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Raimondo and Dejonghe among names confirmed for Auto GP test at Valencia

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
Photo: Alastair Staley / GP2 Media Service

Photo: Alastair Staley / GP2 Media Service

The Auto GP pre-season test, scheduled to take place at Circuit Ricardo Tormo on April 1-2, will see 14 drivers take to the track in four separate three-hour sessions.

Reigning teams’ champions Super Nova International will field three cars for confirmed signing Michela Cerruti, Markus Pommer and Gianmarco Raimondo.

23-year-old Pommer has had a lengthy career, taking victories in ADAC Formel Masters, German F3 and FIA Formula 2. He spent 2013 in the Porsche Supercup series, taking 15th in the standings.

Raimondo, also 23, took the runner-up spot in European F3 Open in 2012. He wound up mostly missing last year, apart from two appearances in the GP2 Series with Trident.

Ibiza Racing Team owner Giuseppe Cipriani will be joined by Francesco Dracone, who’s raced in Auto GP (then called Euroseries 3000) on-and-off since 2007.

Zele Racing will field confirmed driver Tamas Pal Kiss and Italian Antonio Spavone, who will substitute the Austrian squad’s other signing Sergio Campana for the test.

Virtuosi UK’s Andrea Roda will test alongside Sam Dejonghe and Richard Gonda. Dejonghe, 22, was the Copa class runner-up in F3 Open in 2011 and finished fifth in the main series in 2012. He was on the sidelines for most of 2013, albeit racing full-time in the MRF Challenge in the most recent off-season, where he took two wins on his way to third. Gonda, 20, secured the F3 Open Copa title in 2013 and has already tested in Auto GP in the post-season.

MLR71 team boss Michele La Rosa will run two cars – one for himself and one for Auto GP 2013 runner-up Kimiya Sato, who has a GP2 contract with Campos Racing in place for 2014.

Series newcomers Puma 3 M-Sport will be at the test with their recently confirmed lineup of Kevin Giovesi and Loris Spinelli.

Entry list
Team Driver
Super Nova International Michela Cerruti
Gianmarco Raimondo
Markus Pommer
Ibiza Racing Team Giuseppe Cipriani
Francesco Dracone
Zele Racing Tamas Pal Kiss
Antonio Spavone
Virtuosi UK Andrea Roda
Sam Dejonghe
Richard Gonda
MLR71 by Euronova Michele La Rosa
Kimiya Sato
Puma 3 M-Sport Kevin Giovesi
Loris Spinelli