F1 News

Sixteen months after F2 crash at Spa, Correa makes official return to motorsport

1 February 2021 at 13:54
Last update 1 February 2021 at 15:34
  • GPblog.com

After a horrific crash at Spa-Francorchamps, Juan Manuel Correa has announced his return to racing next year after an absence of around 16 months. Correa has signed with ART Grand Prix for a seat in Formula 3, a move intended as stepping stone towards resuming his climb to Formula 1.

On the official ART Grand Prix website Correa explains his return: “First of all, I’m extremely happy to be back after what I’ve been through. I am super thankful to ART Grand Prix; it means a lot to me that they’re believing in me and my comeback. F3 is a transition year, my dream is still to reach F1 and this is the first step in my comeback.”

The crash at Spa, which took place in August 2019 and claimed the life of Antoine Hubert, was the start of a long recovery period for Correa, during which he underwent multiple operations and had to wear a brace around his leg for a long time. However, the accident has not stopped him from pursuing his dream of becoming a Formula One driver, as the 21-year-old racer explains: "My targets are a bit ahead of myself, because I still have to do a lot, I have not driven a car for a year and a half and there is a big learning curve ahead. I’m entering this season with an open mind, I won’t put pressure on myself, I will do my best, I will do what I love and that’s already a victory.”

Philippe proud

Sébastien Philippe, team manager of ART Grand Prix has also commented on the appointment of Correa as one of his drivers, again on the team's official site. Philippe: “Since his horrendous accident in Spa, on August 30th 2019, Juan Manuel has been through a lot of phases, always fighting while keeping in mind that he did not want to give up on his dream to keep racing at the highest possible level. Juan Manuel is an example of bravery and tenacity and ART Grand Prix is proud to give him the opportunity to return to racing. Juan Manual is extremely strong mentally, he is still fighting to be as fit as possible and he is hungry. Behind the wheel, his talent is immense, as shown by his achievements in go-karts and then his first few years in motorsport. We are keen to accompany Juan Manuel to resume his career and to help him climb the ladder once again. He will give the team the benefit of his talent and experience."