Clément Novalak will step up to Formula 2 for the remainder of the season with MP Motorsport and will also contest the full 2022 campaign.
Novalak has spent the last two seasons in Formula 3, racing for Carlin and Trident respectively, and classified third in this year’s standings.
Novalak will contest the upcoming pair of rounds in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in place of regular driver Lirim Zendeli.
Novalak will then remain with the Dutch team for the 2022 season.
“I’m delighted to get my first taste of F2 as soon as at Jeddah and Yas Marina”, said Novalak.
“This will only help me towards my ambitions for a first full season in F2 in 2022.
“I’m truly thankful to MP Motorsport for handing me this opportunity, and I fully intend to make the most of it.
“MP has been a race-winning outfit in F2 for the past two years, so I hope that teaming up with them will allow me to return to my winning ways. I can’t wait to get started!”
Novalak is the first driver officially confirmed for next year’s Formula 2 championship.
“We are very happy to welcome Clément in our F2 line-up for 2022, and are especially excited to give him his first runs in a Formula 2 car in the six 2021 races still coming up”, said Sander Dorsman, MP Motorsport Team Manager.
“He pulled together a very strong season in F3, and especially his late run of form that took him up from sixth to third in the standings was extremely impressive.
“We are aiming to capitalise on that momentum by putting him in one of our F2 cars in the two remaining rounds on the Arabian peninsula. For next year, I’m sure he will be among the outstanding rookies of the year.”
Zendeli, who graduated to Formula 2 with MP Motorsport this season, has had to step aside because of budget issues.
Posting on his social media accounts Zendeli revealed that “the pandemic has reduced my already very tight budget even further” and that he was “proud I could get the chance to compete in F2 coming from a ‘normal family’ money-wise.”
