Photo: ACI Sport
SMP Racing protege Kirill Smal will continue to drive with Prema for a full season in Italian Formula 4 this year.
Formerly a frontrunner in international karting, Smal made a last-minute move up to single-seaters in time for the delayed start to the 2020 season, competing for R-ace GP in ADAC F4.
He took three podiums and finished ninth overall in the German series, and also joined Prema for three rounds of the Italian championship, where he took a second-place finish in the last race of the season at Vallelunga.
“I’m happy to continue racing for such a great team as Prema Powerteam, it’s a real pleasure.” said Smal, who also finished third in the recent United Arab Emirates F4 season with Xcel Motorsport, taking his first four car racing wins.
“Also, it’s a great responsibility, of course, and I want to thank SMP Racing for this opportunity and for believing in me.
“I liked racing for Prema Powerteam last year although we spent only three rounds together. The team warmly welcomed me, we started to work immediately and reached our goals at the end of the season. I hope we will get even more success this year. My goal is to target wins.”
Smal is the second driver confirmed to be part of Prema’s F4 line-up this season, together with Danish champion Conrad Laursen. Like Laursen, he will also enter selected ADAC F4 events.
“It’s great to have Kirill back with us to continue the work we started last season,” said Prema team boss Angelo Rosin.
“We were very impressed by his speed potential and the progress he made throughout the year, so we look forward to continuing on the same note for 2021. It’s very rewarding for us to follow young drivers in their path towards success, and with Kirill, we expect more satisfaction along the way.”