Joel Eriksson has announced that he will be returning to Motopark for a second consecutive season of the FIA European Formula 3 Championship in 2017.
The Swede, who is part of the BMW Junior Team and had been linked with a move into the DTM Series with the German marquee before it was decided to reduce manufacturer entries from eight to six, will lead the Motopark squad after finishing fifth in the championship in his rookie campaign.
“I’m excited to return to the FIA F3 European Championship this year,” said Eriksson. “I learned so much last season, enjoyed the format, and achieved my target of winning the rookie title.
“It was a good first year, and based on our results and the pace we had – especially during the second half of the season – I’ll be heading into 2017 aiming to win the championship outright. It will be extremely tough with a lot of strong teams and drivers already lined up, but it’s not supposed to be easy.
“I’ve been racing with Team Motopark for all of my single-seater career, we showed our potential last year, and I can’t wait to meet this challenge together with them.”
Team Principal Timo Rumpfkeil has welcomed the news that Eriksson will remain for second Formula 3 season with the team into 2017, meaning the eighteen-year-old continues his alliance that began back in 2014 in ADAC Formel Masters.
“We are extremely delighted to have Joel leading our 2017 FIA F3 European Championship campaign,” said Rumpfkeil. “He is not just a tremendously fast driver, but also has that inherent race craft that can make all the difference.
“After enjoying an extremely successful 2016 season with Joel, winning the rookie title, we are confident that we will be strong contenders for the overall championship in 2017.
“We took huge steps last year and have continued to work extensively over the winter, preparing ourselves carefully in testing. We’re looking forward to an exciting season, and we are ready to take the fight.”
