Simmons replaces Yeany at Charouz for F3 finale in Sochi
Ayrton Simmons will replace Hunter Yeany at Charouz Racing System for the final round of the FIA Formula 3 season this weekend in Sochi.
The British driver will team up with Logan Sargeant and Zdenek Chovanec to compete in the seventh round of the year, making his debut in the championship.
Yeany is unable to compete in Sochi due to prior commitments in the US, but had been set to complete the season with Charouz at Austin before the finale was moved to Russia.
Simmons is stepping up from the GB3 Championship, where he is second in the drivers’ standings.
The 20-year-old is one of the final 10 candidates for the 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award and was the 2018 British Formula 4 vice-champion. He also has experience in Euroformula Open and Asian F3.
“I’m really looking forward to racing with Charouz Racing System," said Simmons. "I want to thank the team and also my sponsors for giving me this opportunity in getting me to Sochi.
"I’ve never driven the car before and never driven with Pirelli tyres so it’s probably going to be difficult at first to get used to everything having limited track time, but we’ll try to learn as much as possible, and I’ll make sure I’ll be as well-prepared as I can to deliver the best possible result."
Kaylen Frederick, Carlin Buzz Racing, Zdenek Chovanec, Charouz Racing System and Hunter Yeany, Charouz Racing System
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Charouz is enjoying its best season to date in F3, with four podiums and 100 points putting the team sixth in the teams' standings. Sargeant, who finished third last year, is ninth in the drivers' standings.
Team owner Antonin Charouz added: “I’m sorry that Hunter will not be able to finish the season with us, but unfortunately the change in the calendar was necessary to allow all the teams to manage the participation in the last round of the championship and there was no way to reconcile this change with his other commitments in the US.
"However, I’m happy that Ayrton was available to answer the call and take his seat, he is a promising driver who already has a few years of experience and I’m sure he will get up to speed in no time once in the car at Sochi."
Yeany had previously replaced Enzo Fittipaldi at the Czech team, who moved up to the outfit’s F2 team ahead of the Monza round earlier this month.
Related video
Prema and Campos bosses agree F2 and F3 should revert to old format
How Campos Racing has bounced back from its devastating loss
Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has retained its unique blade roll hoop for the C43 but designed it to withstand load tests that the FIA will introduce in 2024.
Daly to attempt 2023 Daytona 500 with The Money Team
IndyCar driver Conor Daly has announced plans to enter the 2023 Daytona 500 with The Money Team, making his superspeedway debut in NASCAR Cup.
Fenestraz risked 'finishing on three wheels' with Diriyah FE pass on Mortara
Sacha Fenestraz reckoned he took a "big risk" in passing Edoardo Mortara late on in the second Diriyah E-Prix, which secured eighth for the Nissan driver's first Formula E points.
Williams: Vowles can help "finish off the journey" in F1 turnaround
Incoming Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles can provide long-term stability and help "finish off the journey" in taking the team forward, according to sporting chief Sven Smeets.
Ranking the 10 best drivers from F1's junior series in 2022
The ladder to F1 never gets any less slippery. But a strong cast of Formula 3 and Formula 2 aces proved sure of foot as they continued their climbs in 2022
What racing in Australia means for the future of F1's junior series
The announcement that FIA Formula 2 and 3 would race alongside the Australian Grand Prix from 2023 came as a surprise, not only to fans but to the series’ teams too. But with Formula 1’s boom in popularity bringing more fans to the championships, team principals are relishing the opportunity
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
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.