Nelson Piquet Jr will join Carlin for the Formula 3 Pau Grand Prix this weekend. The reigning FIA Formula E champion will race Carlin’s fourth car around Pau in one of racing’s most iconic street races, in the third round of the 2016 FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
Carlin invited Piquet Jr to race with the team this weekend to offer an experienced hand for the squad’s young Formula 3 drivers. The Brazilian racer proved to be the perfect stand-in for Max Chilton during last season’s Indy Lights championship, taking pole position around the streets of Toronto, despite no previous experience of the track or car.
Piquet will line-up alongside Carlin’s regular FIA F3 drivers Ryan Tveter, Alessio Lorandi and Peter Li, offering valuable feedback and guidance to the team’s young squad. The overall aim is that should schedules permit and an entry be accepted, the team will also field Piquet in this year’s Macau Grand Prix.
Speaking ahead of his first visit to Pau, Piquet said, “I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 3 car, which holds so many great memories for me. I had a great time working with Carlin in the Indy Lights car in Toronto last year, and I’m happy to help the team again this weekend in Pau. Any experience gained on street circuits is beneficial for my Formula E campaign and I relish the challenge of adapting to another category this season.”
Trevor Carlin said, “Nelson is a real racer. He’s unafraid of competition at any level and is reminiscent of the era of drivers like Jim Clark who would take part in races from various categories, just for the love of racing.
“Nelson really impressed the team last season when he jumped into an unfamiliar Indy Lights car and put the car on pole on a track he had never visited before. His championship winning credentials in Formula E perfectly reflect his talent on street circuits. We believe he will be a great asset to the team and our young drivers this weekend and we look forward to working with him in Pau and hopefully again in Macau later this year.”
