Up and coming Ferrari Driver Academy racer Guan Yu Zhou will remain in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship for a second season after making the switch to premier outfit Prema Powerteam for 2017.
The Chinese driver raced for Motopark during his rookie campaign with limited success, finishing twice on the podium in the opening two rounds but finishing outside the points more often than not on his way to thirteenth in the championship standings.
But the move to Prema should enable him to be a more prominent contender in 2017, and he joins the already confirmed Callum Ilott at the multiple championship-winning outfit.
“I am really honoured to join the Prema Family!” insisted Zhou. “I enjoyed working with them in 2015 and I am looking forward to work with them again next year.
“They have had huge success in FIA Formula 3 in the past years and I will do my best to carry on their success for 2017!”
Zhou returns to the squad that took him to the runners-up spot in the 2015 season of Italian Formula 4, and Team Manager Rene Rosin is delighted to welcome him back into the Prema family.
“I am delighted to welcome Zhou and the Ferrari Driver Academy back to our Formula 3 team,” said Rosin. “We worked with him in 2015 and we had already appreciated his skills as we helped him grow in his first season in single seaters.
“I am sure he will answer the bell in 2017 after getting valuable experience under his belt in 2016 and I hope to see him become the first winning Chinese driver in European competition.”
Zhou’s move to Prema ensures the Ferrari Driver Academy and the Italian team are heavily interlinked in 2017, with both Charles Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco racing for Prema’s GP2 Series team next season.
