Absolute Racing has signed Asian Formula Renault champion Daniel Cao and Asian Formula 3 Winter Series race-winner Eshan Pieris for the 2019 Asian F3 season.

The Chinese team won once in Asian F3 with Jaden Conwright last season, and won the majority of the 2019 Winter Series races with its line-up of Formula Renault Eurocup star Yifei Ye and Sri Lankan Pieris.

Pieris has been retained after winning the Winter Series finale, and was a regular points scorer in AFR with Eurasia Motorsport.

Cao dominated in AFR last season, and won the 2017-18 Formula 4 South East Asia title earlier in the year. In 2017 he entered a half-season in British F4 with Double R Racing, and made a Asian F3 cameo with Pinnacle Motorsport in the series’ inaugural event last July.

“This upcoming season looks like it should be a strong championship again,” said Absolute team manager Martin Young, who previously headed Fortec Motorsports’ race and title-winning Formula Renault NEC and Eurocup operations.

He’s also recently been installed as manager of Shanghai International Circuit, just in time for Formula 1’s 1000th world championship race: the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix.

“Following the competitive campaign in the Winter Series, the two drivers we have for this season has shown good promise over. Both Daniel and Eshan have enough know-how to win races, and we are coming off the back of a successful Winter Series season where we won five out of nine races with our two drivers.

“I feel this shows how strong the team is working towards this year. I?m really looking forward to Sepang next week.?

BlackArts Racing has signed Thomas Leudi for the full season after the Hong Kong-licensed Swiss made two appearances with the team last season.

Leudi, now in his 40s, is a veteran of the Asian racing scene and has been a mainstay in AFR and Asian F3’s predecessor Formula Masters China. He is also one of the founders of BlackArts, which is a title winner in AFR and Chinese F4.

The only other driver signed up for the Asian F3 season, which starts at Sepang on April 6-7, is Hitech GP’s Jack Doohan.