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PaddockScout Awards 2013: Team of the Year

by Formula Scout

Prema Alps

Prema Powerteam

Prema Powerteam built upon their back-to-back titles in the F3 Euro Series by being the class of the field in the revamped FIA F3 European Championship. They won races in all but two weekends, with lead driver Raffaele Marciello a potent force all season long on his way to the title. The Ferrari protege had a couple of off-colour weekends at Spielberg and Zandvoort that set him back, but he otherwise stood on the top step at every track. He was backed up brilliantly by Alex Lynn and Lucas Auer, who were regular podium visitors and took four wins between them before the former went on to win at Macau. The team were at their dominant best at Brands Hatch when all three claimed a win, and they locked the podium out in the first two races.

Prema made a full-time return to Formula Renault 2.0, and their growing relationship with the Ferrari Driver Academy paid dividends here too with the Scuderia?s new recruit Antonio Fuoco starring in his first season of car racing and winning the Alps title. The Italian-based championship saw a complete rout from Prema, who won all 14 races with Fuoco and team-mates Luca Ghiotto and Bruno Bonifacio, despite the presence of successful Formula Renault outfits Tech 1 and Koiranen. The more competitive Eurocup was more of a challenge with Formula Abarth switchers Ghiotto and Bonifacio, but the former won at Spa and took a second place and a pole position at Paul Ricard. He also won the headline event at the Pau Grand Prix.

Going into 2014, Prema are the team everybody wants to drive for in F3, with Lotus and Ferrari placing Esteban Ocon and Fuoco there while Lynn and Auer will be title contenders if they return as expected.

Peter Allen