Jonny Edgar has ended his 2022 F3 season early for health reasons after one round and will be replaced at Trident by Oliver Rasmussen.
Red Bull junior, Edgar had endured a difficult opening round in Bahrain last month as he finished 13th and 11th in both races respectively on his Trident debut, having made the switch from Carlin during the off-season.
The 18 year-old Brit however has now ended his F3 season early due to worsening health issues following a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease and will be replaced by Rasmussen for the remainder of this season.
FIA F3 officials released a short statement which said: ‘The decision has been taken by the driver himself, together with his family, management, Red Bull, and Trident Motorsport, who all believe that recovery is the absolute priority for him. Everyone wishes Edgar all of the best in his recovery.’
Trident’s Team Manager, Giacomo Ricci added that the decision to part company with Edgar was made “with great regret” as he wished Edgar “the quickest possible recovery.”
Ricci also briefly added some brief context without going into details due to confidentiality reasons as he continued: “Since the start of the season, he was weakened by physical issues, but he fought like a lion. He did not back down and continued to race.
“However, his conditions necessitate a break from his competitive activity to support his recovery. Jonny always gave his maximum to the team, he has a fantastic family and is a wonderful guy.”
Rasmussen will therefore make his debut for Trident in the in-season test at Jerez from 5-6 April, having previously competed for HWA Racelab last season where the Danish driver failed to score any points.
Explaining the decision to sign Rasmussen as Edgar’s replacement, Ricci said: “He is a quick and experienced driver, and we are proud to welcome him to the Trident Motorsport family.
“I am sure that he will quickly gain the chemistry needed to gel with the team, making the most of the four days of testing between Jerez and Barcelona, which will be followed by the round at Imola.
“We will put up our best effort to help Oliver and we are sure that he will provide a great contribution to the team.”
Rasmussen meanwhile is “delighted” to return to F3 with Trident despite the unfortunate circumstances which has led to his return, although he iterated that driving for the reigning team champions “is something that only happens a handful of times in a driver’s career, and I want to make the most out of this chance.”
The 21 year-old Dane has also vowed to reward Trident for this opportunity by trying to contribute positive results, as he added: “I will give my 100 per cent on track to reward the trust that Trident Motorsport has placed in me, and I cannot wait to wear the team’s colours.”
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