Lotus F1 team reserve Sorensen joins MP Motorsport in GP2

Marco Sorensen, the official reserve driver for the Lotus F1 Team, has joined MP Motorsport’s GP2 Series squad with his first races in the category coming this weekend, 5th/6th July, at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit in support of the British Grand Prix.

With backing from key commercial partner Saxo Bank, the Danish 23-year-old makes his debut in GP2 Series with Dutch team MP Motorsport after an impressive career in single-seaters where, in recent years, he has competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series as a Lotus F1 Team ‘junior driver’. He joins GP2 Series regular Daniël De Jong at the Westmaas-based squad, where he will pilot the No.21 car.

“We’re absolutely delighted to announce Marco is joining MP Motorsport, he’s a fantastic young driver and his position as official reserve driver for the Lotus F1 Team speaks for itself”, said team principal Sander Dorsman, “Although he is new to GP2, he brings good experience from Formula Renault 3.5 so we’re sure he will quickly adapt to the GP2 car and be a force to be reckoned with.”

Beginning his car racing career in Formula Ford in 2006 in his native Denmark, Sorensen went on to race in the formula’s Swedish and New Zealand-based categories before making the step-up into ‘slicks and wings’ competition in Formula Renault.

Finishing third overall in the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup in 2009, Sorensen’s first association with the world of F1 quickly followed when, aged just 18-years-old, he was invited onto the Renault Driver Development Programme with the then Renault F1 Team.

Graduating into the world of Formula 3, the Dane became Vice-Champion of the German F3 Championship in 2011 before spending two seasons in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, where he claimed three race victories and a total of six podiums for the Lotus team.

Speaking ahead of his Silverstone debut in GP2, Sorensen said: “This is a really good opportunity for me, I’m actually looking forward to a new challenge. It’s great that Gravity Sports Management, Lotus F1 Team and MP Motorsport gave me this opportunity to race in GP2 Series.

“My plan 100% is to get up to speed quickly and get the best results I can for MP Motorsport, but the practice is only 45 minutes and then we have qualifying on the same day. For sure it will be difficult, but there isn’t a lot of pressure so I’m going to enjoy it – that’s when I drive my best.”

Practice and qualifying for the fifth race meeting of the GP2 Series season will take place on Friday, 4th July, at Silverstone with round nine getting underway at 14.40 (local time) on Saturday, 5th July, and round 10 scheduled to commence at 09.20 (local time) on Sunday, 6th July.

MP Motorsports