RICHARD MILLE AND ART GRAND PRIX ARE CHAMPIONS IN THE TEAM AND DRIVER CATEGORIES OF GP2 AND GP3
RICHARD MILLE AND ART GRAND PRIX ARE CHAMPIONS IN THE TEAM AND DRIVER CATEGORIES OF GP2 AND GP3
As the season draws to a close, Richard Mille is proud to share in the emotion of its partners Frédéric Vasseur and Nicolas Todt. The owners of the ART Grand Prix racing team have just been crowned champions in the GP2 and GP3 racing series, Formula 1 feeder classes.
This consecutive double success has also propelled the two ART GP drivers, Frenchman Esteban Ocon (GP3) and Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne (GP2), to the top of the driver rankings.
Since 2006, Richard Mille has supported the French ART Grand Prix team, who has worked with some of the most famous names in motor sports including Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hülkenberg and even Jules Bianchi, elevating them to the summit of their art. ART GP is also one of the few private teams working independently of the major constructors to achieve this.
In late November, ART Grand Prix completed its 11th GP2 season with an 11th victory by Stoffel Vandoorne – an all-time record in the history of the championship that replaced Formula 3000 in 2005 – and a 14th GP3 podium finish on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina track by Esteban Ocon. New champion Stoffel Vandoorne performed brilliantly, triumphing at the end of a strategic and quick-witted race. Starting off in second place with soft tyres, the young Belgian driver took the lead after the first bend and led proceedings until his mandatory pit stop on the 8th lap. After returning to the race in 13th place, 33 seconds behind the leaders, he methodically climbed back up to the front runners before regaining the lead of the race on the 27th lap. This marks Stoffel’s 7th victory this season, accumulating a total of 341.5 points.
In the GP3 series, Esteban Ocon started off in third position and got off to a better start than his last remaining rival for the title, Italian driver Luca Ghiotto (Trident), who finished up in fourth place just behind Ocon. By winning the title with panache and notching up 253 points, Ocon also became the first Frenchman to be crowned GP3 champion.
This exceptional season for ART Grand Prix in GP2 and GP3 rewards the relentless efforts and technical skill of the entire team, as well as their tactical approach and strategic decisions. In 2016, Richard Mille will continue to strongly support the team led by Nicolas Todt and Frédéric Vasseur, which continues to help train top-flight drivers.