Argentinian Colapinto completes Van Amersfoort Racing team

Van Amersfoort Racing have signed Franco Colapinto for the 2022 season, with the Argentinian driver completing his driver training, alongside Rafael Villagómez and Reece Ushijima.

The Buenos Aires-born rider will step up after a busy season, where he juggled single-seaters and LMP2.

Finishing sixth in the European Formula Regional Championship by Alpine, Colapinto also made appearances in the European and Asian LeMans series and in the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship – LMP2.

The 18-year-old made his F3 debut in post-season testing at Valencia, setting the fastest time on day two.

“I really enjoyed my first time in the F3 car,” said Colapinto. “It is obviously much more powerful than the FRECA car, but at the same time it has surprisingly similar driving characteristics to the LMP2 car; fast and full of support.

“A significant difference with the LMP2 class will of course be the tire management, but I like that smart part of racing. I’m really looking forward to teaming up with Van Amersfoort Racing because they have such a strong history.

“They take their return to the FIA ​​F3 Championship very seriously, and I’m really delighted to be part of this journey. The team is motivated and an absolute pleasure to work with. Pre-season testing in Bahrain are fast approaching and I can’t wait for them to start!

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Colapinto made his single-seater debut in the final round of the 2018 Spanish Formula 4 Championship, winning the last of four races. Moving to full-time in 2019, the Argentine topped the series, claiming 11 wins and securing 14 podium finishes overall.

He then spent 2020 competing in the Formula Renault Eurocup and the Toyota Racing Series, finishing third in both championships, before moving to Formula Regional for 2021.

VAR CEO Rob Niessink said: “We are delighted to have Franco on board for our first season in FIA F3. Looking back at his career so far, he has shown not only that he has a fair amount of raw talent, but also has the ability to adapt quickly to circumstances.

“We already had our eye on him as a potential candidate, which was reinforced after seeing him play in post-season testing at Valencia in early November last year. We have structured well our F3 team over the winter period and we are more than ready to hit the track in early March in Bahrain.”

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