Former Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series championship-winning squad Double R Racing will field a three-car line-up in 2013, with drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and Sean Gelael signing for the four-event championship.
With just under a fortnight to go until the opening three rounds of the revised championship take place at Silverstone on May 25/26, Double R will dovetail their participation in British Formula 3 with the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2013, Anthony Hieatt’s squad intending to run a three-car outfit as an expanding entry list begins to take shape.
Although a third driver alongside Giovinazzi and Gelael is currently unconfirmed, Hieatt says that the team hope to announce their final driver in the coming days, adding that the team always has their full intention of remaining in the series.
“We’re really glad to be back in British F3”, Hieatt commented, “It’s going to be great experience for Antonio and Sean, they both need as much track time as they can get in their first year. We will have three cars out at Silverstone, hopefully we’ll be able to confirm who our third driver will be in the next few days.
“We’ve always been keen to support British F3, we always wanted to remain part of it, and we’re delighted to be able to confirm our involvement. Hopefully the championship will have the strong grid of cars it deserves.”
Italian Giovinazzi won the Formula Pilota China title in 2012 with five victories and six other podiums, and will participate in the full season alongside his European F3 duties with the team, the category rookie already having shown promise in the opening rounds of the series.
The 19-year-old will be partnered for the four-round campaign by the even younger Gelael, the Indonesian likely to be the youngest driver in British F3 at just 16-years-old having finished fourth in the same Formula Pilota China series last year with one outright win.
Double R last lifted the British F3 title back in 2006 in the hands of Britain’s Mike Conway, and could be joined soon by fellow series regulars Fortec Motorsport and Carlin, Jordan King dovetailing the series with his Carlin European F3 commitments, while Gelael and Giovinazzi will already share the grid with CF Racing’s Sun Zheng, Eagle Motorsport’s Kyle Tilley and a mighty seven-car entry from Team West-Tec that currently features Chris Vlok, Huan Zhu and Ed Jones confirmed for 2013 as more await over the coming week.
