Racing Engineering has confirmed Borja García and Neel Jani as its drivers for the 2005 season of the GP2 Series. With Borja García and Neel Jani, Racing Engineering has a very competitive driver line up for the first season of the GP2 Series and Neel’s experience together with Borja’s speed and Racing Engineering’s high working standard promises to be a victorious combination.
Borja García Menéndez, born in Valencia in the 15th of December 1982, regards 2005 as the most important year in his career as a race driver. On one hand he wants to prove his qualities as a driver in the GP2 Series, on the other hand he is looking forward to his test with the Toyota Formula 1 team on the 16th of April at Paul Ricard. Borja García, the reigning Spanish Formula 3 Champion, wasn’t always very lucky in his career, but this has changed drastically when he joined Racing Engineering. Borja already impressed the world of international motorsports when he topped the timesheets at a test day of the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2004.
Nevertheless the young Spaniard looks back at a tough 2004 Spanish Formula 3 Championship fighting against the experienced Portuguese Manuel Giao, but still characterizing the season with his dominance on the tracks. Borja is definitely ready to make another step up in his career as a race driver and together with Racing Engineering, he will compete in the GP2 Series in 2005.
2004 Champion of the Spanish Formula 3 Championship 10 wins and 1 podium 8 pole positions2003 Spanish Formula 3 Championship Campeón Ibérico Third in overall standings of Spanish F3 Championship 2002 Spanish Formula 3 Championship Participated in 7 (out of 13) races: 6 wins and 1 second place Third in overall standings of Spanish F3 Championship Open by Nissan Championship 2 wins Third in overall standings of Open by Nissan Championship2001 Open by Nissan Championship Third in Magny Cours (FRA) Ninth in overall standings of Open by Nissan Championship2000 Champion of the Spanish Formula Toyota 1300. 4 wins, 2 second places and 1 third place. 5 track recorda and 7 fastest laps in race.1999 Champion of Karts Categoría InterA de la Comunidad Valenciana and third in the Spanish championship, 10 pole positions, 5 track records and 10 wins. Third in Volante Saxo Inter-A. 1997 – 1998 Participation in the Fórmula Libre with three podiums1996 – 1997 Regional Junior Champion in Argentina, 6 wins and 1 second place Participation in several rounds of the Quad Junior Championship 1995 Champion of the Junior Nacional Argentina Championship, 7 wins Third in the Junior del Campeonato MERCOSUR category
Neel Jani was born on the 8th of December 1983 in Rorschach, Switzerland, and started his racing career with 1996 in kart racing. In 2000 Neel moved into the Formula A Lista Junior, which he won in an impressive way. In 2001 and 2002 Neel Jani participated in the Formula Renault 2000 successfully, recording several pole positions and race victories. Finishing the 2002 season as vice-champion of the Formula Renault 2000, Neel progressed to the Formula Renault V6, where he attracted the attention of the Sauber Formula 1 team and was signed as official test driver of the Sauber Formula 1 team. Neel finished 2003 as vice-champion of the Formula Renault V6 and participated another year in this championship in 2004, while at the same time fulfilling his duties as Formula 1 test driver.In early 2005 Neel Jani became a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and the decision was taken that Neel participates in the inaugural season of the GP2 Series as Racing Engineering’s driver.
2004 Formula Renault V6 Fourth in overall standings of the Formula Renault V6 Petronas Sauber Formula 1 team – test driver2003 Vice-Champion Formula Renault V6 Petronas Sauber Formula 1 team – test driver2002 Vice-Champion Formula Renault 20002001 Formula Renault 20002000 Champion Formula-Arco Baleno Lista1999 Formula A Category – European Championship1998 5th Junior Category1997 5th Mini Category
Borja García’s goals for 2005 are clearly set and challenging as he stated, “I am happy about the possibility to compete in the GP2 Series in 2005, but I am aware that it will be a tough championship. There are a lot of very fast and experienced drivers and every single one is hungry for a win. But with my team, Racing Engineering I know I have the perfect support and having already worked together in the past will be beneficial. Together with this professional team backing me up, my goal is to finish the championship among the top 5 drivers making it to the podium as often as possible.”
Neel Jani’s expectations for the upcoming season are high and he stated, “I am really looking forward to the season 2005 with Racing Engineering and would like to take the opportunity to thank Red Bull for making my participation in this new championship possible. I am very impressed by the team’s infrastructure. It is also nice as a Swiss to race for a partially Swiss team. Racing Engineering has got very good people and if we all do our best a lot is possible. Of course there are a lot of good drivers in the championship, but if you want to reach Formula 1, that’s the way a driver has to go. I think it will be a very hard year for everybody and my team and me need to go to the first race very well prepared. My goal is always to win the championship I participate in and it will not change this year.”
Alfonso de Orleáns-Borbón, Racing Engineering’s team principal, announced, “I am delighted to have Neel Jani and Borja García as our driver line up for our 2005 GP2 team. Neel is a top of the line driver who has the speed and experience to win. I followed his career in the Renault V6 and know that he wasn’t the luckiest driver on the grid given the amount of technical problems he had to face. I really hope that this year the final results of the championship standings display his abilities appropriately. Together with Borja, Racing Engineering will compete on an international level for the first time with a Spanish driver. With Borja I am convinced we will be able to represent Spanish motor racing well. I know Borja for quite a few years and when he finally became part of the Racing Engineering family in 2004, we knew given the proper support, Borja could become Spanish Formula 3 Champion. And he did.
Both Neel and Borja have quite similar characters that fit perfectly with the team. I am sure with this driver combination we will not only be successful, but will also enjoy our work together tremendously. Both drivers remind me a lot of Justin Wilson, with their well thought and aggressive driving styles as well as their characters. I think with Neel and Borja we have made a very good choice and we should be able to see both of them on the podium.”
