Feeder Series News Round-Up: Sebastian Wheldon joins Trident in F3, Laurens van Hoepen switches to MP Motorsport in F2 for 2027
Written by Liam Ploetner
Sebastian Wheldon joins Trident in F3 for 2027
Trident have announced that Andretti junior Sebastian Wheldon will jump up to Formula 3 (F3) for 2027 with the Italian outfit.
The American joins Italian F4 and Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) title rival Kean Nakamura-Berta at the team that has won three of the last four drivers' championships in F3.
The son of the late two-time Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon, the 17-year-old from St. Petersburg, Florida has quite the junior record.
Wheldon's first season of single-seaters came in 2023, winning the Skip Barber Race Series, scoring six wins. In 2024, he moved up to USF Juniors and finished third in his sole campaign in the series with four wins and nine podiums.
After moving to Europe, Wheldon has finished third in Italian F4 in 2025, as well as finishing as the 2026 FREC runner-up.
Wheldon has been successful at every level he has raced in, and is aiming to continue that record with Trident.
“I'm very happy to be competing in the 2027 FIA Formula 3 Championship with TRIDENT Motorsport. There's a lot of pressure, as I'll be racing for one of the most successful teams in the category.
He added:
"However, I love a challenge and will give my all to learn quickly and achieve good results. I'm extremely grateful to TWG Motorsports and Andretti Global for their support. I can't wait for next season to begin. Let's go!”
Wheldon's junior record impressed Trident Team Manager Giacomo Ricci, who has overseen the likes of Gabriel Bortoleto, Rafael Camara and Freddie Slater's growth in F3.
“We are delighted to announce our agreement with Sebastian Wheldon for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 Championship season. Sebastian is a driver who has demonstrated consistent growth throughout his career, distinguishing himself both in the United States and Europe.
Ricci further stated:
"His 2026 Formula Regional season, which he finished in second place, confirmed his talent and ability to compete at the highest level. We are confident that Trident Motorsport represents the ideal environment to support him in the next step of his promising career.”
Laurens van Hoepen switches to MP Motorsport for 2027 in F2
MP Motorsport revealed one of their two drivers for next season's F2 Championship, with Laurens van Hoepen joining the team for his sophomore campaign.
Van Hoepen started competing in single-seaters full-time in 2022 in FREC (then known as the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, or FRECA)
After two years in the series with ART Grand Prix where he scored two podiums and 86 points, placing 21st and 10th, van Hoepen jumped up to F3 with the French outfit. The Dutchman competed in F3 from 2024 to 2025, taking five podiums to finish 13th and 12th.
This year, van Hoepen has impressed in F2 competing with Trident, with as many podiums in his rookie campaign in the championship as in his two years of F3 combined. He currently sits 10th in the standings.
Van Hoepen is originally from South Holland and is joining a team which is also from South Holland in MP Motorsport, a change which van Hoepen is looking forward to.
“It’s good to finally join forces with a team that has been on my doorstep since my karting days,” said Van Hoepen. “I have witnessed their incredible success first-hand, especially in my last five seasons in FRECA and FIA F3, and with the experience of a season of Formula 2 under my belt, I’m confident that I can add more prizes to their impressive trophy cabinet.
The 21-year-old added:
“MP is a team of many nationalities now, but it still feels like a natural move to join the home team and race in the orange home colours.”
MP Motorsport Team Principal Sander Dorsman commented that it felt inevitable the two parties would eventually collaborate:
“I’m incredibly pleased that Laurens has become a member of our MP family. A Dutch driver with a Dutch team is always going to be special, and with Laurens’ obvious talent and the debut season that he’s had, it was a matter of time before we put two and two together. With Laurens on board as the first of our F2 drivers, we are aiming to continue our frontrunning F2 form in 2027.”
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