Espírito-Santo make his motorsport debut in Spanish F4

---

Young Portuguese Manuel Espírito-Santo will make his debut with MP Motorsport in Spanish Formula 4 in 2021. The 17-year-old driver from Lisbon will be part of a strong F4 team with four previously announced drivers. More announcements are on the way.

Espírito-Santo made a relatively late start as a driver, as he only started in go-karts at the age of 14. Despite his lack of experience, he soon made a name for himself in the X30 Senior go-karts before taking the plunge into formula cars. Through various F4 tests in 2020, Espírito-Santo discovered that he feels more comfortable in a formula car. That is why he decided to switch completely from karts to cars. He will join MP's Spanish F4 team with the previously announced four-piece Suleiman Zanfari, Rik Koen, Gil Molina and Dilano van 't Hoff.

“I am really looking forward to the season with MP”, said Espírito-Santo, “because I have always looked up to the team. I am very grateful for this opportunity and my aim is to get the most out of it. During my first test with the team, the car immediately felt great and I got on well with the people around me. My goal is to achieve a series of good results and to compete for the championship. ”

“I am delighted to welcome Manuel to our Spanish F4 team,” said Sander Dorsman, team manager at MP Motorsport. “In his short period in karts, he has emerged as a driver with more experience than he actually has. In doing so, he displayed a self-confidence that he could transfer to the formula car from the first moment of testing. He could be the surprise of the season! ”

Espírito-Santo made his karting debut in the 2019 Portuguese National Championship before starting the 2020 season with several wins in the X30 Senior category. He missed the title by having to quarantine part of the season because of a classmate who had tested positive for Covid-19. Espírito-Santo picked up the thread again in the autumn with a participation in the world championship karts before finally turning his focus on the formula cars.