Fresh from winning the 2014 EuroFormula Open championship, Thai racer Sandy Kraokaew Stuvik has announced that for the 2015 season he will race with the renowned Status GP in the Formula 1 feeder series – GP3.
The GP3 series will race together with Formula 1 and GP2 cars at the Grand Prix races in Europe and the Middle East, with worldwide TV coverage. The 3.4 liter V6 400 HP GP3 cars will be a prudent step up in category from the Formula 3 cars Stuvik raced last season and his backers feel this is the right direction on their quest to see a Thai driver competing in Formula 1. The championship will take place over nine events in Spain, Austria, United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Russia and concludes in the United Arab Emirates.
Thai racing protégé Sandy Stuvik.
Team Principal Teddy Yip Jr commented: “We have known Sandy, his family and his supporters for a number of years and I am extremely pleased that he has put his faith in our experienced team for his rookie GP3 campaign. Sandy is entering a highly competitive F1 feeder series and it will be a big step. He is no stranger to hard work and we will provide him with all the support and guidance he needs to reach his targets this season.”
Stuvik himself added: “I’m elated to be racing in the GP3 Series this season with Status GP. It’s clear that this is a team that is going above and beyond to ensure that absolutely every tiny detail is perfect. After their strong season last year in the series I hope I can learn as much as possible about the car and bring myself up to a competitive speed. Learning how to maximize the Pirelli tire will surely be a priority and I look forward to working with the engineers during the tests to get a better understanding of this.
“To conclude, I’m just extremely happy and grateful to be able to race again and this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Status GP and my sponsors; Singha Corporation, The Pizza Company, Dacon Inspection Services, Thailand Tourism Authority, The Royal Automobile Association of Thailand, and The Sports Authority of Thailand. I hope I can make my country proud and play our National Anthem over a few of the circuits on the calendar this year.”
The first race of the season for Stuvik will be during the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España Pirelli 2015 in Barcelona during 8-10 May.
