Madpanda Motorsport has announced that Ezequiel Companc will be joined by Jesse Salmenautio for the Mercedes-AMG squad's Fanatec GT Sprint Cup comeback.
The Spanish outfit will return to the short-format championship this season following a one-year absence, though it did make a winning cameo at the 2022 finale. This term it will once again contest the full campaign, running in both Sprint and Endurance with the #90 Mercedes-AMG.
Salmenautio is a newcomer to the GT3 ranks. The 20-year-old Finn steps up following spells in the Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 class and Prototype Cup Germany. Prior to this, he cut his teeth in Formula 4 and on the Finnish karting scene.
Team owner Companc, meanwhile, is preparing for his seventh season in the Sprint Cup. Indeed, the Argentine has been an ever-present in the Madpanda line-up since the team made its Fanatec GT debut in 2020, winning the Silver Cup series title in 2020 and the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in 2021.
The duo will debut at the Fanatec GT Sprint Cup opener, which takes place at Brands Hatch on 13-14 May. Prior to this, the Endurance Cup will kick off the 2023 season on 21-23 April.
Madpanda is yet to finalise its line-up for the long-distance championship. Drivers inserted in opportunities with the team may contact Ezequiel Companc at epcompanc@madpandamotorsport.com or on WhatsApp at +34 673 55 42 12.
