Japanese racer Tadasuke Makino will make his European Formula 3 debut with HitechGP this season.
The Honda protégé spent the winter break testing with multiple teams to find his best fit to make his European debut. He impressed during tests with Prema Powerteam, Carlin, and HitechGP, before Honda reached an agreement with HitechGP for his first season racing in Europe.
Makino moves to Europe after racing in the Japanese Formula 3 championship last season. He finished fifth overall, taking four podium finishes and a pole position from the 17 races. The 19-year-old also competed in a single round of the Super GT series, a move which impressed HitechGP team principal Oliver Oakes.
“We are really excited Tadasuke has joined us,” Oakes said. “He tested for a few F3 teams over the winter and caught our eye – especially considering it was his first time on the European scene. He has showed his talent jumping between F3 and Super GT in Japan, so we are thrilled he has decided to join us in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
“He is a quick learner, and we’re expecting Tadasuke to raise a few eyebrows next season, from what we have seen so far.”
Though Makino is the only rookie in the HitechGP line up, the four drivers now confirmed for the 2017 season have little over two seasons’ worth of experience between them. Makino will race alongside team-mates Jake Hughes, Nikita Mazepin, and Ralf Aron. Mazepin and Aron both have a season’s worth of Eurpean F3 under their belts going into 2017, but Hughes has only competed in one round of the championship, making the switch to GP3.
