Just nine unnamed positions remain on the 2019 FIA Formula 3 grid after several teams confirmed drivers for the new campaign, with Charouz filling its three places.

It will be known as Sauber Junior Team by Charouz after a partnership arranged between the two last year, with ’18 post-season testers Fabio Scherer and Lirim Zendeli being joined by Raoul Hyman.

Scherer competed in all three days in Abu Dhabi in one of its former Arden GP3/16 cars after a debut season in European F3 with Motopark in which he claimed one podium in the second event at Spa.

Zendeli joined him on days one and three at the Czech outfit following winning the German F4 championship with 10 victories for US Racing.

It marks a return at the European side of junior ladder’s third tier for Hyman, a GP3 sprint race-winner who finished the Asian F3 series as champion in ’18.

The South African completed the ’17 GP3 season with Campos, starting from pole in the second event at Barcelona before denying Giuliano Alesi by 0.9 seconds.

This news leaves only MP and Trident as yet to put out knowledge of an entrant for the upcoming campaign.

Four others make recent F3 switch

Another European F3 driver moves over to the new category in Artem Petrov, who decides on Jenzer after starting ’19 with a race win on his way to ninth in the Toyota Racing Series standings, while Alessio Deledda joins Campos to fill its final vacancy having started his single-seater career in Italian F4 last year.

Carlin completed its line-up with the signing of Logan Sargeant, the American who tested its Indy Lights machine at the Circuit of the Americas recently.

Sargeant triumphed three times in Formula Renault Eurocup and twice in NEC in ’18 before testing MP and Trident-run GP3/16s, finishing third on the final day of running in December.

HWA made Bent Viscaal its second publicised racer on Monday, with the Dutchman moving up after ending runner-up in Euroformula Open behind Felipe Drugovich four months’ ago.

The first testing experience involving the F3 2019 machines will take place at Circuit Paul Ricard on March 20-21.

2019 FIA F3 grid so far:

ART Grand Prix: David Beckmann, Christian Lundgaard, Max Fewtrell

Campos: Sebastian Fernandez, Alex Peroni, Alessio Deledda

Carlin: Teppei Natori, Felipe Drugovich, Logan Sargeant

Charouz: Fabio Scherer, Lirim Zendeli, Raoul Hyman

Hitech GP: Juri Vips, Leonardo Pulcini

HWA Racelab: Keyvan Andres Soori, Bent Viscaal

Jenzer Motorsport: Yuki Tsunoda, Artem Petrov

MP Motorsport: none

Prema: Marcus Armstrong, Jehan Daruvala, Robert Shwartzman

Trident: none