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Despite finishing behind Aitken in the championship, the Japanese driver secured one victory more than the Briton managed, claiming two feature race wins in Barcelona and Jerez.

As a Honda junior, a successful maiden year in F2 could put Fukuzumi in the frame for a potential drive with newly Honda-backed Toro Rosso. However, he will face competition from fellow Honda protege Tadasuke Makino, who steps up from a tough European F3 campaign to join reigning F2 teams’ champions Russian Time.

The Red Bull junior programme is somewhat lacking clear successors to Pierre Gasly - following the Frenchman’s promotion to its junior squad - so Fukuzumi could take advantage of the situation at an operation owned by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.