Hilmer Motorsports has announced that English racer Nick Yelloly will be one of the two drivers working with them at this week’s three-day GP2 pre-season test session at Sakhir International Circuit in Bahrain.
The 24-year-old is a veteran of both the Formula Renault 3.5 and GP3 Series in recent years. Last year he finished in sixth place in the GP3 driver standings having clinched four podium finishes during 2014, including a win at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
“Firstly I would like to thank Franz Hilmer for making the call to get me out to Bahrain to test in GP2 with Hilmer Motorsport,” said Yelloly in a statement issued by the team on Monday.
“It is a great opportunity and I really can’t wait to jump in the car on Wednesday morning and to work with the whole team,” he continued. “It will be my first time in the GP2 car and at the Bahrain circuit too, but I am sure after a few laps I will be able to get up to speed and make it a very productive test together.”
As well as this week’s test duties for Hilmer which start on Wednesday April 1, Yelloly has also been signed up by the Sahara Force India Formula One Team to work as their chief simulation driver in 2015.
Yelloly had also been scheduled to join JOTA Sport’s LMP2 driver line-up for a season in sportscars that would have included his début at Le Mans in June, but the arrangement only lasted two weeks before the team announced that they had decided to part company with Yelloly.
“Unfortunately Nick is not now part of JOTA Sport’s 2015 plans,” team boss Sam Hignett had said at the time. “Since our announcement earlier this month it transpires conflicting elements and commitments mean it’s best we go our separate ways with immediate effect.”
Hilmer is the only GP2 team yet to announce any drivers for the forthcoming season, which gets underway with the first race in Bahrain on April 18. Previously, Sergio Canamasas and Axcil Jefferies worked with the team at the first pre-season test of the year at the start of March in Abu Dhabi, although Jefferies ended up not actually turning a single lap out on the track during any of the three days.
Other drivers possibly in contention to fill the race seats are Nicholas Latifi, Marvin Kirchhofer and Emil Bernstorff who all turned out for the team in last year’s post-season testing. Daniel Abt also spent a day with Hilmer but has since switched to Formula E, while Rene Binder has now been signed up to race for rival GP2 team Trident.
Other than Hilmer, only two other seats are still available on this year’s GP2 grid. MP Motorsport is still to confirm who will be partnering lead driver Daniel de Jong this year, and Marlon Stöckinger is yet to learn who his team mate at Status Grand Prix will be in 2015.