奥迪首位F1青训车手斯莱特2027年加盟Invicta征战F2
奥迪首位F1青训车手Freddie Slater将于2027年加入F2卫冕冠军车队Invicta，征战Formula 2。
斯莱特上周末在马德里环道（马德里赛道）与F3冠军失之交臂，但他度过了一个令人印象深刻的菜鸟赛季，兑现了他在卡丁车赛场的强劲表现以及意大利F4和欧洲区域方程式背靠背夺冠所积累的潜力。
正是这些早期职业生涯的成功，意味着他从小就收到了多支F1车队邀请他加入其青训计划的报价。
但就像维斯塔潘和诺里斯一样，斯莱特和他的管理团队没有过早接受这些报价。
今年年初，他接受了奥迪的提议，成为奥迪在2026年进入F1时首位加入其F1车手发展计划的车手。
斯莱特以14分之差无缘F3冠军，他在蒙扎正赛遭遇代价高昂的机械故障，马德里收官战又经历噩梦般的表现，让主要对手Ugo Ugochukwu夺得了冠军。
斯莱特现在将随Invicta升入F2，这支车队在过去两年连续实现年度双冠，奥迪F1车手博托莱托和迈凯伦储备车手Leonardo Fornaroli最近两年分别随该队夺得车手冠军。Bortoleto和Fornaroli也都是从Trident的F3车队转投Invicta的F2车队，正如斯莱特将要走的路一样。
Invicta目前希望今年凭借法拉利青训车手Rafael Camara实现F2三连冠，后者目前落后积分榜领跑者Nikola Tsolov七分。Invicta车队本身在车队积分榜上也仅落后Campos六分。
F2在下一轮巴库站增加了一场正赛，原因是目前卡塔尔和阿布扎比最后两轮比赛存在不确定性。
斯莱特将在阿布扎比季后测试中首次亮相，但如果F1如预期取消卡塔尔和阿布扎比周末，这一测试很可能需要改期。如果F2决定像目前后备计划那样于12月在伊莫拉举行赛季收官战，F2可能会与F1一同前往。按理说，F2季后测试也将在此举行。
“升入F2对Freddie来说是自然的下一步，也是他车手发展的重要新阶段，”奥迪车手发展总监Allan McNish表示。
“他度过了一个强劲的F3赛季，一直争夺冠军到最后一轮——全年展现了他的速度、比赛能力和进步。”
“我们为Freddie本赛季取得的成就以及一路以来的成长感到非常自豪。Invicta 比赛近年来有着出色的战绩，我们很高兴能与他们合作。”
“我们相信这是他的理想环境，期待在他2027年迎接新挑战时继续支持他。”
在F2现行赛车的三年里，Invicta一直是明显的标杆车队，但该赛事将从2027年起引入大幅改版的赛车。
斯莱特出席了新赛车在蒙扎的发布活动，他告诉The 比赛：“我觉得它太棒了。我觉得非常令人兴奋。”
“显然F1今年变化很大，所以F2也需要跟进，才能在这条晋升阶梯上继续进步。”
“所以我很兴奋能有机会驾驶一辆，看看它的表现会非常有趣。”
斯莱特是首位确认的2027年F2车手，但预计还会有多位F3对手加入，包括冠军Ugochukwu。
F3年度亚军以及F4和FREC冠军头衔意味着，尚未驾驶过F1赛车的斯莱特拥有足够积分，远超F1超级驾照所需的40分门槛。
英文原文
Audi's first Formula 1 junior driver Freddie Slater will join forces with defending champion team Invicta in Formula 2 in 2027.
Slater narrowly missed out on the Formula 3 title at the Madring last weekend but has had a highly impressive rookie season, living up to the promise built up by strong karting success and back-to-back titles in Italian Formula 4 and the Formula Regional European Championship.
It was that early-career success that meant he had offers from multiple F1 teams to join their junior programmes from an early age.
But much like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Slater and his management team held off on accepting those offers too early.
At the start of this year, he accepted Audi's proposal for him to become the first driver to join its F1 driver development programme as it entered F1 in 2026.
Slater fell 14 points short of winning the F3 title, having suffered a costly mechanical failure in the Monza feature race and a nightmare Madrid title-decider that allowed chief rival Ugo Ugochukwu to take the crown instead.
Slater will now move up to F2 with Invicta, the team that has taken back-to-back championship doubles in the last two years, with Audi F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto and McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli taking the last two drivers’ titles with it. Bortoleto and Fornaroli both also went from Trident's F3 team to Invicta's F2 team, just as Slater will.
Invicta is currently hoping to make it three out of three F2 titles this year with Ferrari junior Rafael Camara, who is seven points adrift of championship leader Nikola Tsolov. Invicta itself is also just six points off Campos in the teams' title race.
F2 has added an extra feature race to its next round in Baku amid uncertainty over its current final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Slater is set to make his debut in the post-season Abu Dhabi test, although this will likely have to be rescheduled if F1 cancels its Qatar and Abu Dhabi weekends as expected. F2 could decide to join F1 if it holds its season finale at Imola in December, as is the current back-up plan. Logically the post-season F2 test would also be held there.
"The move to Formula 2 is the natural next step for Freddie, and an important new phase of his development as a driver," Audi's driver development director Allan McNish said.
"He enjoyed a strong Formula 3 season, fighting for the title until the final round - showing his speed, racecraft and progress throughout the year.
"We are very proud of what Freddie has achieved this season and how he has developed along the way. Invicta Racing has had an excellent record in recent years, and we are delighted to be working with them.
"We believe it is the ideal environment for him, and we look forward to supporting him as he takes on this new challenge in 2027."
Invicta has been the clear benchmark team during the three years of F2's current car, but the series is introducing a heavily revised version of the car from 2027.
Slater was present at the launch of the new car at Monza, telling The Race: "I think it's mega. I think it's very exciting.
"Obviously F1 has changed a lot this year so F2 kind of needs to follow suit to progress to that ladder.
"So I'm very excited to get a go behind the wheel of one and it's going to be very interesting to see what it performs like."
Slater is the first confirmed 2027 F2 driver, but he’s expected to be joined by a number of his F3 rivals, including champion Ugochukwu.
A second-place championship finish in F3 and titles in F4 and FREC mean Slater, who is yet to drive an F1 car, has more than enough points to clear the 40-point threshold for an F1 superlicence.
The Race ·
内容来自公开信源，聚合内容版权归原作者与来源所有。