Pierre Gasly will remain at the head of the Red Bull Junior Team and will make the expected switch to the Japanese-based Super Formula championship in 2017.
The Frenchman, the reigning GP2 Series champion, missed out on a promotion to Formula 1 after Scuderia Toro Rosso decided to retain Daniil Kvyat alongside Carlos Sainz Jr for this season, but to keep him active, Red Bull have decided to send him over to Japan in a move similar to that of 2015 GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne.
“It is all going to be very different, I have no experience with the car or the tracks and I know that the Japanese culture, philosophy, way of working, just about everything is different,” said Gasly. “It is a fantastic new challenge and I love that.”
Kari makes GP3 Switch with Arden
Niko Kari will make the full-time jump into the GP3 Series with Arden International in 2017 after retaining his own place within the Red Bull Junior Team.
The Finn competed in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship in 2016 and took his maiden victory at Imola and finished tenth in the final standings, and made his GP3 debut in a one-off appearance at Spa-Francorchamps with Koiranen GP.
Kari retired early in race one at the Belgian track but finished fourteenth in race two, and now the decision has been made to join Arden in 2017, a team that took three race wins last season through Jack Aitken and Jake Dennis.
Niko Kari will race for Arden International in GP3 this year – Credit: FIA Formula 3 European Championship
Sette Câmara, Leeds lose Red Bull backing
Sergio Sette Câmara and Luis Leeds are no longer part of the Red Bull Junior Team programme after the announcement of the five-strong 2017 line-up was announced on Wednesday.
Sette Câmara had tested with Toro Rosso during 2016 but seemed to fall out of favour, failing to win a race in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship, although luck often was not on his side, especially twice when he set the fastest time in qualifying only to take a grid penalty due to an engine change.
The Brazilian has already secured his future however as he joined MP Motorsport for the 2017 season of the GP2 Series.
Leeds raced in the British Formula 4 Championship in 2016 with the TRS Arden Junior Racing Team with Red Bull backing but despite having stepped up to the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 series in 2017, finds himself without the backing of the drinks company.
The British driver will be looking to gain revenge however as the final three members of the Red Bull Junior Team – Richard Verschoor, Neil Verhagen and Daniel Ticktum – will all be racing against him in Eurocup this season.
