Junior Open Wheel Talent

The racing news has been a bit slow lately, but Prema Powerteam announced earlier today their signing of 18-year-old Omar Julian Leal. Omar tested with Draco Racing early last month at Circuit Paul Ricard before joining Prema Powerteam for the Valencia test. According to the Prema Powerteam website, the test in Valencia went very well....which in turn led to the early commitment for 2009.

During the WSR November test sessions, Omar was quite a ways off the pace with both teams, but has shown his speed by winning the Italian Formula 3000 Championship in 2008. He finished sixth overall in the Euroseries 3000, driving for Durango/Bull Racing. The Colombian driver failed to win a race last season, but managed to qualify on pole at Misano. He finished on the podium four times in 2008, showcasing his consistency. I wouldn't be surprised to see Leal get off to a slow start with Prema, but I expect we will see steady improvement throughout 2009.