---
title: "Philippe hints at ‘strong’ 2017 GP3 season for ART"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2016/12/22/philippe-hints-strong-2017-gp3-season-art/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Cameron Paterson"
section: "GP3 Series"
published: "2016-12-22T12:00:18Z"
modified: "2016-12-22T12:11:29Z"
---

# Philippe hints at ‘strong’ 2017 GP3 season for ART

ART Grand Prix team manager Sebastien Philippe has said that he believes that the team will continue to be ‘strong’ in the 2017 GP3 Series season.

The team broke records in 2016 to win both Drivers and Teams’ Championships with Charles Leclerc beating teammate Alex Albon to the crown at the final round in Abu Dhabi.

Their total of 588 points is the highest any team has accrued in a season in the seven-year history of the sport as they claimed their sixth Teams’ Championship since 2010 in the seventh round of nine in Italy.

Philippe said in an[interview](https://www.gp3series.com/News/2016/12_December/Master-ART-Class/) with the series that he doesn’t know exactly what makes the team so commanding, but that he won’t complain about their position.

“ART has been strong for many, many years. We’ve found a good way to build up the engineering side which is working well for us,” he said.

“The engineers all work with the same philosophy. We also have good data as we’ve had some very strong drivers in GP3 since the beginning of our time in the category. Year by year this helps for sure. It’s difficult to explain why you dominate something sometimes, like how it is also difficult to explain why you don’t win. I prefer this case obviously!”

![Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service.](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2016/12/SBB8921-904x603.jpg)

He said that he thought that his team of engineers and the fact that have been in the series since the first round has allowed them to succeed.

“I think it’s a very good team with a chief mechanic who has been with us for a very long time, doing everything perfectly with reliable cars. We have some engineers with experience and others new, with fresh ideas.

“I think all of this combined with the fact that we were with GP3 since its inception in 2010 helps us a lot. I hope we continue like this.”

No drivers have been confirmed by the team for 2017 at this point, however, he is optimistic with the personnel the team have ahead of preparations for the new season.

“I’m already quite happy with what we have built up for the 2017 season and I think we will be strong again. I don’t know if the other teams need to worry about us but I feel positive as we have stability within the staff and some good drivers. We will have a good package next year too.”

Post-season testing saw drivers such as Jack Aitken, Max Defourny, Arjun Maini and George Russell set laps for the team which could be an indication of possible driver choices considering drivers from 2016, Nirei Fukuzumi, Charles Leclerc and Alex Albon, all took part in post-season testing at the end of 2015.