DAMS announces Hughes, Ferrucci and Jorg as 2016 GP3 Series drivers
DAMS has named Formula Renault graduates Jake Hughes and Kevin Jorg plus Formula 3 convert Santino Ferrucci as its drivers for its first GP3 Series campaign
The highly-successful single-seater outfit is moving into GP3 for this season having withdrawn from Formula Renault 3.5 when the French marque pulled its backing at the end of 2015.
While Hughes, Jorg and Ferrucci are all GP3 rookies, the trio drove the outgoing GP3/11 car in the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi in December.
Briton Hughes also sampled Formula V8 3.5 and Formula 3 machinery at the end of last year as he weighed up his next move after winning races in the Formula Renault Eurocup and Alps championships.
"It's an honour to be working with a team as fantastic as DAMS, who have a track record of doing well with new challenges," said the 21-year-old from Birmingham, who was the inaugural BRDC Formula 4 champion in 2013.
"I tested a GP3 car for the first time in Abu Dhabi last year and I immediately got on with both the tyres - which I know can be a challenge - and the car as a whole, so that makes me confident of a good year."
Like Hughes, Swiss driver Jorg showed competitively in tests in both GP3 and Formula V8 3.5 before joining DAMS.
A veteran of three years in Formula Renault, the 20-year-old took third in the Eurocup and second in NEC in 2015.
American Ferrucci raced in European F3 from his 16th birthday in May 2014, finishing 11th in the standings last season and taking a second-place finish at Spa.
While GP3 teams will be permitted to run up to four drivers from this season, DAMS has only named three at this stage.
"We're eager to begin this new challenge in GP3," team boss Jean-Paul Driot said.
"It's an extremely competitive category full of fantastic young drivers, but Jake, Santino and Kevin have lots of potential.
"As newcomers to GP3 we appreciate that there is a lot to learn but we do hope to be competitive from the get-go.
"DAMS has won in every category in which it has entered and we hope to replicate this success as quickly as possible.
"We believe the talent and speed of our three young guns will help us reach our goals."
CONFIRMED GP3 DRIVERS SO FAR
Arden International: Jake Dennis, Jack Aitken
Koiranen GP: Matthew Parry, Matevos Isaakyan
Campos Racing: Alex Palou, Constantin Tereshchenko, Steijn Schothurst
DAMS: Santino Ferrucci, Jake Hughes, Kevin Jorg
ART, Trident, Jenzer, yet to announce drivers
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