Photo: Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Reigning Formula 2 champion Luciano Bacheta has been announced by Austrian outfit Zele Racing for the upcoming Auto GP season, which starts next weekend.
The 22-year old was hoping to step up to GP2 but a lack of budget means he will instead spend the year in Auto GP; hoping to follow in compatriot Adrian Quaife-Hobbs‘s footsteps into GP2 next season.
Bacheta began his single-seater career in the British based T-Car series in 2006; winning the title, followed by a year in Formula Palmer Audi where he finished third.
Two relatively unsuccessful seasons in FR2.0 followed before he finished an (albeit distant) second behind Kevin Korjus in 2010. For 2011 Bacheta made the step to GP3 but he struggled and switched to F2 before the end of the season. After some impressive performances he returned for a full campaign where he took the lead after the first weekend and never relinquished it despite pressure from Matheo Tuscher, who remains without a drive for the forthcoming season.
“I am very happy to be racing for Zele in 2013 and I hope I can help the team challenge for success,” said Bacheta. “I see this year with Zele Racing as the start of a plan to be competitive year in, year out in a progression towards the ultimate goal of Formula 1.”
Team owner Michael Zele added: “I am very happy to be racing for Zele in 2013 and I hope I can help the team challenge for success. I see this year with Zele Racing as the start of a plan to be competitive year in, year out in a progression towards the ultimate goal of Formula 1.”