The 2013 Auto GP roster features 21 registered cars. The championship, promoted and organized by Enzo Coloni, can count on a full roster of challengers aiming for good results in a series that will feature several innovations. First of all, a brand-new car is going to be introduced - it's been a major investment for the series but a very rewarding one in terms of feedback from the teams. Reigning champions Super Nova decided to field three cars, two of them for Italian drivers Vittorio Ghirelli and Antonio Spavone. On the British side of operations, Virtuosi UK can count on the already-announced Andrea Roda and Russian prospect Max Snegirev, but a third car is currently being developed.
Two cars will be part of the Zele Racing stable as the Austrian squad, managed by Michael Zele, is in talks with several drivers. Team Ghinzani will be a major new entry for Auto GP this season and they already tested the new car last week. For his operation, former F.1 racer Piercarlo Ghinzani re-signed Romanian Robert Visoiu, who drove for the team in the 2012 Formula 3 Italia series, while a second car is nearing completion. Euronova Racing confirmed their two cars for a young pairing from Japan which includes Kimiya Sato and Yoshitaka Kuroda.
After the exit of Spanish squad Campos Racing due to heavy financial issues, Spain will be represented by a brand-new squad by the name of Ibiza Racing Team. The team, managed by Modesto Benegiamo, is set to field two cars, one of them for Giuseppe Cipriani. Michele La Rosa and Giacomo Ricci will be lined-up by MLR71, a prominent present in Auto GP just like MP Motorsport. The Dutch squad, directed by Sander Dorsman, will increase their line-up to three cars with GP2 racer Daniel De Jong driving alongside rookies Meindert van Buuren and Riccardo Agostini, the reigning Italian F.3 Champion. The drivers of the two Ombra cars are yet to be determined while the cars are getting completed and ready to go.
Enzo Coloni: We experienced some little delays in the delivery of the upgrade kits for the new cars. It's a bit of an unavoidable risk when you put together such a new project in a short time. Unfortunately, as of today, we are not able to satisfy all the requests made by our teams in time for next week's opening event at Monza, but we're pushing for the next rounds. Last year's participating teams confirmed their trust in the series, and on the other hand we are proud to welcome new competitors like Ibiza Racing Team and Team Ghinzani. Having 21 cars in such tough economic times is not an easy task and I'm proud of the result we achieved.
