The Lazarus team has finalised its driver lineup for the coming season of Auto GP, with Fabio Onidi joining fellow Italian Fabrizio Crestani in the team.
23-year-old Onidi raced the team's sole entry during the 2010 season, taking four podium finishes. After he tested with the team at Valencia in January, the two parties decided to extend their relationship. He will join Crestani in the team, who was announced back in February.
Onidi narrowly missed out on the title in the predecessor to Auto GP – Euroseries 3000 – in both 2008 and 2009. Having gained more experience since then he is hoping to be a force in the series in 2011 with Tancredi Pagiaro's team.
“I'm really happy of this deal with Lazarus and Tancredi Pagiaro. Truth be told the agreement was ready from some time, we just had to focus on some details, but it was very easy, as it was easy to understand why going on with Lazarus was the best option for me. I have a very good feeling with the team, and they already showed me that they have both the technical, sporting and human potential to do a great job.
“I'm also happy to have Crestani as a team-mate. In 2010 I was alone and I think that this has been a disadvantage in some way. Having another quick guy in the garage will give me even more motivation and this will help in getting great results. I'm sure that with Fabrizio we'll have the right mix of cooperation and rivalry.
“So what's the aim for 2011? I'm always cautious when it comes to predictions, but I'm sure that in a tight championship as Auto GP is, consistency is vital. Then we'll see at the end of the season.”
Pagiaro commented: “Last year we showed that we could be quick on every track, but we lacked some consistency, and that's vital when you aim for the top spots in the standings. So, it's a pleasure to have another shot at the series with Fabio. He has a great relationship with the team and he also has what it takes to be among the stars of a Championship that is going to be very hard-fought. We have an all-Italian line-up, it's an honour for us but it's also a big responsibility, so I hope that the Italian flag will appear on the podium very often.”
Auto GP chief Enzo Coloni added: “I'm happy to see that Fabio appreciated the job we did with Auto GP in 2010 and decided to continue his experience in our series. Together with Lazarus he showed some great performances and I'm sure that in 2011 he will do even better, given the fact that he has a very good knowledge of both the car and the team.”
