ART Grand Prix have revealed their second driver for the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season, with Mari Boya moving from Van Amersfoort Racing for his second campaign in the series.
Boya enjoyed a strong first FRECA season in 2021, finishing as the fourth best rookie and taking a maiden podium finish at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, and he will now join Gabriele Mini at ART Grand Prix for his sophomore season.
The seventeen-year-old Spaniard says it was important to be with a top team for his 2022 season if he is to be a championship contender, and he feels ART Grand Prix is the place for that.
“From the end of last year, it was obvious to us that to complete in a second year we had to benefit from the best possible conditions,” said Boya. “ART Grand Prix has often dominated the championship and so we decided to try our luck with them and their incredible track record.
“During the off-season tests, I was immediately won over by the team and I felt very comfortable behind the wheel. I am therefore very happy to work with ART Grand Prix and impatient for the season to begin, to find myself in race weekend conditions.
“The goal is always to win, but I’m waiting to see how the start of the season goes and how the season unfolds to assert my ambitions. A top 3 must be the minimum result. I want to thank Monlau Motorsport, RACC, Oeme and the Spanish federation.”
Sébastien Philippe, the Team Principal at ART Grand Prix, says he was impressed by Boya’s performances both during his rookie season and during testing at the end of last year, and he believes the Spaniard will be a contender in 2022.
“Mari has had a steady and solid rise from a young age and his FRECA stunts in 2021 have made us interested in him,” said Philippe. “He did a high-quality job during winter testing and he used his collaboration with the technical team to display a high level of performance.
“It is therefore with much confidence we will accompany him for his second year in this championship, with the common ambition of aiming for the top positions.”