Arden names Nato and Gelael as 2017 line-up
British outfit Arden International has signed Sean Gelael and GP2 race winner Norman Nato for the 2017 season of the series.
Photo by: GP2 Series Media Service
Gelael, 20, will link up with Arden for what is to be his second full season in GP2.
The KFC Indonesia-backed driver spent 2016 at Campos, taking a maiden podium in the feature race at Spielberg but only scoring points once over the rest of the season.
Similarly to his previous team Campos, his new outfit will compete under the "Pertamina Arden" banner.
"I am really pleased to join Pertamina Arden this year," Gelael said. "It's a very experienced team that has shown consistency through the seasons.
"The post-season test in Abu Dhabi went well so it was obvious to keep working together for the 2017 season."
Meanwhile, Nato, 24, is reuniting with Arden a year on after a difficult debut season in GP2 in 2015.
A Formula Renault 2.0 frontrunner and 3.5 race winner in prior years, he was only 18th in the standings in his first GP2 campaign – but improved significantly after switching to Racing Engineering for his sophomore season, winning twice to finish fifth overall.
"I am very happy to join the Jagonya Ayam [KFC Indonesia] family and to re-join Arden this season for the GP2 Series. It is where I made my debut in GP2 so it's great to be back again. Last year was a strong season for me so I'm really optimistic we can do a good job with Sean and the team," Nato said.
Having in the past occasionally featured at the front of the GP2 pack, Arden helped Heikki Kovalainen and Luiz Razia to runner-up in 2005 and 2012 respectively.
But the British team has been winless since Razia's exit, and finished last of all participating teams in 2016.
2017 GP2 driver line-up so far:
| Team | Drivers |
|---|---|
| Prema Racing |
|
| Racing Engineering |
|
| Russian Time |  Artem Markelov |
| ART Grand Prix |
|
| DAMS | TBA |
| Campos Racing | TBA |
| MP Motorsport |  Sergio Sette Camara |
| Trident | TBA |
| Rapax | TBA |
| Arden |
|
Charles Leclerc
Antonio Fuoco
Louis Deletraz
Gustav Malja
Nobuharu Matsushita
Alexander Albon
Sean Gelael
Norman NatoBe part of Motorsport community
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