Arden signs Eriksson and Jeffri for GP2 campaign
British squad Arden International has announced Jimmy Eriksson and Nabil Jeffri as its two drivers for the 2016 GP2 season.
Both Eriksson and Jeffri will be making their respective GP2 debuts in the season opener at Catalunya.
Eriksson, 25, enters GP2 after three years in GP3, where he finished 24th, fourth and fifth, picking up three wins for Finnish team Koiranen along the way.
"[This is] what I’ve been working towards and dreaming about over the winter, and I can’t wait for the first race," said Eriksson.
"GP2 is an extremely competitive series and I will have a lot to learn, but I really gelled with the team during pre-season testing and that’s where we’ll pick up in Barcelona in a few weeks’ time.
“I think my experience of GP3 will stand me in good stead for this move, particularly in terms of track knowledge.
"The main difference will be the length of the races. I will need to learn how to take care of the tyres for a longer period of time, in a more powerful car. Having said that, our race simulations looked highly promising in testing, so I feel quite comfortable with that already."
The Swede was the 2012 champion in German F3 – a series which likewise played host to one of Jeffri's best campaigns, the Malaysian finishing runner-up in 2014.
The 22-year-old steps up to GP2 after a quiet season in European F3 last year, Jeffri only scoring two points throughout the campaign.
"We have had some positive pre-season testing sessions and I have enjoyed working with a team who are very professional and encouraging. I look forward to a great rookie season," Jeffri said.
"This has been my lifelong dream and I very much look forward to living it out in front of my fellow Malaysians when we race at my home circuit later this year.
"The Sepang Circuit is one many drivers find challenging, so I hope my experience on this track will help my performance, and I will do Malaysia proud."
A team that produced two GP2 runners-up in Heikki Kovalainen and Luiz Razia, Arden International had a difficult 2015, finishing penultimate in the standings.
The team confirming its two drivers means the GP2 grid for the upcoming season is nearly complete, pending the announcement of Carlin's second signing and Status GP's whole line-up – albeit the latter team's frequent absences from pre-season testing days have cast doubt on its participation.
2016 GP2 line-up so far:
| Team | Driver |
|---|---|
| Arden International |
|
| ART Grand Prix |
|
| DAMS |
|
| Carlin |
|
| Campos Racing |
|
| MP Motorsport |
|
| Prema Racing |
|
| Racing Engineering |
|
| Russian Time |
|
| Rapax |
|
| Trident |
|
Nabil Jeffri
Jimmy Eriksson
Sergey Sirotkin
Nobuharu Matsushita
Alex Lynn
Nicholas Latifi
Marvin Kirchhofer
Mitch Evans
Sean Gelael
Daniel de Jong
Pierre Gasly
Antonio Giovinazzi
Lynn doesn't aim to match Vandoorne's GP2 title campaign
Canamasas joins Carlin for home GP2 round in Barcelona
Third-generation McRae to tackle Junior European Rally Championship
Max McRae will make the next step in his fledgling rallying career by taking on the Junior class in the European Rally Championship this season.
Kvyat and Bortolotti join Prema's expanded WEC line-up for 2023
Ex-Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat and factory Lamborghini racer Mirko Bortolotti have been named as part of Prema’s two-car line-up for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger
Formula 1 broadcasting has undergone many major advancements in the past decade in a push to better inform fans and enrich their viewing experience.
Hazelwood reflects on maiden Gen3 test
Todd Hazelwood has walked away from a highly-scrutinised first team Gen3 test excited by the latest generation of Supercars hardware.
Ranking the 10 best drivers from F1's junior series in 2022
The ladder to F1 never gets any less slippery. But a strong cast of Formula 3 and Formula 2 aces proved sure of foot as they continued their climbs in 2022
The next steps for Pourchaire after an F2 title miss
Theo Pourchaire entered the 2022 Formula 2 season a firm favourite for the title after remaining with ART Grand Prix for a second season. But an unexpected charge from Felipe Drugovich and MP Motorsport meant the Frenchman was forced to settle for second. What went wrong for the Sauber protege, and where does he go from here?
The remarkable career turnaround of Enzo Fittipaldi
Sixth in the F2 standings heading into this month's final round, but within touching distance of third, Enzo Fittipaldi has quietly put together a strong first full season in the Formula 1 support series, recovering well from the scary Jeddah start crash that cut his 2021 campaign short. It marks a turn in fortunes for the Brazilian who thought he'd bid hopes of a career in Europe goodbye two years ago.
What the future holds for two Red Bull juniors fighting in the F2 battleground
Despite having two talented drivers, albeit at very different stages of their careers, Prema Racing has had mixed fortunes in FIA Formula 2 this year. Both drivers told Motorsport.com how they rate their seasons so far – and their next steps beyond 2022
Logan Sargeant: Carrying America's F1 hopes on his shoulders
Two feature race wins in as many rounds have helped Logan Sargeant to emerge as the closest challenger to runaway Formula 2 points leader Felipe Drugovich. The Williams F1 junior couldn't have timed his rise better, with interest in grand prix racing on the rise in his US homeland, and he could be his country's best shot at getting a driver on the grid for the first time since 2015.
What racing in Australiar the future of F1's junior series
The announcement that FIA Formula 2 and 3 would race alongside the Australian Grand Prix from 2023 came as a surprise, not only to fans but to the series’ teams too. But with Formula 1’s boom in popularity bringing more fans to the championships, team principals are relishing the opportunity
The other Doohan charting his way to motorsport success
Heading into FIA Formula 2 this season, there was a lot of pressure on Jack Doohan. The 2021 F3 runner-up joined a new team for his next challenge, as well as signing up to the Alpine Academy. He told Motorsport.com how he’s tackling the step up - with some help from his motorcycle legend father
How Drugovich plans on becoming Brazil's first F1 driver since 2017
With a chaotic but “pretty much perfect” FIA Formula 2 weekend in Saudi Arabia behind him, Felipe Drugovich now leads the drivers’ standings in his third crack at the series. The Brazilian driver reveals how he ended up back on the grid after what he thought would be his last year in the series, and shares his F1 aspirations.
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.