Matias Laine has signed with P1 Motorsport for his rookie season in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series.
The Finnish driver joins from the GP3 Series, where he finished a strong fifth in the standings in 2012, winning a race at Spa-Francorchamps. He had failed to score any points in the 2011 season having previously had two quiet campaigns in Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula 3, despite a promising karting career.
The 22-year-old joins British second-year driver Will Stevens at P1, having driven for the team in post-season as well as DAMS and Arden Caterham.
“I’m very happy to be joining P1 Motorsport for 2013,” said Laine. “It is a great opportunity for me to race in Formula Renault 3.5 – after two years in GP3, it is obviously a big step forward in my racing career.? The P1 car felt really good in testing; I am very confident in the team, and looking forward to the season ahead.”
P1’s Chief Engineer, Mike Henderson, added: “We’re really pleased to confirm Matias for the coming season.? When he tested with P1 he showed great potential within just one day, and he settled in really well with the team and the way we work.? We’re very much looking forward to working with Matias in his rookie season, and to achieving some strong results throughout the year.”