FIA Formula 3 team Prema Powerteam have made an agreement with GP2 team Daiko Team Lazarus and will take over the entry of their Italian compatriots of for the 2016 season of the GP2 Series.
“I am very pleased to welcome Prema to the GP2 Series”, says GP2 Series CEO Bruno Michel. “Their remarkable track record makes me believe that they should be able to adapt quickly to our category. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tancredi Pagiaro and his team for their hard work and dedication for the past four seasons. I wish them the best for the future. “
The Prema Powerteam has indeed an impressive record in the FIA Formula 3 championship: Drivers of the Italian team have won the Formula Three title four times in a row, from 2012 to 2015, and Prema has claimed the crown in the team championship in the three previous seasons as well. The team, founded in 1984, has since then competed successfully in various junior categories and has ties to various Formula 1 teams: It was a partner of the Toyota Young Driver Program from 2000 to 2007. Drivers of the Ferrari Young Driver Academy, like Raffaele Marciello, competed with Prema from 2011 to 2014, and Lotus F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon won the Formula 3 title with the Italian team in 2014.
“We are delighted to line-up for this exciting new adventure in the GP2 Series”, comments Prema team manager Rene Rosin. “Prema always followed the evolution of the GP2 concept as an interested spectator, and it is now finally time to join the game in first person. The move to the GP2 Series is a logical step for Prema, following the successful experiences in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and in the Italian and the German Formula 4 Championships, which will continue with the same level of commitment.”
Daiko Team Lazarus’ GP2 campaign ends with the last race of the season, and Prema will have their first outing the GP2 Series during the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi.
Lazarus have been part of the GP2 Series for four seasons, competing under the name of Venezuela Team Lazarus from 2012 to 2014, and as Daiko Team Lazarus in 2015. The team’s best result was a 12th place in the team’s championship in their debut season, and it currently sits in 11th place with a total of 28 points.
Lazarus’ team manager Tancredi Pagiaro comments: “Our four years in the GP2 Series were a marvellous experience, where we were engaged in an important motorsport category, but also in close contact with Formula 1. We’re passing our baton on to our friends from the same region in Italy, to Prema. We wish them the best of luck and success as we hope for a bright future for the series we’re leaving behind. We also wish to return Bruno Michel’s kind words regarding the future and want to thank him for his commitment to the series. We’re leaving the racing series behind, only to follow new goals, while we will always keep an eye on the GP2 Series. You never forget your first love, as they say in Italy. So who knows if our roads might cross again one day in the future.”
