Eriksson Returns to Chase the Title with Motopark

Joel Eriksson will return for a second season in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2017, having extended his deal to race for Team Motopark.

Eriksson finished fifth in the ultra-competitive series during his maiden year of F3 racing in 2016, winning one race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) and claiming the coveted rookie title. The 18-year-old Swede also managed to win the standalone Masters of Formula 3 event at Zandvoort, the Netherlands, at his first attempt.

Moving into his second season in the championship, Eriksson now aims for the biggest prize, as he bids to build on the sort of momentum that saw him bag seven podiums from the last 11 races of 2016.

“I’m excited to return to the FIA F3 European Championship this year,” says Joel Eriksson. “I learned so much last season, enjoyed the format, and achieved my target of winning the rookie title. It was a good first year, and based on our results and the pace we had – especially during the second half of the season – I’ll be heading into 2017 aiming to win the championship outright. It will be extremely tough with a lot of strong teams and drivers already lined up, but it’s not supposed to be easy. I’ve been racing with Team Motopark for all of my single-seater career, we showed our potential last year, and I can’t wait to meet this challenge together with them.”

Eriksson, who also forms part of the BMW Junior Programme, is the first driver to be confirmed at Team Motopark’s F3 operation for 2017.

“We are extremely delighted to have Joel leading our 2017 FIA F3 European Championship campaign,” says Timo Rumpfkeil, Team Motopark principal. “He is not just a tremendously fast driver, but also has that inherent race craft that can make all the difference. After enjoying an extremely successful 2016 season with Joel, winning the rookie title, we are confident that we will be strong contenders for the overall championship in 2017. We took huge steps last year and have continued to work extensively over the winter, preparing ourselves carefully in testing. We’re looking forward to an exciting season, and we are ready to take the fight.”

Just like in 2016, the 2017 FIA F3 European Championship calendar will feature a total of 30 races, spread out across ten meetings at some of Europe’s most famous circuits. The season gets underway at Silverstone (Great Britain) on April 14-16, and concludes in Germany with the traditional Hockenheim finale on October 13-15.