Marino Sato to once again race for Team Motopark 28.02.2019: Today, Team Motopark announced their third driver for the 2019 Formula European Masters season – who will be teamed-up with the Red Bull Juniors Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda: Japan’s Marino Sato is going to contest his third season for the Oschersleben ba

Today, Team Motopark announced their third driver for the 2019 Formula European Masters season – who will be teamed-up with the Red Bull Juniors Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda: Japan’s Marino Sato is going to contest his third season for the Oschersleben based squad. In 2018, the 19-year old already made good progress.



Marino Sato is the best example for the successful development of a professional racing driver in the Formula European Masters. „I’m very happy to continue with Team Motopark for this season. I would like to say thank you to the team members and everyone involved.



There was a lot of improvement last year and we know that this year is going to be better. Now I can hardly wait for the upcoming first official tests and the first race,” says the 19-year-old from Yokohama who was promoted to Formula 3 from the Italian F4 Championship in 2017. The Japanese young talent improved consistently, with a fourth place being his best result in that season.



„I’m looking forward to another season with Marino. He has improved a lot during 2018, and he was really seriously quick,” admits Team Principal Timo Rumpfkeil. “And we made another huge step in the winter tests. The Formula European Masters is providing drivers with plenty of track time, plenty of races and arguable the best car to develop as driver.



A fact that is proven by the long list of drivers who had successful careers in Formula1, WEC, DTM or elsewhere after having learned their trade in these cars. I am sure that this quality, the platform of the DTM events, the FIA license points and – last not least – the incentives offered by the category for its successful drivers will be the foundation for a successful championship for 2019 and beyond.”



During the DTM race meetings, the young drivers will be provided nearly four hours of track time – practice sessions, qualifying sessions and races.  The DTM events guarantee professional framework on the highest level, allowing for maximum exposure.



At the end of the day, the Formula European Masters again and again represents the stepping stone to higher motor-racing categories: just recently, Ferdinand Habsburg made it right to DTM where he will race for Aston Martin – and the 2017 champion, Lando Norris, was the quickest in his first Formula One tests.



Timo Rumpfkeil is going to run a fourth car for team Motopark, this year. The driver will be announced before long.
 




Bettina Eichhammer, photos Formula European Masters / Thomas Suer