Team Yearone has announced that Nikos Anastasopoulos and Sotiris Kontogouris will form the all-Greek driver line-up for their 2021-2022 European F3 campaign. Former primary driver Tyler Manning will be taking over the team principal and reserve driver role for the team.
Team Yearone was one of the most interesting entries in the 2021 Asian F3 Championship, due to the fact that even though they have a proven record in the Iracing world, it is still a very new player in the rFactor 2 scene (the Asian F3 Championship was their debut series on the platform). That's why their first season was all about learning, and with their new driver pairing they have opted for a more rFactor 2-familiar line-up to help the team make those steady steps into being a solid points contender.
For Nikos Anastasopoulos it will be his first full season with the British team, after attending on a part-time basis throughout the 2021 Asian F3 Championship. Last season he managed to score not only the first point for Yearone with a tenth place in Abu Dhabi, but also his first point in Grand Prix United since the league reinvention in 2020. With years of experience under his belt, Anastasopoulos is certainly no slouch, and the chemistry he established with the Yearone team, as well as the solid growth trend, were the foundations for the collaboration to be extended into the 2021-2022 European F3 season.
"First of all, I would like to say that I am glad to be part of Grand Prix United for another season," Nikos Anastasopoulos had to say about his return on the grid. "Yearone is a great team. They might not be the most experienced on the rFactor 2 platform, but I'm enjoying a very friendly environment since my first time driving with them last season. I've got excellent team mates and the management is great in all aspects."
Anastasopoulos added: "Our first season had a rather unstable roster but we all had fun by participating in some very exciting races. We gained experience and that was very important for our hopefully significant progress. This year seems to come with more responsibilities, for me and for the whole team of course. Last season I managed to achieve my first point for Yearone and that certainly made me feel more optimistic, but I also think that the team deserves more points this year. Our main goal is to improve the team's reputation in rFactor 2 and become more experienced in the platform. That's why I want to at least start this season in the same style I closed off the last one, and even though I don't have the greatest hardware, I'm convinced that we will have a better season overall, yet I have seen that the level of competition seems to ever increase." Being asked if the team has already put in work ahead of the pre-season test, Anastasopoulos had the following to say: "Part of the reason why I'm so positive is because we're already trying our absolute best to develop better setups ahead of the pre-season test. Additionally, I think that a team mate from the same country can be a great advantage for me too. I might be one of the oldest drivers in terms of age, but I'm still a hungry rookie in the soul!"
And Nikos Anastasopoulos is not the only driver in the team who is optimistic ahead of the new season. Grand Prix United rookie Sotiris Kontogouris is happy to drive for the team, and - just like Anastasopoulos - will bring previous rFactor 2 experience to the table, before making his league debut in Imola for the first official test session.
Sotiris Kontogouris: "My target for this season was to join the grid, and I'm happy that I got the opportunity to drive with Team Yearone. Having a Greek teammate will surely be an advantage for me, and we will try our best to score some points for the team. It won't be easy, since - in order to score points - you need to practice a lot and perform at your maximum best, but if we work hard as a team I'm sure that we'll be able to pull it off."
For Tyler Manning it will be his fist season as a team principal of Team Yearone. The Canadian attended the first two events of last seasons' 2021 Asian F3 Championship as a primary driver and came close to the points on multiple occasions. This first-hand racing experience will surely be beneficial as a team principal, and he can't wait to get started. Tyler Manning: "Being a team principal of Team Yearone is a huge honor, and I will proudly continue the journey that Graeme Cessford - our previous team principal - has started here in Grand Prix United. I want this to be a successful experience for both myself and the drivers, and I will make sure that this will be our best season yet." He continued: "This is our second season in Grand Prix United. I've learned that the last season was difficult. No race came easy. As a driver, I had to practice, practice and practice, and even then that would lead to only just getting in the top ten. Unfortunately, it was either poor judgement or lack of experience that cost me the points I was fighting for, but we've learned from that for the new season coming up. That's why we want to go points hunting this season." Being asked about his line-up, Manning had the following to say: "This season we have an all-Greek driver line-up. Returning for the team is Nikos Anastasopoulos. Last season I had to make the unfortunate decision of leaving the league due to personal reasons. Nikos took over my place for the rest of the season and showed the team how fast he could adapt to the F3 car, which gave the team our first point in the league. The other car will be driven by Sotiris Kontogouris. During the off-season, he has shown that he is excited and ready for the season to begin, and so am I!" Make sure to follow Team Yearone on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the team throughout the 2021-2022 Grand Prix United F3 Championship.
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