- Son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya to race in ADAC Formula 4
- BWR Motorsport cooperating with Nico Rosberg’s Racing Academy
- Champion team Van Amersfoort Racing confirms its quartet of drivers
Munich. The son of former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, a rapid lady from the United Arab Emirates, and drivers from Nico Rosberg’s academy: the ADAC Formula 4 field is taking shape and promises to produce a thrilling seventh season. It includes Sebastian Montoya (15, Columbia), who will line up for the Prema Powerteam alongside Hamda Al Qubaisi (18, United Arab Emirates) at selected events. The newcomers of BWR Motorsport, led by former Team Rosberg engineer Erich Baumgärtner, are cooperating with former Formula 1 world champion Rosberg’s Racing Academy and have already announced two drivers. Last season’s champion team, Van Amersfoort Racing, has also announced its quartet of drivers for ADAC Formula 4.
Prema boss Rosin looking forward to “the reunion”
“We are really looking forward to the reunion,” says Prema team principal Angelo Rosin, referring to the arrival of Montoya junior. “He has great potential and we can hardly wait to see how he develops over the coming season.” 18-year-old Al Qubaisi enters her second season in Formula racing and is the second generation of drivers in her family. Father Khaled Al Qubaisi is an endurance driver, while her older sister Amna Al Qubaisi is actively involved in Formula racing and is also part of the Abu Dhabi Racing programme. “It is fantastic to welcome Hamda into our team for the 2021 season,” says Rosin. “We have worked with her in the past and it was a really positive experience. She is very passionate about motorsport.”
BWR lines up with Catalano and Barnard
The new BWR team, which is cooperating with Nico Rosberg, has also confirmed two drivers already. Kart world champion Taylor Barnard (Great Britain) and Valentino Catalano (15, Germersheim), who was crowned Junior champion in last year’s French Formula 4 series, line up for Erich Baumgärtner’s team. “Valentino is already experienced and will be very valuable this year,” says Baumgärtner, who has been actively involved in motorsport for many years and has looked after many top drivers in the early stages of their career. He is confident that “Taylor is a fantastic talent. He gave an indication of his potential during the tests. We are proud to have him in our team.”
Meanwhile, Van Amersfoort Racing welcomes Nikita Bedrin (15, Russia), Joshua Dufek (16, Austria/Switzerland) and Bence Valint (16, Hungary) on board. They will start selected races in ADAC Formula 4 and the Italian series. “These are competitive junior series for the next generation of Formula drivers. The combination of the two is a perfect step,” says Rob Niessink, CEO of Van Amersfoort Racing. The team had previously announced Oliver Bearman (15, Great Britain) as one of its drivers. The 15-year-old started for US Racing in 2020 and is now set for his second season.