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European F3 ace Maximilian Gunther gets Formula E test with Dragon

European Formula 3 Championship frontrunner Maximilian Gunther will test for the Dragon Racing Formula E team in Marrakech next month.

Gunther finished third in Euro F3 this season, winning five races for the Prema team, and dovetailed that campaign with a role as Mercedes' reserve driver in the DTM.

He also performed 'taxi' duties for the manufacturer this year after testing the Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM at Jerez at the end of 2016, and returned to the young-driver test at the Lausitzring after the 2017 season as well.

Gunther has also tested Formula 2 and Super Formula machinery this winter.

The 20-year-old is unlikely to graduate to the DTM full-time in 2018 because ex-Sauber Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein and Dani Juncadella are the favourites to fill the vacancy left by IndyCar-bound Robert Wickens.

He will take over Neel Jani's #6 Penske EV-2 in FE's post-race rookie test in Morocco on January 14.

He will join Blancpain Endurance Series champion and Lexus Super GT frontrunner Andrea Caldarelli, who will drive Jerome d'Ambrosio's #7 car.

Dragon won races in the opening two FE seasons but struggled in the 2016/17 campaign and suffered a dismal start to the 2017/18 season in Hong Kong earlier this month.

D'Ambrosio scored a best finish of 15th in the first of the two races, while Jani was lapped both times on his debut weekend.

Renault e.dams will field Nissan's Japanese Formula 3 champion Mitsunori Takaboshi in the Marrakech test, with F2 racer Alexander Albon linked to the team as well.

Porsche's Frederic Makowiecki and Lexus Super GT frontrunner James Rossiter will test for Techeetah, while Andretti will field Colton Herta and BMW DTM ace Bruno Spengler.

Audi has picked its own DTM driver Nico Muller and McLaren-supported Formula 2 racer Nyck de Vries.

Formula Renault Northern European Cup champion Michael Benyahia will drive for Venturi and Mahindra will field Sam Dejonghe and Dani Juncadella.

F2 racer Jordan King and Formula V8 3.5 champion Pietro Fittipaldi have also been linked with drives in the test.

Zdroj: autosport.com