Formula 4 stars Juri Vips and Artem Petrov step up to European F3
Two more stars of last season's top Formula 4 series have secured seats for the 2018 Formula 3 European Championship
Reigning German Formula 4 champion Juri Vips has joined Motopark, the same team with which the Estonian made his F3 race debut in a one-off at the 2017 Hockenheim finale, while Russian Artem Petrov makes the step up with Van Amersfoort Racing.
The 17-year-old Vips has raced for Prema Powerteam during his two seasons in F4, and took his first steps in F3 in a test with the Italian squad in September.
But after joining Motopark for his F3 race bow, he completed a concerted testing programme with the German operation's Volkswagen-powered Dallaras.
"The cooperation with Team Motopark ran smooth as silk right from the word go," said Vips who, like third-year F3 racer and compatriot Ralf Aron, is mentored by 2007 British F3 champion Marko Asmer.
"My early experiences reassure me that I've found the right environment with a very strong support to help me learn my trade in F3, which is a totally different world from F4.
"What I found at Hockenheim and in our early off-season prep programme makes me very confident of a good start to my F3 life."
Motopark boss Timo Rumpfkeil, who now has five F3 drivers confirmed for 2018, said: "We took a good, hard look at Juri's progress in the 2016 and 2017 F4 seasons because we had heard about the reputation which preceded him - and his two years did, indeed, show he is an extremely promising talent.
"He may well have what it takes to go all the way.
"Following our extensive testing after his first race weekend in 2017, I'm certain he will only need a very short period of time to find his feet in F3 and be successful there too."
Petrov, meanwhile, achieved the rare distinction of winning end-of-season races in Europe's top two F4 championships with two different teams.
The 17-year-old from St Petersburg majored on the Italian series with DR Formula, but then added a late-season German programme with VAR.
He then went on to impress in an F3 testing schedule with the Dutch squad's Mercedes-engined Dallaras, in which he becomes the second driver confirmed for 2018.
VAR boss Frits van Amersfoort said: "We had Artem on our radar for some time.
"Last season he came in the team with a bang - we believe he is ready for the next step and we feel his motivation to be successful at the next level."
Petrov, no relation to ex-Formula 1 racer Vitaly Petrov, added: "I am happy that I can make the step into F3 with VAR.
"I felt right away at home in the team and am looking forward to enter battle together in this competitive championship with very strong drivers, who I have known since my karting days."
2018 Euro F3 line-up so far
Carlin: Jehan Daruvala, Devlin DeFrancesco, Sacha Fenestraz, Ferdinand Habsburg, Nikita Troitskiy
Motopark: Dan Ticktum, Marino Sato, Fabio Scherer, Jonathan Aberdein, Juri Vips
Prema Powerteam: Marcus Armstrong, Robert Shwartzman, Ralf Aron, Guan Yu Zhou, Mick Schumacher
Hitech GP: Enaam Ahmed, Alex Palou, Ben Hingeley
Van Amersfoort Racing: Keyvan Andres, Artem Petrov
Ma-Con Motorsport: Julian Hanses
Fortec Motorsport: TBA
GP3 race-winner Alessio Lorandi moves to Trident for 2018 season
European F3 podium finishers Mawson and Beckmann get 2018 GP3 seats
Why the Formula 3 benchmark's 2022 season hinges on qualifying
Prema Racing has long dominated FIA Formula 3, taking the teams’ title in two of the past three seasons. But its start to 2022 has been trickier than usual, and the answers lie in its qualifying performance
How the ultra-tight F3 title fight is taking shape
With just five points separating the top five after two rounds, FIA Formula 3 looks set for another thrilling season in 2022. But who stands the best chance of pulling away from that pack, and who are the contenders bubbling under?
The F3 newcomer making good on his unusual career path
Joining the FIA Formula 3 grid as a rookie with a team new to the series could prove daunting for most, but then there aren't many drivers who have the extensive experience Franco Colapinto brings from his time racing sportscars. The Argentinian explains how his LMP2 experience is already helping him in 2022
The British trio hunting for F3 title glory
The 2022 FIA Formula 3 season kicks off this weekend in Bahrain. British trio Zak O’Sullivan, Ollie Bearman and Jonny Edgar have all become proteges of Formula 1 teams, and are talents to watch this year
How an outsider demolished a rank of F1 juniors
His career has been a slowburner but Gregoire Saucy trounced a collection of F1 juniors in Formula Regional by Alpine last year, and now he’s preparing to do it again in FIA F3. Here’s how the Swiss caught the world by surprise in 2021 and how he plans to do it all over again
Ranking the top 10 F2 and F3 drivers of 2021
With a veritable feast of feeder series talent in 2021, FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 produced some of its most exciting racing yet. Although Prema Racing drivers once again dominated the respective series, drivers from other teams also stole the limelight to mark themselves out as stars of the future, or validate their highly-regarded standing
How Prema continued its dominance of F1's junior ladder in 2021
Taking three of the four titles and producing two outstanding champions in the process, Prema Racing remained the team to beat in Formula 1's feeder series in 2021. Team boss Rene Rosin reveals the traits that helped Dennis Hauger and Oscar Piastri to come out on top in Formula 3 and Formula 2
From zero to hero: How F3's 2021 champion bounced back
After a disastrous 2020 in FIA Formula 3 with Hitech, Dennis Hauger began to doubt himself - with the self-belief he had built through success in junior series evaporating. But after regrouping, he stormed to the F3 title in 2021. Here’s how he did it