Conor Daly will race in the GP3 Series in 2011 for the Carlin team.
Daly, the son of Irish former Formula 1 driver Derek Daly, makes the move to the European single-seater scene after winning the Star Mazda Championship in 2010 in the United States.
The 19-year-old, who was born in Indiana, got his first taste of GP3 machinery in the post-season tests, driving for Carlin in Jerez in October.
In addition to his GP3 commitments, Daly will race in rounds of the Firestone Indy Lights Championship, as part of a prize provided by Mazda for winning the Star Mazda Series.
Daly is pleased to be making the switch to Europe with Carlin. “I'm delighted to be with Carlin in GP3,” he said. “The team have an amazing reputation in Europe and I know I will be in good hands with them this year.”
He added that he expects it will not be an easy season because he has to learn most of the circuits. “GP3 will be a big challenge; almost all the circuits will be a new experience for me, but I think that with the advice and help of the team I will have all the ingredients I need to challenge for good results from the outset. I'd like to thank Mazda for their continued support in enabling me to race in such a high profile series in Europe.”
Team boss Trevor Carlin is pleased that Daly will race for the team. “Conor is a very welcome addition to our team in 2011,” he said. “He has displayed great talent in America and we were extremely impressed with him during GP3 testing last year. This season will be a tough learning curve for him, but he has the ability and attitude to be able to turn whatever challenges he faces this season into success.”
