Following last week’s announcement of a Formula One test with the Honda Racing F1 team for the 2008 Formula Master Champion, the Series’ €240,000 prize fund and further testing prizes were confirmed today.
GP2 test with Trident Racing
With three former Formula Master drivers currently racing in GP2 Asia (2007 Champion Jérôme D’Ambrosio along with Marcello Puglisi and Marco Bonanomi) and current GP2 team Trident Racing choosing the Series to run a feeder outfit for its GP2 venture, Formula Master’s ties to the Formula One feeder series are now firmly established.
The test is a great chance for the Series’ vice-champion to impress potential teams as did 2007 Formula Master graduates D’Ambrosio, Puglisi, Chris van der Drift and Kasper Andersen last season, according to Trident Racing Team Principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi.
“We are extremely pleased to give this year’s runner-up the opportunity to test in a GP2 car,” said Alunni Bravi. “As the first GP2 team to join Formula Master, we are very proud to be this involved in the Series. We are also happy to confirm that the winner of the Italia Formula Master series will be given a test with our GP2 team as well.”
Formula Master promoters together with Trident Racing agreed on the Italia Formula Master prize of a GP2 test for the series, which will run for six events throughout Italy this year and is promoted by Peroni Promotion.N.Technology WTCCFIA World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC) test with N.Technology
Partnering the FIA WTCC for the second year running, Formula Master holds strong connections to the championship with Italian WTCC team N.Technology founding the Series. Benefiting from N.Technology’s touring car expertise, the Formula Master driver finishing in the third place will be awarded a test in the Honda Accord Euro R Super 2000.
The Italia Formula Master series runner-up will also be granted a test with the N.Technology WTCC team. Further test prizes, set to take place in the United States, are currently under discussion.
“I am pleased to confirm that following Trident Racing’s decision to race in Formula Master, the team can also provide such a great opportunity for our young drivers,” said Chairman Mauro Sipsz who believes the considerable prize package will validate drivers’ choice to join Formula Master.
“We can already offer such a competitive package after just one racing season, with our drivers now able to compete for tests in two FIA World Championships as well as GP2. In addition to this year’s test rewards, we can confirm a €240,000 prize fund, with €30,000 allocated for each event.”
Formula Master’s inaugural season in 2007 delivered some of the year’s best racing with the Series’ concept of offering young, aspiring drivers the chance to establish themselves on an international stage proving a great success already.
2007 statistics
FIA WTCC partner series Eight events – 16 races Eight European destinations 40 drivers – 19 countries represented 30 cars on average for each event 18 million TV viewers on Eurosport 16 hours LIVE coverage on Eurosport 367,000 attending spectators Inaugural race at Valencia, Spain on 19 May 2007 Inaugural Champion Jérôme D’Ambrosio (BEL), Cram Competition Inaugural race winner Salvatore Gatto (ITA), Alan Racing Youngest race winner Pablo Sanchez Lopez (MEX), Alan Racing Eight different race winners Six different pole setters 16 different drivers have led a race 15 different drivers have stepped onto the Formula Master podium 30 drivers in the points Featuring N.Technology’s Formula Master race car with electric gearshift and clutch paddles and advanced aerodynamics, the car weighs just 550kg including the driver and runs on control tyres by Yokohama.
The first car in the world to secure 2008 FIA homologation, the Formula Master single-seater has generated excitement from all sectors thanks to its dynamic styling, light-weight body and powerful Honda K20A engine.
