Verschoor to fill vacant MP Motorsport seat in Bahrain F2 test
Richard Verschoor will fill the yet to be confirmed second FIA Formula 2 Championship seat at MP Motorsport for pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The Dutchman has appeared on a list of drivers to compete in this week’s three-day test at the Sakhir Circuit which has been released on the F2 championship’s official website.
MP Motorsport is the only team yet to reveal its full-line up for the F2 season with only FIA Formula 3 graduate Lirim Zendeli locked in so far.
The Dutch squad omitted the name of its second driver during a season launch video last week.
However, Verschoor has been linked to the drive for this season with his appearance at the test only serving to strengthen speculation he will land the full-time drive.
The 20-year-old Dutchman has long been associated with MP Motorsport having first raced with the squad in the 2016 Spanish and SMP F4 championships, which he won.
He was also a winner of the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2019 with the team.
Last year he raced with the squad in FIA Formula 3, scoring 13 top 10 finishes, including a podium at the Red Bull Ring, on his way to ninth overall in his second full F3 season.
F2 testing will begin on Monday March 8 and conclude on Wednesday March 10 with a morning and afternoon session held each day.
Teams will have the choice of both hard and soft compounds with each car assigned six sets of prime and two sets of option tyres for the test, the same allocation the drivers will receive for the opening round of the season.
A crop of ten rookie F2 drivers make up the test day line-up in amongst a group of more seasoned racers.
Headlining the newcomers is reigning FIA Formula 3 champion Oscar Piastri who will join Robert Shwartzman at champion squad Prema Racing.
Hitech Grand Prix features an all rookie line-up New Zealander Liam Lawson and Juri Vips, who is gearing up for his maiden full season in F2.
Last year’s F3 runner-up Theo Pourchaire has graduated to ART Grand Prix’s roster alongside Christian Lundgaard.
Other F3 drivers making the step up are David Beckmann (Charouz Racing), Matteo Nannini (HWA Racelab), Alessio Deledda (HWA Racelab) and Bent Viscaal, who is only locked in to contest the opening round of the season with Trident at this stage.
Meanwhile, Campos Racing, who will run under a special tribute livery to its late founder Adrian Campos, will field last year’s Formula Regional European champion Gianluca Petecof.
FIA Formula 2 Championship Pre-season Test line up
Prema Racing: Robert Shwartzman, Oscar Piastri
UNI-Virtuosi: Felipe Drugovich, Guanyu Zhou
Carlin: Jehan Daruvala, Dan Ticktum
Hitech Grand Prix: Juri Vips, Liam Lawson
ART Grand Prix: Theo Pourchaire, Christian Lundgaard
MP Motorsport: Lirim Zendeli, Richard Verschoor
Charouz Racing System: David Beckmann, Guilherme Samaia
DAMS: Marcus Armstrong, Roy Nissany
Campos Racing: Ralph Boschung, Gianluca Petecof
HWA Racelab: Matteo Nannini, Alessio Deledda
Trident: Bent Viscaal, Marino Sato
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