Gelael signs with Prema for 2018

Prema announced that Sean Gelael will drive for the team in the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship.

A 21-year-old from Jakarta, Indonesia, Gelael is an experienced driver, having started his single-seater career back in 2012. After lining-up for the Formula Abarth and Formula Pilota China Championships, he moved to Formula 3 competition in 2013 and then made a further step in 2015, joining the Formula Renault 3.5 championship and later the GP2 Series.

His accomplishments include a positive stint in endurance racing, with two wins in the Asian Le Mans Series. He also already made his way to Formula 1, debuting as a test driver for Toro Rosso and scoring outstanding results in his free practice runs.

With his great deal of experience and knowledge of the top Formula 2 venues, Sean will be a valuable asset for Prema in 2018, in a season that will feature a brand-new car for teams and drivers to develop.

He will join the Prema team for post season testing right after the 2017 finale at Abu Dhabi, with the goal of establishing good chemistry with the team and their work methods so to lay great foundations for the season ahead.

René Rosin - Team Principal: “I’m proud to welcome Sean to our team. With his multifaceted experience, he will definitely be a key resource for the 2018 Formula 2 season as we will need to adapt to a brand-new car. In our first year in the series, we decided to field a mix of an experienced driver and a rookie, while this season we went for an all-rookie program. In both cases, the results proved us right. For next year though, there will be a new factor in play and we will rely on experience to speed-up the development of the 2018 Dallara. Having raced and adapted himself to such diverse environments in the past, I’m sure that Sean will be able to meet his expectations and contribute to more success for the team.”

Sean Gelael: “Driving for such a successful team, so rich in history, is a great opportunity for every driver. Hopefully we will be able to build something important together with the team. We will go for a strong start at the Abu Dhabi post season tests to build the momentum. Everything will be new next year, a new car and challenge. I’m excited to take the next step for my third year in Formula 2 and hopefully we can achieve some good results.”