Chinese racer Adderly Fong has signed to join Status Grand Prix for the 2013 season and complete the team’s line-up for the GP3 Series.
The 23-year-old Hong Kong-based driver has committed to a full season after promising test outings with Status GP at Estoril and Barcelona earlier this year. He will line up alongside Sweden’s Jimmy Eriksson, the reigning German Formula 3 champion, and England’s Josh Webster, last year’s Formula Renault BARC runner-up.
Fong competed with success last season in the Asia-based Audi R8 LMS Cup, in which he finished second with three race wins, and a part-campaign in the British Formula 3 National Class, where he took seven wins from eight starts. He also raced last year in Auto GP and Indy Lights, and in the past has competed in Superleague as well as testing in the Formula Renault 3.5 car.
Adderly Fong commented: “I am definitely delighted and excited to be racing in the GP3 Series with Status GP this season. After racing the Audi as my major programme last season, it’s back to full-time single-seater racing, which is the discipline I started in.
“I’m looking forward to the season and it will be interesting – the new 400bhp car is very tough, there is very strong competition, but we have good people at the team.
“Testing has gone pretty well but we’re not exactly sure where everyone is, because some people were doing race runs and some were doing qualifying simulations, so it’s hard to gauge where we are in the order.
“The straight-line speed of the new GP3 car is just amazing. It handles more like a big Formula 3 car, which is what I’m used to, but with everything more intense – bigger g-forces, heavier steering and more stopping power.”
Status GP team principal Teddy Yip added: “Adderly has shown himself to be a real contender in the pre-season testing to date, regularly being in the Top 10 when on track. His experience will serve him well, too, in the races and we’re looking forward to a strong year.”
Fong’s next outing will be next week in the two-day Silverstone test on 3rd and 4th April, before the first race weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya, supporting the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix on 10th to 12th May.
Status Grand Prix Press Release