DAMS Racing have announced that Arthur Leclerc will be joining them for the 2023 Formula 2 season. Leclerc will be replacing Roy Nissany.
After months of speculation, it has finally been confirmed that twenty-two-year-old Arthur Leclerc will be the latest driver to graduate from Formula 3 to Formula 2. Leclerc is the fourth driver to be confirmed for the 2023 season.
Leclerc’s time in Formula 3
Leclerc made his Formula 3 debut in 2021 racing for PREMA Powerteam. His rookie season was riddled with errors as he consistently found himself being outperformed by both his teammates: Dennis Hauger and Ollie Caldwell. Hauger won the championship while Caldwell finished eighth ahead of Leclerc who finished tenth in the standings. However, Leclerc showed glimpses of his talent as he found himself overtaking nearly half the grid in taking victories at the French and Dutch Grand Prix.
In 2022, Leclerc once again drove for PREMA and teamed up alongside Jak Crawford and Ollie Bearman. Initially starting the campaign well, he was locked in an intense championship battle with eventual winner Victor Martins. However, a string of bad qualifying sessions found Leclerc having to work his way up the field on several occasions to catch Victor Martins.
Leclerc would finish the season sixth in the championship with one win (the Featured Race at Silverstone) and two podiums. He finished behind Bearman who placed third in the Championship. The two will face off on different teams next season with Bearman joining PREMA in Formula 2.
BREAKING: @arthur_leclerc7 steps up to #F2 🙌
The Monegasque man will race for @damsracing in his rookie season with us!#RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/rXBsAyQZ3A
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) November 21, 2022
Following the announcement, Leclerc stated:
“I’m delighted to be making the step up to Formula 2 with DAMS in 2023. They’re a very successful team that has achieved great results in the championship, and I hope I can be a part of that and continue the team’s success.”
Charles Pic (DAMS team owner) added:
“It’s great to have Arthur join DAMS for 2023. We’ve seen his talent and skill throughout his career so far, and he’s shown in the last two years in F3 that he’s capable of challenging for victories. We’re excited to have him in the car for the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, preparing for next season. The team is aiming for a strong campaign in 2023, and we’ve no doubt that the addition of Arthur will help us towards our goals.”
