28/02/2008
NEWS STORY
David Price Racing (DPR) has confirmed their two drivers for this year's main GP2 series. Current DPR GP2 Asia driver, Brazilian Diego Nunes (right), will line up for the team in a full time race seat, and will be joined by 19-year-old Romanian driver Michael Herck, who steps up from World Series by Renault, and is also currently racing in the GP2 Asia Series.
Herck makes the move to GP2 after previously racing in the Formula 3 Euroseries in 2006 and in the World Series by Renault in 2007. Herck commented on the signing, "I'm really pleased that I've landed a seat for the main GP2 series with DPR. The GP2 series is the next step in the ladder towards Formula 1, which is my ultimate goal. DPR proved last season that they are highly competitive and I know that they have a strong, highly professional, team. I'm looking forward to working with them in the coming season. Our 2008 campaign starts this week with the first chance to try the new GP2 car, so I'm very excited to have confirmed the deal and be in the driving seat in Paul Ricard for testing."
DPR's current GP2 Asia driver Diego Nunes, made his debut with the squad in Sentul two weeks ago, but already has a top ten finish under his belt. Nunes commented, "" DPR has a great history of car racing and I look forward to continuing with them after the Asian Series. Andy (Soucek) has shown in Dubai what the car is capable of, and I will try my best to get to know the car quickly. I am grateful to the team for putting their trust in me. I hope to justify their choice with some good results in Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain and Dubai before moving on to the European tracks starting in Barcelona in April.
"Having started racing with DPR in the GP2 Asia series I am pleased to be staying with the team for the main GP2 series this year. I've grown in confidence and I'm learning quickly in the Asian GP2 series with the help of DPR. I hope we'll be able to carry this momentum into the main Series and that this will be an advantage to us. I'm looking forward to my first drive of the new GP2 car with DPR in Paul Ricard later this week at the first pre-season test."
Team owner David Price commented, "We are very pleased to sign both Diego and Michael for the coming season. They are both young talented drivers, and we'll work together to nurture and develop this talent. Their GP2 Asia Series experience will prepare them for the summer, and alongside this, we start testing with the new car, so that they can be ready for the first race at the end of April. In addition, we've completed a refinancing of DPR which enables us to put in place a development programme and investment in resources to take the operation up a level."
The GP2 Series testing programme kicks off today in Paul Ricard and moves on to Barcelona in early March. The final pre-season test will be held in Paul Ricard mid-March, before the first race of the season on April 26-27 in Barcelona in Spain, supporting the first European Formula 1 Grand Prix of the year.