Arthur Leclerc will drive in Formula 2 for the first time next season as he moves closer to his Formula 1 dream.
The young Monegasque hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Charles, who races for Ferrari in motorsport's top single-seater category. And like his sibling once was, he is a member of the Italian team's driver development programme.
Leclerc completed his second season in Formula 3 this year, finishing sixth in the drivers' standings – an improvement on his 10th place in 2021. That, combined with his Formula Regional Asian Championship success earlier this year, was enough to convince the DAMS team to give him his F2 debut next season.
"I'm delighted to be making the step up to Formula 2 with DAMS in 2023," he said. "They're a very successful team that has achieved great results in the championship, and I hope I can be a part of that and continue the team's success.
"[Team owner] Charles Pic has done an amazing job to help the team back to winning ways throughout the season and I'm aiming to keep that going next year. We've a lot of work to do before the start of the new campaign in Bahrain in March, and I'm really looking forward to getting started in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi!"
The move marks one step closer to F1 for the 22-year-old, who already has enough points for an FIA superlicence. He scored one win and two podiums in F3 this year, helping Prema to win the team title alongside fellow drivers Ollie Bearman and Jak Crawford.
Leclerc will take part in the post-season test for his new team this week in Abu Dhabi ahead of racing for them full-time in 2023. "It's great to have Arthur join DAMS for 2023," said team owner Pic.
"We've seen his talent and skill throughout his career so far, and he's shown in the last two years in F3 that he's capable of challenging for victories. We're excited to have him in the car for the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, preparing for next season.
"The team is aiming for a strong campaign in 2023, and we've no doubt that the addition of Arthur will help us towards our goals." Former team-mate Bearman will also make his F2 debut next year, continuing with Prema, while it is not yet known what lies ahead for Crawford.
