German Formula 3 champion Marvin Kirchhöfer has joined the ART Grand Prix team for the GP3 Series.
Kirchhöfer joins Alex Fontana and Dino Zamparelli in the French squad, as they hope to claim a fifth consecutive Teams’ Title.
The 19-year-old tested with MW Arden and RUSSIAN TIME at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit during the post-season test in November, impressing ART GP team CEO Frédéric Vasseur in the process.
Upon the announcement, Vasseur commented, “[Marvin’s] record is already very rich and the ambition of ART Grand Prix is to accompany him throughout this first season, so that all his talent will shine through as effectively in GP3 as it did in previous formulas where he was champion the last two years.”
It was initially believed that Kirchhöfer had a choice between ART GP and RUSSIAN TIME; however the recent passing of Igor Mazepa closed the door to the Russian team.
For now, Kirchhöfer is keen to get to work. “ART Grand Prix is one of the best teams in the field as their records surely testify. It will be exciting to grow with this team, as I know they will give me the best support and that’s one of the keys to a good adaptation.”
Despite ART GP’s past successes, the German F3 champion is keen to not be drawn into rash declarations for the year ahead. “It’s too early to set myself a target. My first test in Abu Dhabi went well: the speed was there and I was consistent, but we have to wait for the winter tests to know where we are and what to aim for in my first season in the series.”
Kirchhöfer’s confirmation makes that twelve drivers signed up for the GP3 Series with two months to run before the opening round in Spain.
