Max
Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) claimed his ninth victory in the
FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship in an action-packed 30th race of
the season. At the 4.909 kilometres long Autodromo Enzo e Dino
Ferrari, the 17-year-old Dutchman won from Italian Antonio Fuoco
(Prema Powerteam) and Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam). For 18-year-old
Frenchman Ocon, who is backed by the Lotus Fórmula 1 team, third
place was enough to win an early title in the 2014 FIA Fórmula 3
European Championship. As a reward, he will do a test with a Ferrari
Fórmula 1 car at the Fiorano circuit on October 29.
Antonio
Fuoco already took the lead from Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon
before the first corner. With a very good start, he thus managed to
move up from third on the grid to first place. Later on the opening
lap, Edward Jones (Carlin) ploughed through the gravel trap and hit
Antonio Giovinazzi’s (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) car as he swerved
back onto the track. The Italian spun and retired and so did Jones.
The race director sent the safety car out after the incident.
Only a
few laps later, an off-track excursion by Sandro Zeller (Jo Zeller
Racing) prompted the second safety car intervention. At the restart
on lap nine, Verstappen overtook race leader Fuoco and claimed back
first place. On lap eleven, the safety car was deployed again after
Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) had collided with Jordan King
(Carlin) and couldn’t avoid an impact into the barriers.
Max
Verstappen also held on to his first place after the third restart of
the race. He then safely brought this position home after the
remaining laps and celebrated his first win of the weekend. Antonio
Fuoco took the flag in second place and his many fans hailed him as
the best-placed Italian in the race. Esteban Ocon was buoyant as well
as his third place was enough to wrap up the 2014 FIA Fórmula 3
European Championship title early. Nicholas Latifi (Prema Powerteam)
finished fourth in the final race of the Imola round, followed by Tom
Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and William Buller (Signature).
Thus, Buller scored not only his first points of the season, but also
the first points for the Signature team that contested its first race
weekend of the 2014 season at Imola. Jake Dennis (Carlin), Lucas Auer
(Mücke Motorsport), Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3) and Gustavo
Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing) rounded out the top ten.
Max
Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing): “I lost a position after the
start, but I knew that my car was fast and that the race was long.
Therefore, I kept cool and I waited for an opportunity. My car was
already fast on the two days of testing and that was the case today
as well”.
Antonio
Fuoco (Prema Powerteam): “I am happy with second place and I am not
disappointed for having missed out on victory. It was clear to me
that Max was quicker and that I wouldn’t have had a chance against
him. I wasn’t happy with my first two races, but now, I am glad by
my podium finish in my home round. I would like to dedicate this
second place to my friend Jules Bianchi”.
Esteban
Ocon (Prema Powerteam): “I am really happy that I am the new FIA
Formula 3 European Champion. It is unbelievable, I simply don’t
know what to say. I will celebrate the title in style with my team
tonight. My race wasn’t too bad. I didn’t want to take too many
risks in the first corner and I slotted into third place. Later on, I
simply followed my team-mate Antonio, who was in second place. I knew
that third place would be enough for me, too”.
Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series
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