Swiss youngster steps up from Formula 3
21-year-old Swiss racer Christopher Zanella is the latest driver to sign up to the FIA Formula Two Championship for 2011, following a dual campaign in the Italian F3 Championship and F3 Euro Series last year.
Christopher won the Formula Renault 2.0 Switzerland Championship in 2008, whilst also competing in selected Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 races. From here he graduated to Formula Three in the Euro Series with the Motopark Academy team and claimed his first podium finish at the final round in Hockenheim.
He continued to race occasionally in the F3 Euro Series in 2010 alongside a full campaign in the Italian Formula 3 Championship, where he finished 6th overall. Christopher went on to join F2 winter testing at Barcelona in December and ran competitively throughout, and he showed further impressive pace in last Wednesdays pre-season test at Snetterton, finishing second overall in the afternoon session.
I chose F2 because I strongly believe that its the only racing competition where everyone has a fair and equal chance, said Christopher. Also in comparison with GP3 and GP2 it has a far better cost to benefit ratio.
The quality of the field is very high but I will be aiming for the top two at the end of the year.
Formula Two Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: Christopher looked strong last December when he tested the Williams F2 car at Barcelona, being only 0.1 sec from Italian F3 champion Cesar Ramos. Christopher is an intelligent guy with a great approach and he appreciates that F2 offers him a championship where he has the confidence to know he has a car capable of winning. Im delighted hes made the sensible decision to progress his career with us.