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Red Bull has confirmed 12 drivers as part of their junior team program for 2022. The news comes shortly after the announcement of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) line-up for the upcoming season.
Reigning F3 champion Dennis Hauger will move to F2 this year. The Norwegian is expected to drive alongside Indian Jehan Daruvala for Prema Racing.
When asked about the move to F2 with Prema Racing, Red Bull's Hauger said:
“I’m delighted to continue with Prema in 2022. We had a good year in 2021 with some amazing teamwork, and I really enjoyed it. I’m extremely happy that they keep believing in me, and I’m looking forward to carrying on the hard work we put in together this season as well.”
In addition to them are Jüri Vips, Liam Lawson, and Ayumu Iwasa. All three drivers will also be making their F2 debuts this season alongside Hauger. Vips is set to race for Hitech GP, Lawson will feature for Carlin and Iwasa will run for DAMS.
American driver Jak Crawford will feature for Prema Racing in F3, alongside Ollie Bearman and Arthur Leclerc from the FDA. The 16-year-old Crawford scored one podium and 45 points in his rookie F3 season with Hitech GP and will hope to build on that in 2022. He is also expected to race in F3 Asia alongside France's Isack Hadjar.
The Japanese pair of Souta Arao and Yuto Nomura will feature in the French F4 series. Arvid Lindblad will race in F4 and Noel Leon rounds out the list by racing in the Formula Regional EU.
Pierre Gasly hopeful of Red Bull return alongside Max Verstappen
Pierre Gasly has revealed he believes there will be 'opportunities' for him to return to Red Bull in the future. The Frenchman referred to the volatile drivers market and how things can change quickly in the world of F1 during an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. He said:
“The market will change. For many drivers, contracts will expire in 2023. There will be opportunities. Everything happens very quickly in Formula 1. I am not too worried. There are opportunities. I know that. We’ll see when it's the right time.”
Gasly was part of the Milton Keynes-based team for the first half of 2019, arriving to replace the outgoing Daniel Ricciardo. The 25-year-old, however, struggled to match up against Max Verstappen and found himself back at Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri) after the summer break.
Former world champion Nico Rosberg had expected Red Bull to bring Gasly back to the team. Christian Horner's side, however, have confirmed Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen's wingman for the 2022 campaign.
Gasly will also need to be wary of the many talented members of the team's driver development program, helmed by Dr. Helmut Marko. They have a reputation for championing young talent, so it won't come as a surprise if they bring in fresh blood instead of Gasly in the future.
