The P1 Motorsport Formula Renault 3.5 Series team has been acquired by sportscar outfit Strakka Racing.
Strakka competes in the top LMP1 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship, and is led by owner and driver Nick Leventis.
The takeover of fellow British-based squad P1 comes after the establishment in 2012 of Strakka Performance, its driver development operation that runs a pair of previous-generation Formula Renault 3.5 cars (pictured, above).
P1 Motorsport was previously owned by Austrian Walter Grubmuller Sr, who had bought out founder Roly Vincini. Grubmuller’s son Walter Jr raced for P1 for three years between 2010 and 2012. The team claimed the drivers’ title in its first season in FR3.5 as P1 in 2008 with Giedo van der Garde.
The team will now be known as ‘P1 by Strakka Racing’, and retain its driver lineup of Will Stevens and Matias Laine that started the 2013 season at Monza last weekend.
“Formula One and the FIA World Endurance Championship are at the pinnacle of motorsport and the World Series by Renault has proven itself as the leading feeder series for both,” said Leventis.
“Competing in the championship is a natural fit for the team due to our history in sportscars as well as complementing the work we?re doing at Strakka Performance. Strakka Racing wants to have a legacy of young talented drivers that we?ve helped to become top professional racing drivers, through our World Series by Renault team, our sportscar team and our Strakka Performance driver development programme.”
Dan Walmsley, Group Team Manager: “Strategically, the acquisition of P1 Motorsport signals our intention to build a multi-faceted motorsport business. We have acquired a strong team in a highly competitive championship and believe our involvement will help achieve greater on-track success.
“These are exciting times for us, as we are also investing in the development of our Strakka Performance business, which provides drivers with the opportunity to develop and maximise their potential, through bespoke testing and training. We believe the Strakka Racing name is synonymous with the highest standards in motorsport which is why we will compete in the World Series by Renault Championship as P1 by Strakka Racing.?