M2 Competition are delighted to announce Yves Baltas as the third and final member of their all-new Formula Renault Eurocup team for 2019.
The promising American, 17, joined M2 for the recent Eurocup tests at Paul Ricard and Barcelona, where he sampled the all-new Tatuus T-318 and set some impressive laptimes.
Yves will partner Indian Kush Maini and Esteban Muth for what is the 10-time Toyota Racing Series champion team’s first assault on a European single-seater series.
Born and raised in New York City, Yves spent eight years racing karts and drove a Skip Barber Formula car for the first time aged just 13.
Seeking to enhance his skills in the most competitive single-seater race environment, Yves relocated to the UK and made his car-racing debut in British Formula 4; recording a top-six finish at only his second event.
He graduated to the Spanish-based Euroformula Open in 2018; showing strong results in the Rookie of the Year contest with six podium finishes, including third place on his debut at Estoril and second at the Hungaroring.
Yves is the latest in a long line of rising stars to join M2; who have raced exclusively in New Zealand’s Toyota Racing Series to date with incredible success.
The team; founded by Jonathan Moury and Mark Pilcher in 2010, have won five Drivers’ Championships in the past seven years with Nick Cassidy, Lance Stroll, Lando Norris, Robert Shwartzman and Liam Lawson plus five consecutive Teams’ crowns.
Operating from a new facility in Brussels, Belgium, Jonathan and Elise Moury are the co-Team Principals of the Eurocup squad, which features a team packed full of championship-winning staff from single-seater, touring car and GT racing.
The Formula Renault Eurocup comprises a 10-round calendar in 2019 with highlights including support slots at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix and at GT3 racing’s jewel in the crown; the Spa 24 Hours.
Yves Baltas said: “I am really excited for the 2019 season and for a great year of racing in the Formula Renault Eurocup. I have been very impressed with the entire operation at M2 Competition. As I always like to challenge myself, entering 2019 will be no different as we compete at some of the most iconic racetracks in Europe. I am looking forward to racing at Monza for the season-opener! I would like to thank my management team and sponsors for their continued support.”
Jonathan Moury, Team Principal, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Yves Baltas to the team and to complete our line-up for the Formula Renault Eurocup. While he’s a newcomer to this series, Yves has been driving single-seaters since he was 13 years old and has amassed a lot of experience in that time. He’s determined, mature and made great progress across the testing at Paul Ricard and Barcelona. With a couple more days testing planned in the next month, we anticipate being ready to kick off the season at Monza in April in good shape.”
