Daniel Abt became the second driver to announce his GP2 Series intentions on Sunday.
The German racer will be competing with Hilmer Motorsport next season, following a tricky debut year with the famed ART Grand Prix.
Now with a full season in the books, Abt believes the move to Hilmer will help propel him up the order. “The time has come to take the next step and I’m very happy that the cooperation with Hilmer has worked out. The tests have shown what’s possible,” said the 20-year-old.
In testing for Hilmer earlier this month, Abt ran relatively well and set the 5th fastest time with the German squad.
Continuing, Abt commented that: “With respect to the aims we’re speaking exactly the same language and are determined to attack right from the beginning. I’m looking forward to this new challenge and would like to thank my partners who have made this collaboration possible for me.”
This will also mark the first time a German driver will have driven for a German team in the GP2 Series – a startling fact as the series heads into its tenth season.
Having only joined the series at the beginning of this year, Hilmer picked up four victories thanks to Robin Frijns, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Jon Lancaster (twice), but at times struggled for consistency; however Team Principal Franz Hilmer believes Abt can deliver. “In Daniel we’ve gained a driver who absolutely corresponds to our wishes. In the tests he gave an indication of his true abilities in our car. That’s why, together, we aim to regularly finish on the podium and clinch as many victories as possible.”
With an added eye on toppling RUSSIAN TIME from the top of the Teams’ Championship, Hilmer added: “In the coming season we’re going to show how powerful this Bavarian-Bavarian combination is.”
