Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Caio Collet

  • Collet & Mini to drive for Nissan in Rookie Test

    Nissan will field Caio Collet and Gabriele Mini in the Berlin Rookie Test, set for Monday 13th May, straight after the Berlin E-Prix double header.

    Collet got his first taste of the Nissan e-4ORCE O4 during rookie free practice at the Misano E-Prix earlier this month.
    The Brazilian racer has been working with the team since the beginning of Season 10, helping to prepare for upcoming events in the simulator.

    Collet has a strong junior CV, having taken a dominant French F4 title in 2018 and finishing second in the highly competitive Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020.

    That earned him a seat in FIA Formula 3 for 2021. In the three years that followed, he was a regular feature at the front of the pack, taking three victories and several podiums, alongside his membership of the Alpine Academy.
    This season, in combination with his reserve and simulator role with Nissan Formula E Team, Collet is tackling the full Indy NXT campaign.

    Meanwhile, fellow F3 race winner Mini is part of the current Alpine Academy and will be at the wheel of Formula E machinery for the first time.

    Victory in the 2020 Italian F4 championship led him to the Formula Regional European Championship, clinching second in 2022.
    This then attracted the attention of the Alpine Academy, which signed him up ahead of his debut F3 campaign in 2023, where he picked up two wins, including the Monaco Feature Race.

    The Italian driver currently sits third in the F3 standings after two round, having scored points at every race, including a podium finish in Melbourne.

    It was my first time in the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 in Misano, so in Berlin I’m looking to use that experience to help me develop my driving. It’s a very different car to what I’m used to, so it takes a while to understand what to do and how to get the best out of it. My target is to learn as much as I can and help the team continue to improve. To have more track time will also be useful for my simulator work, to make the sim more accurate. I’m looking forward to being with the team again and will do my best!
    Collet on the news.

    I’m very pleased to test the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 for the first time in the Berlin Rookie Test next month. It will be a great chance to discover the car and to challenge myself in a different type of single-seater. I’m looking forward to giving my best and learning more about this category of racing. I would like to thank both Alpine and Nissan for their trust and for this exciting opportunity.
    Mini on the news.

    We’re looking forward to the Berlin Rookie Test with two very talented drivers in Caio and Gabriele. After participating in FP0 in Misano, it will be important for Caio to continue developing in the car, becoming more and more comfortable. As our reserve and sim driver, it’s vital for him to have as much experience as possible to support the team at his best. This will be a good opportunity to gain confidence and make a step forward with plenty of track time available. The test also presents us with a great chance to introduce Gabriele to the team. He’s a very promising driver, part of the Alpine Academy and it’s great to count on cross Alliance synergies to bring young drivers these opportunities. It’s very positive for us to work with young, up-and-coming drivers like Gabriele and Caio, so we can not only play a role in their professional development, but also build a rapport and set important basis for potential future collaborations.
    Tommaso Volpe, Managing Director and Team Principal of Nissan Formula E Team.

  • Collet completes VARs line-up

    Caio Collet will be joining Van Amersfoort Racing for his third season in Formula 3, as the Brazilian racer makes the switch from MP Motorsport.

    The 20 year old, first made his F3 appearance in 2021, scoring two podiums, including one on debut in Barcelona.

    After a successful rookie season, Collet put in more strong performances in 2022 earning sprint race wins in Budapest and Zandvoort where he went on to finish eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to his move to F3, Collet secured the 2018 French F4 title in his maiden season in single-seaters. There he achieved an impressive 11 podium finishes which included seven victories.

    The following year saw him finish fifth in Formula Renault Eurocup, claiming six podiums along the way. He then returned for a second campaign in 2020, Collet took five wins and seven further podiums on his way to finish second in the Championship.

    Exciting times are coming as I am extremely motivated to get started with Van Amersfoort Racing. During their first year in F3, the team proved to everyone how much potential they have. From my side, I am very confident going into the new season. I have used the winter period effectively and feel ready, more than I ever did. I have set high goals for myself, and the team is as motivated as I am to take the maximum out of this year, so let the games begin!

    Collet on his move.

    Caio has shown in the past how fast and talented he is, making it extremely exciting to have him as part of our F3 driver line-up this year. Caio brings valuable experience to the team, which will help us to grow at an even higher pace than last year. Clearly, he is determined to perform strong this year, and so do we as a team. Our motivation levels are really high, the least said, and our crew is very much looking forward to working with an experienced driver as Caio!

    Rob Niessink, VAR CEO.

  • F3 Zandvoort – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Dominating the front row were two black and white ART Grand Prix cars, as Correa lined up on reverse grid pole ahead of teammate Saucy, whilst O’Sullivan and Collet lay in the second row.

    In his Formula 3 race, Sebastian Montoya found himself sitting in P6 meanwhile title protagonists could be found up and down the field, with Hadjar in seventh ahead of Stanek and Crawford in ninth and tenth. The third ART of Martins lined up P11, whilst PREMA Racing’s Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc started in P13 and P20.

    Collet, was ready for his opportunity to pounce on Lap 4 and take the race lead from Correa. Attempting to make the move stick around the outside of Turn 1, the Brazilian dipped his wheels across the kerbs into Turn 3.

    Things began to settle down towards the mid point of the race as the medium Pirelli compounds began to fade, leaving those who managed the yellow-walled tyres the best with the upper hand towards the latter end of the 21 lap sprint race.

    Approaching the final seven laps, Bearman’s defence came un-done with a wobble into Turn 4. The Ferrari Academy driver went over the kerbs and across the grass , dropping him behind Stanek.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Collet, P2: Correa, P3: O’Sullivan, P4: Edgar, P5: Saucy, P6: Hadjar, P7: Martins, P8: Montoya, P9: Crawford and P10: Stanek.

    Day 3-

    Martins would have been rubbing his hands with glee as the ART GP driver nailed his getaway off the line, immediately going side-by-side with Maloney up the inside of Turn 1. The Trident driver attempted to cover him off but went wide soaring over the kerbs.

    Futher back, Bearmans day went from bad to worse. A poor start saw the Ferrari Academy driver junior loosing three places at lights out, allowing Leclerc to close in on his teammate.

    With the battles showing no sign of settling down, it wasn’t long until the Safety Car made its first appearance of the weekend Lap 4. Brad Benavides was caught out by William Alatalo’s braking point into Turn 2 and sending both into the gravel and then retire.

    There was no doubt Martins was beginning to struggle. A rough looking left front tyre left him vulnerable to Colapinto behind but the Van Amersfoort driver couldn’t get past him.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Maloney, P2: Martins, P3: Colapinto, P4: Stanek, P5: Hadjar, P6: Crawford, P7: Collet, P8: Montoya, P9: Edgar and P10: Bearman.

    We now only have one round remaining next weekend, and we are in Monza, will we be finding out who is going to be our Formula 3 2022 Champion!

  • F3 Spa – Day 1

    Free Practice 1-

    Reece Ushijima left the rest well adrift after his 2:05.172s put him above anyone else on the grid. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver ended the session over a second clear of anybody else, with Campos enjoying a 2-3-4.

    Jenzer Motorsport’s William Alatalo set the first representative time on a 2:09,590s but that was bettered by Carlin driver Brad Benavides with the American setting a 2:09.421s soon after.

    Roman Stanek came to a halt on the Kemmel Straight with just over 10 minutes remaining of the session, briefly bringing out yellow flags before the Trident driver was able to get his car restarted to continue.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Ushijima, P2: Goethe, P3: Vidales, P4: Marti, P5: O’Sullivan, P6: Stanek, P7: Hadjar, P8: Maloney, P9: Edgar and P10: Bearman.

    Qualifying-

    Caio Collet, put his foot to the floor to storm his way to his first Formula 3 pole position, mastering the wet to drying conditions in Spa-Francorchamps to become the seventh different driver to take pole in as many rounds.

    There was no shortage of contenders in the fight for P1 in the fight for P1 as last-minute improvements mixed up the order but it was the MP Motorsport driver who reigned supreme, over two tenths clear of Maloney.

    Downpours during the break between Practice and Qualifying forced the whole field to bolt on the wet weather Pirelli tyres and given the conditions it was no surprise that the track was immediately full of action.

    The session soon ground to a halt with 19 minutes on the clock, as Jak Crawford found himself facing the wrong way. In his attempt to sprint his car around, the driver got caught out by the gravel trap and was forced into a frustratingly early end.

    Even the appearance of the chequered flag didn’t mean that the order was final. Maloney leaped half a second clear of his teammate but there was nothing he could do to stop Collet’s final effort of 2:11.289.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Collet, P2: Maloney, P3: Pizzi, P4: Goethe, P5: Stanek, P6: Edgar, P7: Smolyar, P8: Bearman, P9: Colapinto and P10: Benavides.

  • Collet sticks with MP Motorsport

    Caio Collet has been retained for his second season in Formula 3 by MP Motorsport, where he will join Alex Smolyar.

    The Brazilian driver, enjoyed a positive debut season with MP finishing as the second-highest rookie in ninth place, he managed to grab a podium in his very first race before adding a second in Round 2

    But after this, the 19 year old went through a tricky spell of one points’ finish in six races. He then went on to finish in the top 5 in six of the final eight races. Collet then remained with MP for post-season testing in Valencia and finished in the top 10 in five out of six sessions.

    In 2018, Collet made his debut in to single seaters, he went on to win the French Formula 4 title the same year, which saw him take seven wins and 11 podiums from 20 races.

    He then took a step up to Formula Renault Eurocup for 2019, placing fifth in his rookie year and second to Victor Martins in his second, before he made the jump to F3.

    “I’m very happy to continue in FIA F3 with MP Motorsport and the enduring support of the Alpine Academy”, said Collet. “We were strong in 2021 – and that was while taking on many accomplished drivers in an intensely competitive championship. With the knowledge that I have gained in my first season, I’m very much aiming to improve on last year’s results. I’m also looking forward to again racing in the special atmosphere of the Grand Prix weekends, and in front of the F1 teams.”

    MP Motorsport Team Principal Sander Dorsman added: “Caio staying with us for a second year is a massive coup. Last year, with three rookies, Caio being one of them, we showed that we were right on the pace with the longer-serving top runners in the series and took home a lot of points to bag a fighting fourth in the Team’s Championship. Building on Caio’s talent and increased experience, and teaming him up with Alex, hands us a very strong package for 2022. I can’t wait to attack the season with these guys.”

    My Opinion-

    Yesss! This is the right decision by far, if you look back at what his done so far and how well he has done including his rookie seasons it shows he is very talented and deserves a spot in F3 as well as the Alpine Academy.