Vans Amersfoort Racing have announced that Juan Manuel Correa will be taking the second and final seat in the 2023 Formula 2 championship.
Juan Manuel Correa will be returning to the Formula 2 grid full-time since 2019. He will be joining Richard Verschoor in the second seat for Vans Amersfoort Racing. Correa is the 14th driver to be announced for the upcoming F2 season.
2019 season
Correa made his Formula 2 debut for Charouz in 2019 after finishing fourth in the Toyota Racing Series the year before. Having scored no points during the opening round in Bahrain, Correa would go on to get his first podium, a P2 finish, during the Sprint Race in Baku. He finished second once again at the French Grand Prix before a fatal collision involving him and Anthoine Hubert at Spa left Correa with several life-threatening injuries ending his season.
Return to Formula 3
Following a year of recuperation, Correa returned to racing in the Formula 3 series where he would stay for two seasons (2021 & 2022). Driving for ART both seasons, he scored an emotional podium at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix. His first since the accident.
After the F3 season ended Correa had the opportunity to race the F2 car replacing David Beckmann at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. He then was invited to participate in the Formula 2 post-season test for Vans Amersfoort.
🚨 @JMCorrea__ joins @VARmotorsport for the 2023 #F2 season!
Welcome back, JM 🤗#RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/Z0FkXpfgGi
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) December 20, 2022
Following the announcement, Correa stated:
“Being back full-time in Formula 2 means more to me than most people can imagine. It is not just an achievement in itself to be on this grid, but it also is a realization of a goal that has been the epicenter of my efforts for the last three years, so it is a very emotional achievement.”
Rob Niessink (CEO of VAR) added:
“We are excited to have Juan Manuel on board for our second season in the FIA F2. We have had many drivers in the past, but I have to say that the level of commitment that Juan Manuel shows is simply incredible. Besides that, his experience is valuable and will help to further develop both driver and team into the championship.”
2023 Driver Lineup
Despite it being three years since his Formula 2 debut, both Correa and Verschoor have experience racing in the series. With the team having finished second to last in the 2022 Team Standings, can this duo push the team up the rankings?
- Campos Racing: Ralph Boschung & Kush Maini
- DAMS Racing: Arthur Leclerc & Ayumu Iwasa
- MP Motorsport: Dennis Hauger & TBD
- PHM Racing by Charouz: Roy Nissany and Brad Benavides
- PREMA Powerteam: Oliver Bearman & Frederick Vesti
- Trident Racing: Clement Novalak & TBD
- Virtuosi Racing: Jack Doohan & Amaury Cordeel
- Vans Amersfoort Racing: Richard Verschoor & Juan Manuel Correa
As drivers and teams continue to be announced, the table will adjust.
