Australian Youngster Luis Leeds will join the Red Bull Young Driver Academy alongside Niko Kari, who rounded off the year by winning the SMP Formula 4 championship. Both have shone in their first year of car racing and will be hoping to move on to greater things next year.
Another new face on the line-up is Sérgio Sette Câmara, who topped his year by managing to claim pole in the 2015 Masters of Formula 3, he went on to pick up a third place in the race to add on to his two further podiums he achieved throughout his European Formula 3 campaign.
Leeds finished this season sixth in the Australian Formula 4 series, having failed to pick up a victory throughout the year. But the 15 year old also competed internationally having appeared in the ADAC and NACAM Formula 4 series. The latter of which he won the opening non-championship round as a support series to Formula 1. He has been announced as an MSA Formula driver for next year with the Arden team.
Meanwhile Kari has committed himself to one series this season having won the title by 215 points. To add, he finished only one race all season outside of the top two. He domination of the championship has lead many to regard the young Finn as the country’s next big star.
“I will have a lot to learn in F3 but I will work hard to make the best of this big opportunity.” said Kari “It’s a great feeling to be invited to be part of the Red Bull Junior Team. I think it will be a fantastic year, I can’t wait to see Pau, that will be my first street circuit and to go to Spa, that is my favourite, I have already tested there a few times in a Formula Renault and F3 car.”
He’ll also move up to the European Formula 3 championship alongside Sette Camara at Motopark next season. The Brazilian’s year has been a tough one, but with a year of experience behind him, the F3 star is hoping to be challenging for wins next season.
“I am very proud to join Red Bull family and it is a great opportunity to be part of it, I am very grateful for it. I am very confident for this coming season and really looking forward to start competing again. I am sure that, together with the team and working on the same direction as we are, we will get our objectives.”
