After eight years of using Volkswagen engines for their Formula 3 campaigns, the Dutch team will switch engines for 2016 using Mercedes-Benz ones.
During their collaboration together in Formula 3, Van Amersfoort Racing and Volkswaggen started 244 races and scored 45 pole positions, 57 race wins and 148 podium finishes. Since the establishment of the European Formula 3 championship in 2012, the team never stopped progressing.
Not to mention they put Max Verstappen under the spotlights in 2014 with 10 wins, they secured the third place in the team championship in 2015 and offered the rookie title to Charles Leclerc, their first title in the series.
Team principal Frits Van Amersfoort says :
“In preparation for the upcoming season, we have been studying the different possibilities with great care and for strategic reasons, we decided to opt for the Mercedes-Benz engine and we are looking forward to a good co-operation with Mercedes-Benz and its motorsport division HWA in the future”
“At this occasion, we would also like to thank Volkswagen and engine tuner Spiess for the great times and the success we have had together over the years.”
As Leclerc seems ready to step up to GP3, Van Amersfoort Racing had already secured another talent’s seat in the famous name of Pedro Piquet, son of the three times F1 world champion Nelson Piquet, for 2016 after winning the Brazilian Formula 3 championship twice in a row.