Carlin has announced that Lando Norris and Sérgio Sette Câmara will drive for the team on its return to FIA Formula 2 in 2018. The British driver will make his full-time F2 debut after several successful years driving for the team in other series. On the other hand, the Brazilian will join the team after a decent F2 debut in MP Motorsport.
Carlin has confirmed that FIA F3 European champion Lando Norris and FIA F2 driver Sérgio Sette Câmara will form the team line-up in 2018. The British team is set to make its return to the series after its withdrawal in 2017 to focus on its Indy Lights programme and will come back with two young talents.
Norris, the 18-year old British driver, is the current European F3 champion and has won, apart from F3 this year, the MSA Formula in 2015, both with Carlin and finished second in the Macau GP. He has been recently announced as the official reserve driver in McLaren F1 Team. He has made his F2 debut this weekend in Abu Dhabi, driving for Campos Racing, and has finished ninth on the sprint race. He is also set to take part in the Rolex 24 in Daytona, where he will drive for United Autosport.
Sette Câmara, the 19-year old Brazilian driver, has finished twelfth on his F2 debut and won the Belgium sprint race. He has also taken part in European F3, in 2015 and 2016, where he achieved four podium finishes. He finished third in the 2016 Macau GP, his only race in Carlin and was on the fight for the win in this year’s edition (driving for Motopark) until he crashed on the last corner. He is also part of the Red Bull Junior Team
The team took part in GP2 Series between 2011 and 2016. Its best results came in 2013 and 2014, when it finished second in the Teams’ Championship and Felipe Nasr finished third in the Drivers’ Championship in 2014 drving for Carlin. On its last two years, its performance was much worse and they decided to leave the championship at the end of 2016.
Now, the team will be back for the 2018 season and will have two of the most prominsing young talents on the grid. Being also both of them part of junior programmes in F1 teams.
Speaking about his 2018 programme, Norris said:
“It will be my fourth year racing with Carlin. Trevor heads up a great operation at Carlin and I feel part of the ‘family’ there. It’s a friendly environment and one in which I feel very comfortable in. Next year will be a steep learning curve in terms of getting used to the increased power, the Pirelli tyres and mandatory pit stops but I feel I’m in the best environment possible to get to grips with all those elements.”
Team mate Sette Câmara added:
“To be signing with Carlin is the best. They are a top team and I know they will be up there. I had previous experience with Carlin in Macau in 2016 and it was amazing to finish third in such an important race with them. The environment within the team, with the other drivers, the mechanics, the engineers is just so happy and positive, I’m looking forward to spending the season with the team in such a big championship. To have such a strong team mate as Lando, who is so highly regarded is really motivating. We will push each other to the limit to be better drivers and to get Carlin the results it deserves as a team. Thanks to my family and my sponsors who make this possible, I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”