Jake Hughes, Kevin Jörg and Santino Ferrucci have been named as the drivers who will contest DAMS‘ maiden outing in the GP3 Series.
Hughes, steps up to GP3 after an impressive season in which he finished as runner up in Formula Renault 2.0 ALPs and sixth in the category’s Eurocup – claiming four race wins across the two championships.
Hughes commented: “It’s an honour to be working with a team as fantastic as DAMS, who have a track record of doing well with new challenges.
“I tested a GP3 car for the first time in Abu Dhabi last year and I immediately got on with both the tyres – which I know can be a challenge – and the car as a whole, so that makes me confident of a good year.”
Jörg delivered his best result last year as he finished third in the Eurocup and second in the Northern European Cup with a total of three race wins in both series.
The Swiss driver said: “Obviously we’re all new to GP3, and there are always a lot of strong drivers in this series, but I’m confident that with DAMS we can achieve some good results.
“I was quick in the Abu Dhabi test last year – twice coming second fastest – and adapted to the car pretty quickly. Tyre management is key in GP3, and I’m sure we’ll focus on this during pre-season testing.”
Seventeen year old Ferrucci, may be young but has been very successful in his career thus far. Race winner in British Formula 3 and podium finisher in the European Championship. Additionally, he finished third in the 2015 Toyota Racing Series and has twice finished inside the top 10 at the Macau Grand Prix.
Ferrucci commented: “I’m really looking forward to working with DAMS, who have always been front-runners in everything they’ve done. It was really fun to test the car in Abu Dhabi last year ahead of what is both of our rookie years in GP3. The strategy looks like it could take some getting used to, but the team are really professional and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Team founder and owner Jean-Paul Driot commented: “We’re eager to begin this new challenge in GP3. It’s an extremely competitive category full of talented young drivers, but Jake, Santino and Kevin have lots of potential.
“We’re excited to work with all three and help them reach the top level of professional motorsport. As newcomers to GP3 we appreciate that there is a lot to learn but we do hope to be competitive from the get-go.
“DAMS has won in every category in which it has entered and we hope to replicate this success as quickly as possible. We believe the talent and speed of our three young guns will help us reach our goals.”
