Fortec Motorsport have announced Brazilian British F3 driver Pipo Derani as their first confirmed entrant for the 2012 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series.
Following a successful test at the Monza circuit in Italy, Fortec team principal Richard Dutton was eager to sign the 18 year-old up for next season: “We're absolutely delighted to have Pipo on board. It's great for us to have a Brazilian driver again next year; they always show excellent race craft and we've had great experiences with Brazilian racers in the past.
Pipo tested very well at Monza yesterday and impressed across the board, so having him as part of our squad is a very exciting prospect. We're very much looking forward to working with him and we're hoping for great things next year.”
Derani enjoyed some competitive performances as a British F3 debutant in 2011, with a season best of 2nd place at a wet Donington Park with Double R Racing.
William Buller was also present at the Fortec’s Monza test – beating Derani’s fastest time by 0.2s – though he is yet to be officially confirmed for his 3rd British F3 season.