Bruna Tomaselli will return to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda in 2018 but with a new team.

The 20-year-old Brazilian, one of two females to compete on the Mazda Road to Indy in 2018, has joined Team Pelfrey to race the No. 82 Bruna & Bia Mazda-powered Tatuus USF-17 chassis.

“I am very excited to welcome Bruna to Team Pelfrey,” said Team Pelfrey general manager Jonny Baker. “We have been talking for a while, and the more and more we spoke, it became apparent that not only will Bruna be a good fit with Team Pelfrey, but we will also provide a positive environment and infrastructure that will allow her to flourish in her sophomore season.  We have plenty of track time between now and St Petersburg, and I can’t wait to see what the season has in store for us as a partnership.”

Tomaselli made the transition to the Mazda Road to Indy in 2017 after finishing fourth in the Formula 4 Championship in South America, where she notably collected five podiums and top-10 finishes in 18 of the 20 races in 2016.

She began 2017 in the USF2000 National Championship Class but immediately transitioned to the Tatuus USF-17 after the opening rounds at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

“During my rookie season, I learned a lot and this year I’ve aligned myself with Team Pelfrey, which is a team of great tradition on the Mazda Road to Indy with an excellent structure,” Tomaselli said. “As a team, I believe we will be competitive and we’ll do our best to always be fighting for the podium.”