Sebastián Montoya will join Hitech Grand Prix for his first FIA Formula 3 campaign this season the team have confirmed. The 17-year-old is part of the Red Bull Junior Team, freshly signed ahead of the 2023 season. The Colombian made two appearances last year across the Zandvoort race weekend with Campos Racing and tested with Hitech in Jerez in last year’s post-season test.

Montoya graduated from karting in 2020 to Italian Formula 4. He finished the season 11th in the standings and competed in six races in ADAC Formula 4. The same programme followed the next year, improving to fourth in the Italian Championship in 2021, taking two pole positions and nine podiums across the season.

In 2022, Montoya competed in the Formula Regional Asian Championship ahead of the European season beginning, winning twice and finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Standings. His step up from F4 to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with PREMA Racing was a tough one, but he ended the season 13th on 44 points.

During 2022, his two current F3 appearances came in Zandvoort with Campos where he acquitted himself very well, finishing both Sprint and Feature Races in eighth position.

Montoya says that his move to the Championship for a full season with Hitech was a great opportunity to fight at the sharp end of the grid.

“We will all work together to have a great year and fight at the front consistently. I just want to say thank you to my family and everyone else involved. Let’s bring on the season and give it everything.”