Deletraz joins Formula 2 champion Carlin for 2019

Formula 2 teams’ champion Carlin has completed its line-up for the 2019 season, with Louis Deletraz joining the team alongside already-announced Honda junior driver Nobuharu Matsushita.

Carlin made the most of a stellar line-up in Lando Norris and Sergio Sette Camara last season, beating ART Grand Prix to the title by 33 points.

Norris has graduated to a Mclaren Formula 1 seat, while Sette Camara has joined DAMS for another year of F2, meaning the Farnborough team needed two new drivers.

Deletraz, 21, was 10th in F2 last year with Charouz Racing System, and concluded the year driving a current-f1 car in the Abu Dhabi Pirelli tyre test, before conducting testing with Carlin in F2 at the same venue.

Now he is in what he describes as a “top team”, he has targeted a title charge.

“We got in contact with Carlin, I know them from the past and they are the team champions, which is obviously very attractive,” said the Swiss driver.

“I’m going for the win, that’s what we have to do. Winning, being at the front and fighting for the championship is the aim and I have done that already and I want to do it again.”

Deletraz is the son of sometime Larrousse and Pacific F1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hour class winner Jean-denis.

Also announcing news of an F2 seat this week was British-korean driver Jack Aitken, who joins Campos Racing for 2019. The 23-year-old finished 11th in the points with ART Grand Prix last year, while his team-mate George Russell won the title.

Renault Formula 1 protege Aitken tested with the Campos team last year.