ART Grand Prix has announced that Nico Hulkenberg will partner Pastor Maldonado in the team's quest to return to the top of the GP2 Main Series in 2009. Nico's collaboration with ART Grand Prix was successful in the Formula 3 Euro Series and both parties are aiming high for the third year of their partnership.

Nico has a lot of work ahead of him in order to learn the series and some of the circuits they visit. His task won't be easy in the Formula One feeder series, which gathers together the best young talents, but ART Grand Prix is confident that the young German will make the most of this package just as he did with its predecessor.

Frédéric Vasseur: "There is no need to give the reasons that convinced us to continue our collaboration with Nico. His records speak for themselves! Nico is a fast and talented driver but also a young man who is very well balanced. He has strong race intelligence and positve human relationships. With Nico and Pastor, ART Grand Prix's aim will be to return to the place that was ours in 2005 and 2006, champions!"

Nico Hulkenberg: "ART Grand Prix and me, it sounds like a good combination to me! We know each other very well and we have worked great together so far. I had four days of testing with the team and the GP2 car and I feel comfortable with everything up to this point. Next year will be a tough one because the GP2 Championships are extremely competitive with great teams and great drivers but I think we have a good package ourselves. It's difficult to see where we are going because there are some tracks I don't know and the single practice session every round is very short, but we have to set our target high. We might not be able to fight for the podium in the very beginning but it is my aim, as well as the team's, to climb up there and to try to get a win or two."