Four TRS drivers to watch out for

The problem with making predictions is just that. They are predictions often based on theory, form and gut-feel. Come the drop of a flag or the lights going green and the form book can go straight out the window.

While the 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series that gets underway in January may, on paper, be a two-horse race between Red Bull Junior drivers Liam Lawson (NZ) and Yuki Tsunoda (Japan) there are four other drivers that we need to be aware of. Amaury Cordeel (Belgium), Caio Collet (Brazil), Lirim Zendeli (Germany) and Franco Colapinto (Argentina). (Note: At the time of writing there are still three drivers to be announced, a Kiwi, a US and a Dutch driver).

Lawson and Tsunoda both have top Formula 3 experience in both the 2019 Euroformula Open and the FIA Formula 3 Championship. (See The Red Bull Duel continues)

The rest of the field announced so far have less experience, mostly in various Formula 4 series.

Cordeel heads to NZ having won the 2018 Spanish F4 series and with more experience in the 2018 German ADAC F4 and Italian F4 Championships and more recently in Formula Renault Eurocup (finishing 15th). He will be run by Kiwi Motorsport.

Brazilian Caio Collet is a top junior formulae racer

Collet won the 2018 French F4 title and this year finished fifth overall and top rookie driver in the Formula Renault Eurocup. The 17-year-old is now a Renault Sport Academy driver. It looks like the 2020 TRS will be a prelude to the 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup season given that the series will run the same chassis and tyres. He will drive for mtec Motorsport.

Lirim Zendeli brings significant junior formula pedigree to New Zealand.

Lirim Zendeli heads to NZ also with FIA F3 experience having finished 18th overall this season with Charouz Racing. The German won the 2018 German ADAC F4 Championship and is a Sauber Junior Team driver. He will be with Giles Motorsport.

The one to watch may be Franco Colapinto (main picture) who will also be with Kiwi Motorsport. The Argentinian won the 2019 Spanish F4 Championship with 11 race wins, 13 podium positions and nine pole positions. While it may be difficult to know how competitive some of these championships are, the standout feature with Colapinto is that he is only 16. What’s more, he himself says he is ‘hungry to learn’.

With a new car and a full grid of twenty drivers, the 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series so far (on paper) looks like it will be very competitive. But as we said earlier, when the lights go green the form-book goes out the window.