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GP3 champion Hubert joins Arden/HWA in F2, gets full Renault backing

GP3 champion Anthoine Hubert will race for Arden and its new Formula 2 partner HWA this year and has been given a full-time place in Renault's junior set-up for 2019

Hubert - who won twice on his way to the GP3 title in its final year in that guise - said Arden's recently announced tie-up with HWA was key to him joining the team.

He had been in talks with MP Motorsport and tested one of the team's new-for-2018 F2 cars, but his head was turned by the addition of DTM, Formula E and F3 outfit HWA to the Arden stable.

"The fact that they are joining with HWA really motivated me to go to them, I hope that the experience of Arden and the professionalism from the structure of HWA can be a good mix and we can achieve great things together," Hubert told Autosport.

"They have been working a lot during the winter to get everything structured, but we will start work soon to be ready for the first test."

Arden finished ninth in the F2 teams' championship last year and scored a single win with Maxi Gunther - who has joined the Dragon FE squad for the 2018/19 season.

Gunther's 2018 team-mate Nirei Fukuzumi has also moved on and will race in Super Formula.

Hubert was certain the team is capable of improving during his first season in the category.

"Everyone knows there is progress to be made from the season last year," he added.

"I'm not looking at that, they have experience and I know they can do well with HWA.

"That's why I went to them and I am looking to the future."

Hubert was a Renault affiliated driver - and not part of its Renault Sport Academy - in 2018, but has now been added to its junior programme full-time.

The 22-year-old said driving in F1 was a realistic aim of his.

"It's obviously a really good step in my career," he said.

"When it was announced I was affiliated I was really happy but it was always my goal to be a member of this academy.

"Now that's done, I'm getting closer to it and the dream to be a French driver in F1 is there, so I will work really hard to try and get there.

"I will use all of the facilities I have with Renault to try and improve and for my F2 season, I think I can use a lot of that to be ready."

Hubert's confirmation means Trident, Campos and Arden both have one F2 drive remaining, while the only other seats available are a pair at both Charouz and MP.

Confirmed 2019 F2 line-up so far

ART Grand Prix: Nyck de Vries, Nikita Mazepin
Arden: Anthoine Hubert, TBA
Campos Racing: Jack Aitken, TBA
Charouz Racing System: TBA
Carlin: Louis Deletraz, Nobuharu Matsushita
DAMS: Sergio Sette Camara, Nicholas Latifi
MP Motorsport: TBA
Prema Racing: Sean Gelael, Mick Schumacher
Trident: Giuliano Alesi, TBA
UNI-Virtuosi: Luca Ghiotto, Guan Yu Zhou

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