Formula 2 race winner Nobuharu Matsushita has stepped down from the MP Motorsport team in a series of driver moves which will see Jake Hughes make his debut in the championship.
Matsushita won the feature race at Circuit de Catalunya for MP last month but had fallen to 12th in the championship having failed to score since the Spanish double-header. MP said in a statement Matsushita “has decided to move on to fresh challenges elsewhere” and they “part ways on good terms and wish each other every success for the future”.
His place will be taken by former HWA racer Giuliano Alesi, who is currently 17th in the standings. Alesi’s seat goes to 26-year-old Hughes, who scored two wins for HWA in Formula 3 this year on his way to seventh in the championship, which concluded at Mugello.
“We are delighted that we can give Jake the chance to prove his undeniable talent in Formula 2 in Sochi,” said HWA team principal Thomas Strick. “This perfectly matches our philosophy of building up talented youngsters step by step and leading them to the top level of motorsport.”
Hughes made his debut in F3 (previously GP3) in 2016. “Over recent years, Jake has delivered convincing performances as a driver out on the circuit and as a real team player,” continued Strick.
“We would like to thank Giuliano for his efforts in his appearances for the team. He scored the first points for us in Formula 2 to write his name in the team history of BWT HWA Racelab. We wish him all the best for the future.”
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Paul
22nd September 2020, 10:07
Well, at least Alex Jacques won’t be butchering the pronunciation of Matsushita’s surname every time now.
Pedro (@)
22nd September 2020, 18:42
MP boss: I’m going to fire you because of your bad performances.
Also MP: we’ll hire a driver that’s even worse than you in the champpinship
x303 (@x303)
22nd September 2020, 19:51
Jake Hughes is 26 and was in F3? That’s quite unusual and in a way, I found it refreshing: you don’t need to start karting at 3 years old (see Alonso) to go up the ladder in motorsport. Unfortunately Hughes doesn’t look like a champion in the making.
Joao (@johnmilk)
23rd September 2020, 10:04
@x303 it would be refreshing but this was his 5th year in GP3/F3 machinery, he has been driving single seaters since 2012
ok in fact he started karting a bit later at 14
but his career progress has been hindered purely on one factor alone, lack of talent, his F3 campaign this year has been his best so far, but it took him 5 years in that sort of car to achieve it
Jose Lopes da Silva
22nd September 2020, 22:19
Matsushita had his time, honestly. Good luck for Hughes.
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
23rd September 2020, 13:02
Weird announcement. I think they must have really been annoyed with him over the ‘friendly fire’ incident at the Belgium race where he ruined both cars races. He made some reference to it in his leaving announcement on Twitter.