Dennis Hauger is to part company with the Red Bull Junior Team but will continue racing in Formula 2 in 2024.
The Norwegian’s second season in F2 has not lived up to expectations, leaving him eighth in the points before the final round in Abu Dhabi this month.
He won the sprint races in Melbourne and at the Hungaroring but has not finished on the podium in a feature race, despite having joined the MP Motorsport team that took Felipe Drugovich to the 2022 title.
Hauger has had more of an on-and-off relationship with Red Bull compared to most of its junior drivers, benefitting from strong personal sponsorship from Norway while his career has been guided heavily by experienced countryman Harald Huysman.
He joined the Junior Team for his move from karts into British Formula 4 in 2018, but his switch to Italian F4 the following year was instigated by Hauger’s management group rather than Red Bull, which would have rather moved him up a level. He raced in the black and orange of his Van Amersfoort Racing team instead of the blue of the energy drink firm.
Having won that title, he was back in full Red Bull colours for his step up to F3 in 2020, but a difficult rookie season with Hitech – he finished 17th in the standings – this led him to be only a Red Bull supported driver than a full junior in 2021, when he again became champion with Prema.
Red Bull has had six junior drivers racing in F2 this year but there has been speculation about how many will remain with the programme next year.
It has already announced Pepe Marti and Tim Tramnitz as new additions to its roster ahead of 2024.
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