Charles Leclerc's brother Arthur to step up to F3 with champions Prema in 2021

Charles Leclerc's younger brother Arthur will make the step up to Formula 3 next year with the Prema team, the reigning champions have announced.

Arthur, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, began his single seater career in the French Formula 4 Championship in 2018, before stepping up to the German series in 2019, where he finished in third place overall. In 2020, he amassed six wins and eight pole positions, finishing as a runner-up in the Regional Series.

He got his first taste of F3 machinery at the post-season test at Barcelona back in October, and will now contest next season in the series with the Prema squad.

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Team Principal Rene Rosin said: “I am delighted to welcome Arthur to our FIA Formula 3 operation. He experienced a high-quality season in 2020, ending up with more wins than anybody else in the Regional championship. His skills come with a dedicated approach to the hard work behind the scenes, which is clearly what we are looking for at this level. We can’t wait to start preparing for the season ahead!”

Leclerc added: “I am really happy to announce that I will step up to FIA F3 with Prema Racing next year. I have quite a bit of experience with the team as it will be my second year with them and we established a special relationship. It will be a completely new challenge for me, a lot more drivers on the grid and a weekend format that looks really exciting! I can’t wait to start the season.”