Kari steps up to F2 with MP Motorsport

MP Motorsport has promoted its Finnish ace Niko Kari to its Formula 2 team. From this weekend’s Sochi round on, the 18-year-old will join Dorian Boccolacci to recreate the GP3 line-up with which the Dutch team started the season – but one level higher up.

Kari steps up to Formula 2 after a second season in GP3 in which he scored a string of points finishes for MP Motorsport. Having started the season as a team mate to Dorian Boccolacci, the Finn will now once again team up with the Frenchman, in a copy of MP Motorsport’s GP3 line-up at the start of the season. Kari will take the seat previously occupied by Ralph Boschung.

“I’m really happy that MP has had the confidence to promote me to their Formula 2 team”, said Kari. “The new F2 cars have looked fantastic this season, and I can’t wait to step into one of them myself. I’m also looking forward to working with Dorian again, with whom I had a great working relationship during our time as GP3 team mates.”

“Niko has been a bit unlucky in his second GP3 season with us”, says Sander Dorsman, team manager at MP Motorsport, “but he has always shown his raw pace. We are confident that he will quickly convert that pace into results in the final few Formula 2 races of the season. With two young hotshoes in our F2 cars, we are aiming to surprise a fair few people in the category in the two remaining weekends at Sochi and Abu Dhabi.”

Niko Kari finished 10th in last year’s GP3 Series, capping the season with a win in race 1 at Abu Dhabi. Having taken the SMP NEZ F4 title in 2015, his debut season in single-seaters, Kari moved up to FIA F3 in 2016, taking a win and five podiums. Meanwhile, he made his GP3 debut at Spa in 2016.