Riccardo Agostini is ready to face a new challenge, racing in GP3 with Hilmer Motorsport, the team that joined the Sahara Force India young driver programme.

The GP3 series, founded in 2010 in order to create a path to GP2 - where Himer Motrsport is currently engaged with the drivers Daniel Abt and the 2013 front-runner Facundo Regalia - and to Formula 1, represents one of the most selective series. Drivers such as the Mexican Esteban Gutiérrez (Sauber), the Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Williams) and the Russian Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso), all raced in GP3, winning the title respectively in 2010, 2011 and 2013, before stepping up to F1.

After the season opening in Barcellona, the championship for 3.4 litres (400 Hp) Dallara single-seaters, moves on to Austria for the second of the nine rounds, followed by Silverstone (July 6), Hockenheim (July 20), Hungaroring (July 27), Spa-Francochamps (August 24), Monza (September 7), Sochi (October 12) and Abu Dhabi (November 23).

“I am delighted to debut in the GP3 Series with the Hilmer Motorsport. I met the team and feel I have a good relationship with everyone. The partnership with a F1 team such as Force India is an added value. In this championship a positive result has a double value. It’s a unique opportunity to be under the spotlight, even if the level of the series is very high. From the next week I will be again in the front line… and I can’t wait for it!”. Agostini is the only Italian driver in the series.