Ferrari junior Marcus Armstrong has been named as the Prema’s first driver for the new FIA Formula 3 Championship in the 2019 season.
Armstrong becomes only the second driver to be named for the new F3 series which will run together with the Formula 1 races and alongside the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The Kiwi remains with the Prema family for another season.
Armstrong joined Prema to compete in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship in 2018 which ceased operations after the season. He finished fifth overall with a win and eight podium finishes aside that in his rookie season.
“This is an exciting step in my career, and this series is definitely the place to be for a young driver in terms of development and learning,” said Armstrong. “Competition will be incredibly tight and everybody is looking forward to the new adventure.
“The car is obviously quite different to the Formula 3 we raced this year, not only the car itself but the engine and tyres. I have the right people around me to get on top of these details quickly though.
“Together we shared a lot of success in recent years, winning the 2017 Italian Formula 4 Championship and fighting for the German series title. We had a great 2018 too but I feel there is unfinished business and I’m very excited to get going.
“The new FIA F3 is new for everyone, including us, but I feel confident in our team that we can hit the ground running in 2019.” This will be Armstrong’s third year with Prema after starting in the Formula 4 (German and and Italian) series in 2017.
Team principal Rene Rosin added: “It is great to line-up with Marcus for another season. He has huge talent and has been a championship contender in every single series he took part in so far.
“We know we can aim at some outstanding results together and we want to carry our winning legacy into the new era of Formula 3. I want to thank Marcus and the Ferrari Driver Academy for their renewed trust.
“Our partnership achieved amazing results, but we won’t back down and we are hungry for more.” With the first signing done, two more names are to be added in the line-up. The teams will get their hands on the new car in January after which they can start testing.
2019 F3 line-up so far:
Prema – Marcus Armstrong
Jenzer – Yuki Tsunoda
