The Sauber F1 Team have announced that Felipe Nasr will race for the Swiss team in 2015, joining the already confirmed Marcus Ericsson.
Nasr has been the test and reserve driver for the Williams Martini Racing team in 2014, competing in a number of free practice sessions, and the young Brazilian will bring his sponsor Banco do Brasil with him, with its logos set to be visible on the side pods and rear wing of next years Sauber C34 car.
He has also been competing in the GP2 Series in 2014, and currently lies second in the championship whilst driving for Carlin having won four races. Nasr was delighted with the news of his promotion to an F1 race seat, and thanked everyone that had supported him in his career.
“It is a very important step in my career to sign with the Sauber F1 Team for the 2015 Formula One World Championship,” said Nasr. “This is an unforgettable moment that I owe to all of those who have supported me – my family, my friends, my sponsors, my teams and my country. Today the dream has come true.
“Sauber was responsible for the arrival in F1 of great names such as Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen, Robert Kubica and Sebastian Vettel. I am proud now to also be part of this racing family. I had a wonderful year at Williams Martini, where I learned a lot and prepared myself to be a race driver in Formula One.”
Team Principal of Sauber Monisha Kaltenborn was happy to be able to announce Nasr ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, and admitted to have been closely following the twenty-two year-olds career development.
“We have been following Felipe’s career path for some time now, and he fully deserves his position in Formula One having had a very successful career in junior categories,” insisted Kaltenborn. “We are happy that he will be driving for our team next year. This means that Brazil will have one more young and talented driver in the sport.”
Kaltenborn also commented about the importance of singing Banco do Brasil as a sponsor, insisting that the company had supported Nasr through his career and it was important to keep that continuity into 2015.
“Banco do Brasil has been an important partner for Felipe so far, and we are delighted that such a renowned company is continuing to support him during this important step,” said Kaltenborn. “We look forward to this partnership.”
Nasr’s confirmation to be joining Ericsson within the team means that both Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez are now definitely looking for new employment for 2015, while test driver Giedo van de Garde, heavily linked to the team for next year is also likely to leave if a drive opens up elsewhere.
