Frenchman Brandon Maisano has become Prema Powerteam’s third confirmed driver for the 2015 FIA European Formula 3 Championship, joining Jake Dennis and Lance Stroll.
The twenty-one-year-old moves up from racing in the Italian Formula 4 championship in 2014, where he dominated the Trophy class, winning six races and finishing on the podium seventeen times.
“I am very happy for the opportunity to participate in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship,” said Maisano on the announcement of his drive. “I am aware that this will be a difficult and decisive step in my career but I will do my best to be as often as I can in the top positions.
“My relationship with the Team is very good and I know that I can count on them to do a very good job and continue my progression.”
Team Manager Rene Rosin welcomed Maisano back into his squad for another year, having raced with the Frenchman in Italian Formula 3 in 2012 and in Italian Formula 4 last season, and felt he deserved the promotion into the European F3 team for 2015.
“We know Maisano really well,” said Rosin. “While he took third place in the 2012 Italian F3 championship with us, he was forced to leave single seaters in 2013 as he did not have many chances coming for him. Once back with us, he humbly re-started from zero in the Italian F4 championship and managed to kick-start his career again thanks to many wins and positive results.
“And he kept performing early this year, starring in the Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand [where Maisano finished second to Stroll in the championship with a season high five victories]. We felt he deserved even more trust, and a chance to debut in a top-class international environment like the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. So to have, once again, the right occasion to showcase his great skills.”