Gustav Malja will become only the second Swedish driver to race in the GP2 Series after Marcus Ericsson this weekend as he makes debut at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, as he makes a one-off appearance for Trident Racing in place of regular driver Rene Binder, who is unwell.
Malja, who races for Strakka Racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2015, will line-up alongside Ferrari Driver Academy driver Raffaele Marciello this weekend at the Italian team, with the Swede ready for the challenge, although he has yet to drive a GP2 car and will only get limited running during practice to acclimatise himself.
“Getting the opportunity to race in GP2 this weekend is highly, highly exciting, and I can’t wait to get out on track,” said Malja. “I have spent the last few days preparing with the team in Italy, and I’m fully aware of the challenge I will be facing this weekend.
“There will be so many new things to learn – particularly with the degradation of the Pirelli tyres and in terms of race strategies.
“I have yet to drive the GP2 car and will have just 45 minutes of practice on Friday before going into qualifying, so my only target will be to learn as much as possible and to make a solid job for the team. It will be a fantastic experience.”
