Alfonso Celis becomes a development driver for Sahara Force India

The arrival of Sergio Perez at Sahara Force India allowed the team to bring in sponsors from the Telmex group. The return of Mexico to the F1 calendar was also a way to attract local businesses.

There will therefore be a second national from the Central American country next year. Unlike his future teammate and Esteban Gutierrez, Alfonso Celis does not come from the Telmex pipeline. However, he has a sufficient financial cushion to be able to complete a full season in both GP3 and Formula Renault 3.5.

Nevertheless, his results on the track are not the most dazzling, as his best performance in two seasons of GP3 remains his third place in the second race at Spa-Francorchamps.

This will not prevent him from conducting numerous tests in the Silverstone team’s simulator. Additionally, he will also be able to drive during seven Friday morning sessions on race weekends. Without a doubt, it will be Nico Hülkenberg who will have to give up his seat since the contribution of the German driver is incomparable to that of Sergio Perez.

However, this news is bad for one of his current teammates. Indeed, the Frenchman Esteban Ocon, currently leading the GP3 championship for ART Grand Prix, was expected to secure such a position at Sahara Force India thanks to the support from Mercedes, the team’s engine supplier.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr