GT Academy boy gets an opportunity in GP2

After two years and some months later of single seater time, Jann Mardenborough finally goes one step up into the route to Formula 1, as the 23-year old British driver will receive an opportunity to show his skills in GP2.

Mardenborough, one of the most successful drivers from the GT Academy program created by Sony and Nissan to reveal drivers from the Gran Turismo game, goes to his fourth competition in the year, as his multi-category schedule had outing with Nissan in the FIA World Endurance Championship and in the Blancpain Endurance Series, as well his full season commitment with Carlin in GP3, where he sits 9th in the driver standings.

The chance to step in the ladder appeared because one of the main drivers of the squad, Sean Gelael, will be in duty with the Formula Renault 3.5, and while that, the team owner Trevor Carlin opted to bring someone of the lower ranks of the Carlin team to give some GP2 experience. Gelael competed against Mardenborough in 2013, when both raced in FIA Formula 3 series.

As the weekend in Monza will be just an one-off to fill in the seat, unfortunately Mardenborough will return to his GP3 cockpit in the next round, at Sochi, Russia. Even though with this, Jann declared to be happy to get this opportunity, but expected a totally different race dynamic compared to GP3, as the double tire compound choice lets him use a little bit more of his sportscar background, let alone the DRS use.

After his GP2 outing, Mardenborough will return to the sportscar commitments, but without any confirmation that Nissan will really race with their GT-R LM NISMO LMP1 models at the 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas, at Austin, U.S.A., on September 19th, he is more expected to be in the Nissan GT-R GT3 seat for the Team RJN in the Blancpain Endurance Series for the 3 Hours of Nürburgring, a day later than the FIA WEC event.

PHOTO: Carlin