The 2013 British Formula 3 Champion and current FIA European Formula 3 Championship front-runner Jordan King will test a GP2 Series and a Formula Renault 3.5 Series car towards the end of 2014 with the Arden International Motorsport team.
King will test the Formula Renault 3.5 Series car in Jerez and the GP2 Series car in Abu Dhabi once the respective seasons are over. The Briton is happy to be testing both cars for a second time, having tried them both at the end of 2013 before committing to a second season in Euro F3 with Carlin. He currently sits seventh in the championship with five podium finishes in a series full of good young drivers.
Although he is testing with Arden, he admits that a deal with the squad founded originally by Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner is not guaranteed.
“Arden is a professional outfit that has achieved a lot of success in both GP2 and World Series, which offers us a good benchmark from which to judge the two championships,” said King. “When I tested last year, it’s fair to say that both cars were a sizeable step-up in terms of power, downforce and braking capability, but neither was a shock.
“Both produce more than 500bhp, feature carbon brakes and extremely high levels of downforce and will run DRS in 2015, so they represent the logical next step on the ladder towards F1, which is my ultimate goal.”
The introduction of DRS to GP2 in 2015 might sway many drivers when deciding between that and Formula Renault 3.5, while in last years dual test, he felt like GP2 was the better option, but nothing has yet been decided as King plans the next move in his single-seater career.
“They have advantages in different areas, but their level of performance is actually very similar to one another – it’s just delivered in a different manner due to their individual characteristics,” said King. “I would say my current preference is towards GP2; I really clicked with that last year and enjoyed driving it the most, plus one of its major trump cards is that it races on the support package to F1, so it’s a direct shop window.
“There isn’t really a wrong choice to be made between the two series; in the end, it will come down to which one I feel is right for me personally and that’s what I hope these tests will help to resolve. Whichever way I decide, there will inevitably be a lot to learn and take on-board and it will undoubtedly be a big step – but it’s a step that I’m ready to take.”
