After winning the 2011 Drivers Title with Kevin Ceccon, Ombra Racing is ready to tackle the coming Auto GP season: the Italian outfit confirmed Giancarlo Serenelli as the first signed driver for their 2012 campaign, a deal that comes after a very positive experience for both in the Magione promotional testing.
Venezuelan (he was born in Caracas), Serenelli is one of the most interesting talents in South-American motorsport, where he shone winning the F.Latam Challenge three times: Giancarlo clinched the crown in 2008, 2010 and 2011, each time with a big margin over his rivals and an impressive tally of 19 wins.
Boosted by such results, the Venezuelan driver decided to look for a new challenge on a car closer to GP2 and F1, and in order to do that he chose Auto GP and the team that clinched the drivers title in 2011, Ombra Racing. The agreement came very naturally as after the Magione test both the team and the driver were delighted by each other’s job. Giancarlo surprised Ombra Racing by how quickly he got acquainted with the car’s “extreme” performances despite the 300 bhp gap with the car he was used to, immediately posting some very good laptimes.
It’s worth to underline that after Facundo Regalia, Serenelli is the second South American driver to join the Auto GP grid, so taking part in the only high performance one-make Series that in 2012 will race in the American continent, travelling to Curitiba first (21-22 July) and then closing the season in Sonoma (22-23 September).Enzo Coloni: “It’s always good news when a champion from another Series decides that Auto GP is the right step to continue his growth as a racing driver, so I’m really happy to welcome Serenelli in the Series. Judging from how quickly he got on the pace in the Magione test, I’m sure that he will be among the contenders right from the first race. On the other hand I’m also sure that he will face a very tough competition, as grid quality has always been a key feature of our Championship, but he will have the skill and knowledge of Ombra Racing on his side, and 2011 showed how valuable that can be. I’m also happy that we have a second South American driver on our grid, it’s a further proof that the Intercontinental expansion was the right way to go”.Giancarlo Serenelli: “I’m really happy that I can confirm I will be racing in Auto GP with the 2011 champions of Ombra Racing. With them I felt at ease right from the Magione test in November, so now I’m really looking forward to the start of a season that will surely be a key one for my career’s progression. Auto GP was my aim from a long time, as I wanted to race in one of the major European championship, and now that I achieved that I’ll have to work as hard as I can together with the team to be competitive straight out of the box in Monza and then be able to challenge for the title, even if I know it won’t be easy. I want to thank God, my family and the sponsors that are supporting me for this opportunity, I’m sure that I’ll make the most of it”.
