Racing Engineering have confirmed their first driver for the 2015 GP2 season, with Englishman Jordan King stepping up from Formula 3.
King, who won the 2013 British Formula 3 championship, got his first taste of GP2 machinery at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi at the end of 2014, where on the opening day he finished third out of 26 cars. On all of the remaining days he wound up second fastest in the morning sessions.
King, 20, revealed he had been in discussion with a number of teams, and saw Racing Engineering as the most logical step for a rookie.
“We talked to a few different teams, and it was a tough decision to make,” King explained. “There were a lot of factors to take into consideration and I did a lot of research and thinking before reaching a conclusion. As a rookie entering a new championship, it’s very important to go with an established and experienced team – and Racing Engineering ticks all the boxes.
“They have a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise and all the necessary resources at their disposal, and they understand how to get the best out of young drivers – which is just what I need at such a crucial stage of my career. They clearly have exceptional credentials and a winning pedigree. It’s an ultra-professional team whose sole focus is on GP2, whereas a lot of other teams compete in several different championships – and in my view, this single-minded approach can only be beneficial. Of course, the standard in GP2 is so high that all the teams on the grid do a fantastic job, but Racing Engineering has been a consistently strong force every year and I’m confident they will give me a good car weekend-in, weekend-out.
“When I visited the team’s workshop in Spain, I was very encouraged and reassured by what I discovered. They showed me some of the systems they have there, and it’s really a very impressive set-up, everything looks to be in place to attain results. GP2 definitely feels like the natural next step in my career. I came out of the test in Abu Dhabi with my head held high; the car really seemed to suit me and I clicked with it pretty much straight away. I’ve learned and achieved everything I could have in the lower formulae and have developed as a driver along the way both physically and mentally, I feel very well prepared for the challenges to come.
“It’s too early to set any expectations just yet – there’s plenty of hard work ahead and I’m well aware that I have a lot to take on board – but we know what the goal is and I’m really excited about it all. I can’t wait to get going!”
Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón, the President of Racing Engineering, has been following King’s career for a number of years, and expressed his delight at bringing him to the team.
“We are delighted that Jordan will be joining Racing Engineering in 2015. We have been following Jordan’s career path for some time now and what really convinced us was his professional approach to racing, both on and off the track. I have rarely seen a driver so determined and hard working to make his dream of making it to F1 come true.
“2015 will be Jordan’s rookie season in GP2 and though there are many things to learn before the first race in Bahrain, we have high hopes he will advance rapidly. We are sure it will be a pleasure to work with such a professional, mature and dedicated driver.”
