Motorsport: Stanaway back in the hot seat

Along with his GP3 campaign, Richie Stanaway will race at the Le Mans 24 Hours as part of a six-car Aston Martin effort in the GT-Endurance class. Photo / File

Young Tauranga racing driver Richie Stanaway will make a long-awaited return to international single-seater racing to contest the GP3 Series which begins at the Spanish Grand Prix next month.

For Stanaway, 22, it's a step back on to the single-seater racing ladder following a back injury two years ago at the early stages of a Formula Renault 3.5 campaign.

He returned to the sport last year, driving for the Aston Martin factory team in the World Endurance Championship and also competing in the Porsche Super Cup.

Stanaway was this week confirmed for a full season in the GP3 Series with the Status Grand Prix team, completing a three-car line-up alongside British driver Nick Yelloly and Mexican Alfonso Celis Jr.

He will also continue with Aston Martin at selected rounds of the World Endurance Championship including the six-hour event at Spa-Francorchamps on May 3 and will make his Le Mans 24 Hours debut on June 14-15.

"For my single-seater career, I always hoped my injury was a bump in the road, not the end of the road," said Stanaway.

"Branching into GTs last year was an important step for me, and I'm very happy to be staying with Aston Martin in a parallel programme, but I am also extremely grateful to have another opportunity on the single-seater ladder. And the GP3 Series is an ideal place for me to have that."

Stanaway's career began by winning New Zealand's Speedsport Scholarship programme and racing in the 2007-08 Formula First series before stepping up to win the 2008-09 NZ Formula Ford title.

He won the German Formula Masters title in 2010 and the German Formula 3 championship in 2011 before moving into the Formula Renault 3.5 category for 2012, until an accident at the third round which resulted in a serious lower back injury.

Stanaway raced the previous-generation GP3 car at the end of the 2011 season, scoring a race victory on his debut weekend at Spa. His driving career is managed by Gravity Sport Management, a driver development programme with close links to the Lotus F1 team.

"Richie is a real talent whose progress we always followed through the ranks, and we're delighted to have the opportunity to race with him now," said Status GP team principal Teddy Yip Jr.

"He complements Nick and Alfonso perfectly in the team," added Yip.

"Like us all, Richie is hungry for success, and has fitted in extremely well. We'd like to thank Aston Martin Racing and Gravity Sport Management for making this possible."

Stanaway has adapted well to the new-generation GP3 car which has a 400-horsepower 3.4-litre V6 engine.

In five official pre-season test day outings with Status, Stanaway has been in the top 10 times on each occasion.

"The GP3 testing has gone well," said Stanaway.

"To date we have not yet shown the full potential over a single lap, but the build-up has been effective and I have learned a huge amount about what's required to succeed in GP3."

The 2014 GP3 Series is part of the support programme at nine Formula One grands prix across Europe, Russia and the Middle East, starting at the Spanish GP in Barcelona on May 10-11.

FIA GP3 Series calendar

May 9-11: Barcelona (Spanish GP)
June 20-22: Red Bull Ring (Austrian GP)
July 4-6: Silverstone (British GP)
July 18-20: Hockenheim (German GP)
July 25-27: Hungaroring (Hungarian GP)
August 21-24: Spa-Francorchamps (Belgian GP)
September 5-7: Monza (Italian GP)
October 10-12: Sochi (Russian GP)
November 21-23: Yas Marina (Abu Dhabi GP)