Sa Silva joins Carlin for GP3 Series
Luis Sa Silva is the second driver to be announced as part of Carlin’s 2013 GP3 team and will race alongside already announced driver Eric Lichtenstein. 22 year-old Sa Silva makes the step up from F3 Euro Series last season to GP3 with Carlin.
Sa Silva already has experience of Formula 3, having raced in the F3 Euro Series last year, as well as the Macau Grand Prix and two invitation classes of the British F3 Series. Sa Silva draws on experience from various categories including Formula Pilota in China where he coincidentally raced alongside now GP3 team mate Lichtenstein. Sa Silva’s career history also includes Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula BMW Pacific.
The GP3 Series is an even bigger challenge for drivers this season, with a new generation car featuring upgraded performance, more horsepower and improved aerodynamics. The improvements take the GP3 car from 230bhp to 400bhp, making the car up to four seconds a lap quicker.
Former GP3 drivers who have gone on to make their way all the way to the top of the motorsport ladder include 2010 champion Esteban Gutierrez and 2011 champion Valtteri Bottas, both who whom will be racing in Formula 1 this season with the Sauber F1 Team and Williams F1 Team respectively.
Speaking about the season ahead, Sa Silva said, “GP3, particularly with the introduction of the new generation car has become a real stepping stone to the top level of motorsport. With 400bhp the GP3 car will be a real step up and there will be a lot to learn. I am so excited to race against some of the best drivers in Europe on the F1 package and represent Angola to the best of my abilities and I know that with Carlin I have a great package with which to do that.”
Trevor Carlin added, “Luis is a very welcome addition to our team and we’re delighted with how he’s interacted with the team already. It’s very exciting to be involved with a project such as the Angolan Driver Development Programme, in that we’re working with a country that hasn’t traditionally had a strong motorsport history before. The GP3 car is going to be quite a step up from F3 in terms of power this year, but we’re giving Luis all the tools he needs to be able to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.”
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