Ferrari soon in GP2 Series

Like Caterham, Lotus, or Marussia, Ferrari will soon have its own team in the GP2 Series. Indeed, the Maranello company has partnered with the AF Corse structure of Amato Ferrari, currently engaged in Endurance, so that a GP2 team will be set up by 2013: “We are pleased to rely on the seriousness of AF Corse and the commitment of Giancarlo [Fisichella] to carry out this project,” comments Luca Baldisserri, head of the Ferrari Driver Academy, on the official AF Corse team website. “The objective of the AF Corse GP2 team will be to help promote young Italian drivers and to allow members of the Ferrari Driver Academy to hone their skills in GP2 and learn in a professional environment. We are convinced this is one of the best solutions to provide Italy with new representatives in Formula One and to enable them to achieve success there like Farina, Ascari, Alboreto, and Giancarlo [Fisichella] before them,” concludes the Italian.

The AF Corse GP2 team, which could take its first laps as early as the end of the 2012 season, will be led by Giancarlo Fisichella, who will return to the GP2 Series after buying the Coloni team in 2006, competing in the championship under the name Fisichella Motorsport, before selling his shares back to Coloni in 2010: “The GP2 Series is a championship I know well from having been involved in it. The task, although noble, will not be the easiest for Ferrari,” estimates Giancarlo Fisichella. “While in Formula One, Ferrari is a benchmark, in GP2, it has everything to learn against teams as experienced as DAMS, Addax, Coloni or even Lotus [formerly ART], but I am convinced that with the right people, we will learn quickly and be able to compete for the title as early as 2013.”

A source close to Ferrari indicates that the Italian manufacturer is also considering investing, with the help of Santander and Emirati partners, in the HRT team, in order to have, like Red Bull, a team that allows its drivers to make their early steps in Formula One. Santander is reportedly in negotiations with Thesan Capital since the beginning of March, and a meeting is planned in Madrid on Friday, April 13, between representatives of Santander, Ferrari, and Thesan Capital for a minority stake in the Spanish team.