Robert Wickens has landed a ride with Mercedes as a factory driver this season.
The Mercedes-Benz Junior Team announced on Monday that the Guelph, Ont., native will race a DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé in the German Touring Car Masters series this season.
"The DTM is a fantastic series -- you're competing against top-notch drivers," Wickens said in a team press release. "I'm proud that Mercedes-Benz are giving me the chance to show what I am capable of in this environment in the Junior Team. My main aim will be to finish every race and to deliver decent performances."
Wickens, 23, continues to rise up through the ranks of the auto racing world. He's won the Formula BMW USA Series title (2006), finished third in Champ Car Atlantic (2007) and was the runner-up in Formula Two (2009) and GP3 (2010).
Last year, Wickens competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, winning five races en route to capturing the championship. He also served as the reserve driver for Formula One team Marussia F1.
At Mercedes, Wickens teams with Christian Vietoris, 20, of Spain and German Roberto Merhi, 23. The young drivers will also benefit from having seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher as a role model and mentor for the team. Schumacher raced for the junior team in the early 1990s prior to joining Formula One.
"I'm excited to see how Christian, Roberto and Robert develop -- they're certainly going to have a great time -- and I enjoyed meeting them in Barcelona to offer a few tips from my own experience," Schumacher said in the press release. "Mercedes-Benz places great importance on developing the next generation of drivers -- and there are plenty of examples who demonstrate this.
"Being selected as a member of the Mercedes-Benz Junior Team is really something to be proud of. I will be following the performances of the DTM juniors closely and wish them lots of success."
Wickens makes his Mercedes debut at the German Hockenheim Circuit for the DTM season opener on Apr. 29.
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment