He was fourth in USF Juniors in 2022, winning five races, and mostly karted after.