Coloni signs young Turk for FIA series.

Leading FIA F3000 team Coloni Motorsport has confirmed the signing of London-based Turk Can Artam for one of its seats in the 2004 campaign.

The 22-year old driver has limited single-seater experience in Europe, having contested a handful of Formula Renault and F3 races in the past couple of seasons, but has collected a number of notable 'firsts' since he started racing in 1999. He became the first Turkish driver to win a race in the USA, the first to win an international FIA-sanctioned race, the first to race in British F3 and Euro Formula Renault V6, and now becomes first Turk driver to race in the FIA F3000 Championship.

"I am thrilled to be participating in this championship with Coloni Motorsport,'' Can - pronounced 'Djan' - said, "We have been considering various options during the last few months - including EuroF3, British F3, Euro3000 and FIA F3000 - but Coloni Motorsport turned out the be the best option for developing my career. The team's results in the past few years - finishing second in F3000 in 2002 and fourth last year, both with several podiums - and its approach to racing was the most attractive proposition."

Artam, who is currently racing in the Formula Renault Winter Series in Florida, will fly directly to Jerez for the first official FIA F3000 test on 17-18 February, and sees the move to the F1 support series as a two-year programme.

"I am looking to 2004 as a learning season," he confirmed, "It will be a new team, a new car and, with the exception of Spa where I raced with the Euro Formula Renault V6 last August, new tracks for me.

"I want to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible, and get ready for the season and, hopefully, bring some good results for the team and for my country. I want to be well prepared for the GP2 series in 2005 - when my ultimate aim is to become the first Turkish driver to race on my hometown Formula One track."

Coloni Motorsports' owner Paolo Coloni admits that the lure of competing in Turkey when the country joins the F1 schedule in 2005, was among his reasons for signing Artam.

"With the Turkish Grand Prix programmed for 2005, we are excited to have signed Can Artam to our team," Coloni said, "I came across Can last year, when we were competing in the winter series in the USA, and, when we heard he was coming to race in Europe, we got in touch. After that, it only took few weeks for him to sign with us. We are now completing our line-up and will be able to make an official announcement about our other drivers in the next few days."

Among those drivers to have tested with Coloni before Christmas are Australian F3 champion Michael Caruso, American Phil Giebler, rising Italian talent Michele Ruggolo, fellow countryman Enrico Toccacelo, Vietnamese-Australian Rob Nguyen, Finn Nico Rosberg and Austrian Norbert Siedler. Coloni F3 graduate Christian Montanari also raced for the team in the final round of the 2003 championship, and has to be considered as a possibility to partner Artam.

Of the above list, only Rosberg and Siedler have confirmed deals elsewhere for 2004, but Coloni will run four cars in the 2004 FIA series, as it did when looking after the now defunct Red Bull Junior team last season.