Photo: Glenn Dunbar / FIA F2 Championship
MP Motorsport has signed IndyCar driver Jordan King and Mahaveer Raghunathan for the upcoming Formula 2 season.
King raced for the Dutch team in F2 in 2017, ending his three year spell in the championship with 11th in the standings. He moved to IndyCar last year with Ed Carpenter Racing, driving all but the oval races, and also won the LMP2 class of the 1000 Miles of Sebring?last weekend.
?It is great to be working with and supporting the team at MP Motorsport again?, said King.
?I only have good memories of working with everyone at MP and I?m delighted the team have put their trust in me to help them progress as much as possible ? and I?m sure we?ll reach our full potential together.?
King has secured a seat with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for this year’s Indianapolis 500, meaning he will miss the Monaco F2 round. The 25-year-old will also continue racing in the World Endurance Championship, although none of those races clash with F2.
Raghunathan was the 2017 BOSS GP Formula Class champion, driving an ex-A1GP car and picking up his one and only win in single-seaters. He also has experience in prototype sportscars, GP3 and European F3.
?I?m very happy with this great opportunity,? said?the 20-year-old Indian. ?We had a positive test at Barcelona, and I will use that experience to make a good start to the season.”
“Having such an experienced team mate as Jordan will be invaluable as I?m aware that I?m on a steep learning curve.?
King’s F2 experience came prior to the introduction of the current turbocharged car, meaning pre-season testing at Jerez was his first experience of the car. He ended up topping the final session of the three-day test.
“Formula 2?s turbo car was new to me, as I only have experience with the old GP2 car, so I used the six days well to familiarise myself with the new machine. It?s a great car and I?m certain we can do well.” King explained.
MP team manager Sander Dorsman was also confident of success.
?Jordan is a known quantity, as was proven when we got back into the groove at Jerez,” Dorsman said.
“Mahaveer, meanwhile, has the speed to be part of F2. He?s only had three days of testing, so I?m sure we will see vast improvements as the season comes along.”