Jimmy Eriksson seals GP2 Series move

Jimmy Eriksson has signed a deal to race for Arden International in the 2016 GP2 Series, completing a move that will see him make his debut in the main Formula 1 feeder category.

The agreement fortifies a relationship initiated between Eriksson and Arden International towards the end of last year, when the 25-year-old Swede first sampled the British squad’s Formula V8 3.5 car at Motorland Aragón and then completed two days of encouraging GP2 testing for the team in Abu Dhabi.

Eriksson has since participated in all six days of official GP2 pre-season testing with Arden International in the build-up to the new campaign, which kicks off at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on May 13-15.

“I am thrilled to be joining the GP2 Series field with Arden International this season,” says Jimmy Eriksson. “It’s what I’ve been working towards and dreaming about over the winter, and I can’t wait for the first race. GP2 is an extremely competitive series and I will have a lot to learn, but I really gelled with the team during pre-season testing and that’s where we’ll pick up in Barcelona in a few weeks’ time.”

GP2 is the number one Formula 1 support series, with its races forming part of Grand Prix events across the globe. The 2016 calendar features 11 rounds in as many different countries, combining exotic visits to Malaysia and new addition Azerbaijan with true motor racing classics such as Silverstone, Monza and the Monaco street circuit.

GP2 cars are built by Italian constructor Dallara, and equipped with 610-bhp Mecachrome V8 engines and bespoke Pirelli tyres.

Eriksson joins the GP2 ranks following three seasons of racing in the lower-tier GP3 Series, where he scored a total of three race wins and eight podiums and finished fourth overall in 2014.

“I think my experience of GP3 will stand me in good stead for this move, particularly in terms of track knowledge,” Eriksson continues. “The main difference will be the length of the races. I will need to learn how to take care of the tyres for a longer period of time, in a more powerful car. Having said that, our race simulations looked highly promising in testing, so I feel quite comfortable with that already. We will have to be realistic and take things step by step, but I’m massively looking forward to this new challenge.”

Arden International was formed in 1997 by current Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner and his father Garry, and have been an integral part of the GP2 field since the inception of the series in 2005. Among notable drivers to have raced for the Banbury-based team in GP2 are ex-F1 stars Heikki Kovalainen, Bruno Senna, Sébastien Buemi and Charles Pic, as well as current Force India racer Sergio Perez. Eriksson’s countryman Björn Wirdheim also raced for Arden on his way to the 2003 Formula 3000 title.

Eriksson’s 2016 team-mate will be Malaysia’s Nabil Jeffri.

The new agreement means Jimmy Eriksson becomes only the third Swede in history to race in GP2, joining Marcus Ericsson and Gustav Malja in those records.

Considered the final step on the road to Formula 1, GP2 has propelled a total of 29 drivers into motor racing’s top rung. Previous GP2 title winners include three-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and current F1 points leader Nico Rosberg.