Van Amersfoort Racing have announced that Belgian Amaury Cordeel will complete their first Formula 2 driver line-up, joining Jake Hughes at the Dutch outfit for 2022.
The 19-year-old will make the step up from Formula 3, having tested F2 machinery for the first time with the team at the Yas Marina Circuit in December, where he finished sixth in the afternoon session of Day 3.
Cordeel only made the jump into F3 with Campos Racing last season – where he scored a best-finish of 11th - after competing on three fronts in 2020, with spells in Formula Renault Eurocup, the Castrol Toyota Racing Series and F3 Asia.
“I am extremely excited to make this step up to F2,” said Cordeel. “I got to know the car during the post-season test at Abu Dhabi and it is an impressive drive. The power increase in comparison to F3 is obviously very noticeable, but I felt comfortable behind the wheel. I am very well aware that the season ahead will be a challenging one and I will face a steep learning curve.
“However, having Van Amersfoort Racing as my team to rely on gives me great confidence. I am thankful for the trust they’ve put in me and I look very much forward to being part of their FIA F2 debut. The level of dedication and professionalism shown during the test at Yas Marina was impressive, the least said.
“I will put my learnings from F3 to best use and together with the support of VAR, will build up from there onwards. I have been using the off-season to get in optimum shape, both physically and mentally, not to mention the endless hours I’ve spent in the simulator. I feel ready!”
Cordeel never karted professionally and made the move into single-seaters with only testing experience at the age of 14. Debuting in the 2017 French Formula 4 series, where he placed 16th, the Belgian made the switch to Spanish F4 the following season and won the title with 12 podiums and four poles, including four wins.
VAR’s CEO Rob Niessink added: “After the test at Abu Dhabi, we knew we wanted Amaury in the car. He is very committed to performing and forms a good match with the team. He proofed to be an intelligent driver and learns quickly, something we highly value in a driver.
“Our crew is excited and set up to support him in every way possible, assisting him to reach his full potential. As this is both his and our first time in the FIA F2 championship, we know it won’t be a walk in the park, but as a team, we are extremely dedicated to performing and leaving a mark starting with the very first outing at Bahrain and onwards!”