F3 Euro Series: Auer wins final race of 2014, Blomqvist runner-up in drivers’ standings.

Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport) concluded his second year in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship with his third victory of the season. British drivers Jordan King (Carlin) and Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) followed behind the 20-year-old Austrian. With this third place, Blomqvist also secured himself second place in the final drivers’ standings of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing), who will be racing in Fórmula 1 for Toro Rosso next year, finished sixth in his final race in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship ahead of Ocon. Thus, the 17-year-old Dutchman ends up third in the final drivers’ standings behind Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam), who was already crowned as the European Champion in Imola, and Blomqvist.

Initially, Tom Blomqvist took the lead, but after a few kilometres only, Lucas Auer already demoted him to second. Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) lost his third place to Jordan King on the opening lap. On the same lap, the safety car was deployed after Tatiana Calderón (Jo Zeller Racing) had missed her braking point before the hairpin and collected Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3) and Jules Szymkowiak (Van Amersfoort Racing). Calderón and Serrallés retired, Szymkowiak continued after a pit stop.

Auer remained in the lead from Blomqvist and King at the restart. After only one lap, he was already 1.5 seconds clear of his first rival Blomqvist. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen tried to claim sixth place from Esteban Ocon. After a fierce battle, he eventually overtook the Frenchman on lap eleven and moved up to sixth.

In the closing stages, Jordan King found a way past Tom Blomqvist and took over second place from his fellow-Brit. Ahead of King, a buoyant Lucas Auer took the chequered flag as the winner of the race. Felix Rosenqvist and Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) safely brought their fourth and fifth place home while Max Verstappen crossed the finish line in sixth place from European Champion Esteban Ocon. Sean Galeal (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Edward Jones (Carlin) and Dennis van de Laar (Prema Powerteam) rounded out the top ten in the final race of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship season.

Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport): “This was a beautiful race. I wanted first place at all cost and I managed to get it. The overtaking move on Tom Blomqvist wasn’t so difficult, but I also had the impression that he wasn’t too aggressive because he had the drivers’ standings in mind, too. Soon after I had overtaken Tom, my car got stuck in third gear once again, but this time, it wasn’t a big problem. Concluding the season with a victory and thus showing our potential is great”.

Jordan King (Carlin): “My start was good and the first lap was very positive, too, because I was able to overtake Felix Rosenqvist. At the end of the race, I was also able to benefit from a mistake by Tom Blomqvist and take second place. I am happy with this end to my season”.

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “Lucas Auer managed to overtake me on the opening lap with a good move. Generally, our pace wasn’t as good as yesterday and therefore, there was nothing I could do against Lucas’s attack. On the penultimate lap, I made a mistake and Jordan benefited from it. I am very happy with my second place in the drivers’ standings and second place for my team Jagonya Ayam with Carlin in the teams’ championship”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series 

F3 Euro Series: A lights-to-flag victory and second place in the points for Tom Blomqvist.

With his sixth race win of the season in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship, Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) moved up to second place in the drivers’ standings. At the 4.574 kilometres long Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, he won from Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport). Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam), who already secured the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship title at Imola, finished fourth in the penultimate race of the season ahead of Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing).

Tom Blomqvist used his pole position and moved up into the lead from Lucas Auer and Antonio Giovinazzi. Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam) was turned around by Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) while driving through the hairpin for the first time and dropped back to the end of the field. His opponent Gelael had to turn into the pits, but then also continued. On lap two, Max Verstappen was overtaken by Tatiana Calderón (Jo Zeller Racing), the only lady racer in the field, in the battle for seventh. The Dutchman countered soon after that and overtook both Calderón and Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) to claim sixth place.

A few minutes later, Michele Beretta (Eurointernational) lost the rear wing of his car. In order for parts of this wing to be removed from the track, the clerk of the course sent the safety car out. At the restart, Tom Blomqvist remained in the lead while Lucas Auer and Antonio Giovinazzi also held on to their respective positions. The order in the following positions changed on lap 16 as Giovinazzi overtook Lucas Auer and claimed back second place. While Blomqvist managed to pull clear more and more out in front and Giovinazzi also built up a slight advantage over Auer towards the end of the race, the Austrian had to work to keep Esteban Ocon at bay until the finish.

The race was red-flagged just before the planned end following a collision between Antonio Fuoco and Jake Dennis (Carlin). Tom Blomqvist won from Antonio Giovinazzi, Lucas Auer, Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen. With Felix Rosenqvist and Roy Nissany (Mücke Motorsport), two drivers of the Mücke Motorsport team finished in sixth and seventh place ahead of Tatiana Calderón, Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Dennis van de Laar (Prema Powerteam).

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “Track conditions changed massively from the first to the second race, which was perhaps due to the rubber from the tyres of the DTM cars. Generally, this race wasn’t an easy one, but went well nevertheless. After the start, I managed to pull a gap and I controlled the race. For me, it was mainly about not making any mistakes”.

Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “I had a good start, but Lucas had an even better start. Thus, I lost second place going into the first corner, but I was able to claim it back during the race. I am very happy with my second place and victory for my team-mate Tom Blomqvist”.

Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport): “My start was mega. Unfortunately, my car got stuck in third gear once again during the race, so that it was relatively easy for Antonio to overtake me. We already had that problem in the first race and now have to do everything to solve it”.

F3 Euro Series: Max Verstappen wins, Prema Powerteam team champions.

With his tenth victory of the season, Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort) extended his margin from rival Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin). In the battle for runner-up spot in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings, Verstappen is now in front with a margin of 13 points. At the 4.574 kilometres long Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the 17-year-old Dutchman, who already took part in his first free practice in Formula 1, took the chequered flag as the winner from Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport) and Tom Blomqvist. Already-crowned FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) finished seventh in the race. Although the two Jagonya Ayam with Carlin drivers Blomqvist and Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) finished third and fourth, Ocon’s seventh place was enough to win the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship teams’ title for his Prema Powerteam with two races to spare.

Max Verstappen took the lead at the start, but couldn’t really pull clear from his rivals Lucas Auer and Tom Blomqvist in the opening stages. Only in the course of the race, the Dutchman gradually extended his margin and scored an undisputed victory after 22 race laps. Behind him, Lucas Auer, Tom Blomqvist, Antionio Giovinazzi and Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) had little problems bringing their second to fifth places home. 

In the first race of the Hockenheim weekend, Esteban Ocon had slightly more work to do. Jordan King (Carlin), who was seventh after the start, overtook Ocon on lap nine and eventually finished sixth ahead of the Frenchman. The battle for ninth place between Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3) and Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) was even more intense. For a few laps, the Indonesian was able to defend his position from the attacks by Puerto Rican Serrallés, but eventually couldn’t keep him at bay. Ahead of these two, Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing) finished eighth.

Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing): “I had a good start and the race was good, too. After we had some problems in second qualifying and I wasn’t happy, we have made some changes on the car for the first race. In the first few laps, Lucas and Tom were still biding their chances behind me, but then, I was able to pull a slight gap and I controlled the race”.

Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport): “Hockenheim is a track that suits me, and so it does for my team kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport. My start was good, but then, my car got stuck in one gear and I lost some ground to Max. Later on, Max was quicker than me anyway”.

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “My start was good and the first few laps were positive, too. After that, I couldn’t keep up with the speed of Lucas and Max. Now, we have to find out what the reason for that was”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Blomqvist wins from Verstappen - battle for title remains open.

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) claimed victory in the 29th season race of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. He dominated the race at the 4.909 kilometres long Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola and scored a lights-to-flag victory. In bright sunshine, the three years younger Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) crossed the finish line in second place, having overtaken Italian Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) on the final metres. Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) finished fourth and is now 84 points ahead of Blomqvist in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings with four races remaining. Verstappen, who already signed a contract to race in Fórmula 1 with the Toro Rosso team for 2015, is 96 points down on Lotus Fórmula 1 junior driver Ocon.

At the start, Tom Blomqvist made the best use of his pole position and took the lead. Antonio Giovinazzi overtook Esteban Ocon for second in the first corner already. On lap three, Antonio Fuoco also managed to find a way past Ocon and thus blew the young championship leader’s hopes of a possible podium finish. At that time, Max Verstappen had already worked his way up to sixth position after having had to start from eleventh place in accordance with the regulations following an engine change. His progress was briefly interrupted on lap seven as a spin by Alexander Toril (ThreeBond with T-Sport) prompted the race director to send the safety car out.

After the restart, Blomqvist remained in front from Giovinazzi and Fuoco. Soon after the field was released again, Verstappen overtook Nicholas Latifi (Prema Powerteam) and then was right behind Esteban Ocon. Two laps later, the Dutchman also overtook the Frenchman. As Fuoco had to pit from third place due to a technical issue, Verstappen even moved up into the top three. However, third place was not enough for the Dutchman: he was so quick that he managed to close up to second-placed Giovinazzi just before the finish. Coming onto the main straight on the final lap, he managed to work his way past the Italian to finish second. Unfazed by the action behind him, Tom Blomqvist drove victory home.

Behind the three drivers on the podium, Esteban Ocon took the flag in fourth place. After 20 laps, Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport) finished fifth from Nicholas Latifi, Jake Dennis (Carlin), Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3), Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) and Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing).

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “I am very happy with this victory. I reckon that I showed a pretty strong race. My start was good and I succeeded in pulling a gap straight away. After the safety car intervention, I made a good restart and I managed to pull a gap once again. However, my car was also running perfectly throughout the race”.

Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing): “After having made a stupid mistake in yesterday’s race because of not being patient enough, I was determined to do better today and I think I managed to do so. The speed of my car was great and I am very happy to have made it all the way from eleventh on the grid to second at the flag”.

Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “All in all, it was a good race for me. After the start, I managed to overtake Esteban Ocon and I was up in second place. I never was close enough behind Tom to mount an attack. Unfortunately, Max Verstappen still caught me on the final metres, but I am also happy with third place in my home race”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Esteban Ocon takes lights-to-flag win, Max Verstappen retires.

Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) made his comeback on the top step of the podium at the 4.909 kilometres long Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. The 18-year-old Frenchman won the 28th race of the season and thus also wrapped up the title in the rookie classification of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. In the 20 lap race, British drivers Jordan King (Carlin) and Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) finished second and third. Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing), who came to Italy as the runner-up in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings, retired from a turbulent race. As a result, the 17-year-old Dutchman, who participated in his first free practice session in Fórmula 1 last week, lost his second place in the championship to Tom Blomqvist. Ocon, who is now 97 points ahead of Blomqvist, remains on top of the standings.

The safety-car was deployed on the opening lap following a collision between Santino Ferrucci (Fortec Motorsports) and Hongwei Cao (Fortec Motorsports). At that time, Esteban Ocon was in the lead after a successful start from pole position. Jordan King followed in second place from Tom Blomqvist and Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport).

After the restart, Ocon was in front again and was soon able to pull a slight gap from his main rival Jordan King. While Lotus F1 junior driver Ocon controlled the race in first place, his rival in the battle for the title, Max Verstappen, had to work his way up through the ranks. Following an engine change in the previous round at the Nürburgring, after which he was dropped ten places on the grid for the first and second race at Imola in compliance with the regulations, the Dutchman had only started from 15th place on the grid. After one lap, he was already ninth and continued to push. A mistake while attacking Jake Dennis (Carlin) cost Verstappen two positions. Soon after that, Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam) pushed him into the gravel trap and the Van Amersfoort driver fell out of the top ten as a result. Following another collision with Roy Nissany (Mücke Motorsport), he eventually had to retire in the pits with three laps remaining.

Out in front, Esteban Ocon drove his ninth victory of the season home, followed by Jordan King and Tom Blomqvist. Felix Rosenqvist finished fourth from Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport), Jake Dennis, Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3), Tatiana Calderón (Jo Zeller Racing) and Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin).

Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam): “Pole position certainly helped me to take the lead after the start. After that, I immediately managed to pull a gap from Jordan. After the restart, the situation was similar. When Jordan increased his speed during the race, I had to take a little bit more risk to keep the gap constant”.

Jordan King (Carlin): “My start wasn’t the best and throughout the race, I never managed to close up to Esteban in such a way that I would have been able to mount an attack. But second place is a good result, too”.

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “After the restart, I had to defend my position from Felix Rosenqvist, which I managed to do. Thus, I was third and I brought this position home. Before the race, we had made some changes to the set-up of my car and I needed some time to get used to it”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Max Verstappen on top after second day of testing at Imola.

Although Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:36s553) has already signed his Fórmula 1 contract and also has taken part in his first free practice session in the category, he keeps on pushing in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. On the second day of the official mid-season-test at the 4.909 kilometres long circuit of Imola, he came out on top. Jake Dennis (Carlin, 1:36s836) followed behind the Dutchman while Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:37s049) was classified third at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari ahead of his team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:37s055).

With his fourth place, Giovinazzi was the fastest of the three Italian drivers competing in this year’s FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. “We have tested and sorted out many things. I am quite happy with the progress we have made on these two days and I am now looking forward to the race weekend,” he commented afterwards. Giovinazzi ranked just ahead of Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam, 1:37s071), the second Italian in the ranking. Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:37s108) followed in sixth place and also drew a positive verdict: “It was important and also necessary to have these two days of testing after the long summer break. Now, we are all back in the right rhythm for this weekend, when we are racing for points. My team-mates and I had a good speed, our car was running well and we are ready for the three races at this circuit”.

Nick Cassidy (ThreeBond with T-Sport, 1:37s116), Jordan King (Carlin, 1:37s144), Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport, 1:37s162) and Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 1:37s273) rounded out the top ten.“This track really is great fun to drive,” Rosenqvist said. “But on a really fast lap, you are also on the verge of crashing all the time. Getting close to the limit, but not over it is a huge challenge”. The Swede was happy with his test day: “I think that we made the car faster”.

Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3, 1:37s341) was classified eleventh. “I reckon that we have the speed to finish on the podium,” the young driver from Puerto Rico said. “During the season so far, my car has never been this good. In the summer break and with this test, we have made a step forward and we are working into the right direction”. Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam, 1:37s342) had to make do with twelfth place, but the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship points’ leader remained totally unfazed: “We just concentrated on completing our test programme and we didn’t go for any fast lap times. We will leave that for the weekend, when we are competing for points and positions again,” the 18-year-old Lotus Fórmula 1 junior driver said calmly.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Lucas Auer claims the winner’s trophy at the Nürburgring.

Lucas Auer became the winner of the 27th season race of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. In a tight battle, the Austrian came out on top from Tom Blomqvist and thus claimed the first win for his team Mücke Motorsport since the weekend at Pau, early May. Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing), who was dropped ten places on the grid following an engine change and thus started twelfth, ended up third at the 3.629 kilometres long Nürburgring sprint circuit. In the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings, the 16-year-old Dutchman remains in second place behind Esteban Ocon, (Prema Powerteam). The Frenchman already retired after a collision on the opening lap, but still has a 77 points’ lead from Verstappen, who recently was integrated into the Red Bull Junior Team.

The opening stage of the race already provided plenty of action with an accident in the first corner. Antonio Giovinazzi, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and Esteban Ocon collided and spun. Nicholas Latifi, (Prema Powerteam) couldn’t avoid the two cars and Dennis van de Laar, (Prema Powerteam), damaged the rear of his car after contact with Latifi. After the incident, the safety car was deployed.

Racing resumed at the start of lap five. Lucas Auer took the opportunity and mounted an attack on Blomqvist, after which he was able to overtake him. On lap ten, the Austrian briefly had to slot in behind Blomqvist again, but he successfully countered straight away and claimed back the lead. He defended his first place until the chequered flag was out. Behind Auer and Blomqvist, Max Verstappen kept Antonio Fuoco under pressure in the battle for third, but initially, the Italian stayed in front. Only two laps before the end, Verstappen managed to overtake Fuoco and bring home third place. Behind Fuoco, the protégé of the Ferrari Driver Academy, in fourth, Jordan King crossed the line to finish fifth.

The battle for the positions in the midfield was also highly entertaining. Roy Nissany, (Mücke Motorsport) attacked Felix Serralles, (Team West-Tec F3), several times and eventually managed to overtake the driver from Puerto Rico to finish sixth. Behind Serralles, Tatiana Calderón, (Jo Zeller Racing), the only lady racer in the field, took the flag in eighth place. Jake Dennis, (Carlin) and Jules Szymkowiak, (Van Amersfoort Racing) rounded out the top ten.

Lucas Auer, (Mücke Motorsport): “I made a good start, after which I was able to move up into second place right away. During the safety car phase, it was clear that my only chance to overtake Tom would be to mount an attack right after the restart, and that is what I did. But even though I have won here, we are still lacking the speed to be in contention for victory on a regular basis”.

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “Second place is a nice result for us, although I am slightly disappointed with it. After all, I would have liked to win the race after starting from pole position. I briefly overtook Lucas, but then I ran wide and Lucas went past again”.

Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing): “My engine blew in the second race, so that the engine had to be replaced and I was dropped ten places on the grid in accordance with the regulations. In the race, I had a really good pace and I tried everything to move up through the ranks. I reckon that I can be happy with having made it all the way from twelfth on the grid to a podium finish”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Eighth win of the season for rookie Max Verstappen.

Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing), had a perfect start as a Red Bull Junior Team member: at the Nürburgring, the 16-year-old won his first outing in the colours of the Austrian Fórmula 1 World Championship-winning team. At the 3.629 kilometres long sprint circuit, he won the entertaining 25th FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship season round from Antonio Fuoco, (Prema Powerteam) and Antonio Giovinazzi, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin). At a drying track, the Dutch rookie driver scored his eighth win of the season and was thus able to reduce the gap to the championship leader. Frenchman Esteban Ocon, (Prema Powerteam), who finished sixth in the Nürburgring race, remains on top in the drivers’ standings.

The race started at a still wet, but already drying track. Nevertheless, three drivers took the risk of starting with rain tyres: Richard Goddard, (ThreeBond with T-Sport), series’ novice Wing Chung Chang, (Team West-Tec F3) and Michele Beretta, (Eurointernational). Especially Goddard, who had started from 20th place, benefited from his initial tyre advantage and took the lead on lap seven. On lap 13, he lost it again because his rain tyres degraded and in spite of a spirited drive, he was left without a chance against the faster Max Verstappen. In the remainder of the race, the Australian dropped back more and more and eventually crossed the finish line in 19th place.

Out in front, Verstappen only managed to pull clear from his main rival Antonio Fuoco, while the latter had his compatriot Antonio Giovinazzi in his rear-view mirrors until the end of the race. Jordan King, (Carlin), took the chequered flag in fourth place from Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and Esteban Ocon, who battled for a long time. Lucas Auer, (Mücke Motorsport), Felix Rosenqvist, (Mücke Motorsport), Santino Ferrucci, (Eurointernational) and Edward Jones, (Carlin) rounded out the top ten in a race that had plenty of excitement.

Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing): “We knew that the track here dries out quickly, so therefore we opted for slick tyres. I reckon that this was the right choice, even though the first few laps with slicks weren’t easy. When Richard Goddard overtook me, I was well aware that his rain tyres wouldn’t last that long anymore, because at that time, he was already trying to cool his tyres all the time. Therefore, I didn’t defend my position too heavily against his attacks and I just tried not to let him pull away too much”.

Antonio Fuoco, (Prema Powerteam): “I had a good start and I even managed to take the lead in the second corner. Being in front at the slippery track, however, wasn’t easy. When I ran too wide in a corner, Max was able to overtake me again. But I am also very happy with second place”.

Antonio Giovinazzi, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “My start was really good, too, I already managed to move up to third on the opening lap. In the final stages, I was even able to close up to Antonio Fuoco, but I wasn’t close enough to mount an attack. However, I am very happy with third place, especially having started from seventh on the grid”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Antonio Giovinazzi celebrates race win.

At the 4.326 kilometres long Red Bull Ring, 20-year-old Italian Antonio Giovinazzi celebrated his maiden FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race win. His team-mate Tom Blomqvist took the chequered flag in third place from Lucas Auer, the only Austrian in the field. Esteban Ocon remains in the lead of the drivers’ standings. The French Lotus Fórmula 1 junior driver finished 13th in the race following a drive-through penalty for driving too fast under yellow flags and thus failed to score any points.

At the start, Antonio Giovinazzi benefited from his pole position and took the lead. Tom Blomqvist followed in second place. Soon after that, Felix Rosenqvist spun into the gravel trap and retired. On lap three, a collision involving Alexander Toril and Jules Szymkowiak brought the safety car out. The accident meant the end of the race for Spanish driver Toril.

After the restart, Antonio Giovinazzi remained in front. In the laps until the end, the Italian pulled clear from Tom Blomqvist more and more and eventually drove an undisputed victory home. Tom Blomqvist and Lucas Auer also had a rather uneventful race while numerous position fights in the midfield entertained the spectators. Max Verstappen battled with Antonio Fuoco for fourth place. The two tangled in the process, for which Fuoco paid the price with a damaged front wing of his car. The Italian, a protégé of the Ferrari driver Academy, had to turn into the pits while Verstappen was given a drive-through penalty for his move. The Dutchman eventually was classified twelfth, Fuoco concluded the race in 19th place.

Nicholas Latifi inherited third place from Jake Dennis, Edward Jones, Jordan King, Gustavo Menezes, Tatiana Calderón and Sean Gelael.

Antonio Giovinazzi, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “I am very happy with this victory and the fact that my team-mate Ton Blomqvist came second. It is a great performance by our team Jagonya Ayam with Carlin. My start was good and I managed to keep Tom Blomqvist at bay. During the safety car phase, I really paid attention to ensure that the gap to the safety car wouldn’t get too big, because that was my big mistake in the second race of this weekend. This time, I managed and I am really happy with my maiden race win in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship”.

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “Our team Jagonya Ayam with Carlin has done a tremendous job, we secured first and second place. Antonio showed a perfect performance, he has deserved this win. For me, things went really well with my second place, too and I am happy”.

Lucas Auer, (Mücke Motorsport): “I had a good start and managed to overtake Antonio Fuoco straight away. After that, I had some problems, but because the guys behind me were fighting, I was able to hold on to third place. Generally, I am very happy with the progress we have made from Friday to today. My team Mücke Motorsport really has done a very good job”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Antonio Fuoco celebrates second season win.

The 23rd season round of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship provided plenty of action for the spectators at the 4.326 kilometres long Red Bull Ring. Antonio Fuoco, (Prema Powerteam), was able to decide the race in his favour, although he never led the field for one moment. For his second victory in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship season, the rookie driver benefited from a 20 seconds’ time penalty for Antonio Giovinazzi, who led throughout the race, due to an infringement of the safety car procedure. Eventually, Fuoco won from Tom Blomqvist and national hero Lucas Auer. For points’ leader Esteban Ocon, things didn’t go according to plan either; the French Lotus Fórmula 1 junior driver collided with Felix Rosenqvist and retired.

At the start, Antonio Giovinazzi took the lead from Tom Blomqvist. On the way to the first corner, the Brit had to slot in behind Antonio Fuoco and dropped back to third. On lap three, Jordan King and Max Verstappen collided, which ended with a spin by British driver King. As a result, the safety car was deployed for the first time in this race. Shortly after the restart, Dennis van de Laar spun, which caused the second safety car intervention in this 23rd season round. After the next restart, Esteban Ocon and Felix Rosenqvist tangled in the battle for fourth place. Both drivers retired. On lap 16, Richard Goddard spun after a collision with Roy Nissany and hit Sandro Zeller’s car in the aftermath. For Goddard and Zeller, the race was over.

Out in front, Antonio Giovinazzi still held on to the lead, but at the final restart of the race, he left a gap to the safety car that was too big and was given a drive-through penalty as a result. As he didn’t come in for this penalty during the remainder of the race, it was converted into a 20 seconds’ time penalty. Thus, the Italian lost his first place to compatriot Antonio Fuoco, who became the winner of the race. Tom Blomqvist was delighted with his second-place finish, Lucas Auer took the chequered flag in third place. Max Verstappen, Gustavo Menezes, Edward Jones, Sean Gelael, Nicholas Latifi, Jules Szymkowiak and Alexander Toril rounded out the top ten. For Spaniard Toril, tenth place is his best result in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship to date.

Antonio Fuoco, (Prema Powerteam): “I anm really happy and proud of this victory. After a good start, I was able to overtake Lucas Auer in the first corner and I was even second after the second corner. However, I had no chance against Antonio Giovinazzi, who was still in front of me; he was simply too fast. My engineer told me over the radio about the penalty for Giovinazzi, so I was aware that I had won as I crossed the line”.

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “I feel really sorry for my team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi, because he was quick and would have deserved this success. My start wasn’t perfect and when I was between Lucas Auer and Antonio Fuoco in the second corner, Antonio was able to overtake me. I was left without a chance”.

Lucas Auer, (Mücke Motorsport): “My start was okay, but I lost a few places in the first few corners. Then I was lucky that there were some incidents in this race and I benefited from some of them. Thus, I came home third. My car was already much better than yesterday, but we still have work to do. Nevertheless, I am happy with my podium finish in my home race”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: British driver Tom Blomqvist claims fourth season win.

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), is the winner of the 22nd season round of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. At the 4.326 kilometres long Red Bull Ring, the Brit benefited from a collision involving the drivers who are currently first and second in the drivers’ standings, Esteban Ocon, (Prema Powerteam) and Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing), and took the lead after the first corner. Antonio Giovinazzi, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), finished second from Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing), who came third. Ocon, who dropped back to last following the accident, still managed to make his way up to 13th place. The French Lotus Fórmula 1 junior remains in the lead of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings with a margin of 101 points.

The race started with a collision involving Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen, the two drivers who are first and second in the drivers’ standings. They tangled in the battle for the lead. Ocon had to rejoin the field at the back while Verstappen returned from the opening lap in sixth place. Tom Blomqvist inherited the lead from Antonio Giovinazzi and Felix Rosenqvist.

In the following laps, Blomqvist and Giovinazzi, both racing for the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team, pulled clear more and more from their first rival Rosenqvist, who, in turn, had Jake Dennis, (Carlin), closely behind him. Max Verstappen closed up on the duo more and more, too. On lap twelve, Dennis mounted an attack on Rosenqvist; the Swede briefly came off the track and Verstappen went past the two and moved up into third place. While the 16-year-old Dutchman then immediately pulled clear from Rosenqvist and Dennis, Antonio Fuoco, (Prema Powerteam), Gustavo Menezes, (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Jordan King, (Carlin) closed up to Rosenqvist and Dennis. On lap 17, Dennis overtook Rosenqvist for fourth.

Behind stalwart Rosenqvist, who was now fifth, there was a great battle during the last few laps. Eventually, the finish order in sixth to ninth place Fuoco, Menezes, Van de Laar, (Prema Powerteam) and King. Lucas Auer, (Mücke Motorsport), the only Austrian in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship field, finished tenth.

Out in front, Tom Blomqvist scored his fourth season win in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. With this result, he moved up to third in the drivers’ standings, toppling Lucas Auer. Blomqvist’s team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi finished second, scoring his second podium finish of the season. Max Verstappen joined them on the podium in third as the best-placed rookie. After 24 laps, Jake Dennis was classified fourth as the second-best rookie.

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “I am happy and also slightly relieved because it has been a long time since I last was on the top step of the podium. As Esteban and Max collided in the first corner, I was able to move up into the lead. After a slight mistake, I had to be careful to keep Antonio at bay, but it all worked out fine”.

Antonio Giovinazzi, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “On the last couple of weekends, we had some issues with the engine and the chassis, but now, things seem to be running fine again. Following the collision between Esteban and Max, I was second and I tried to attack Tom for first place. After ten laps or so, I still had a chance, but this attack on Tom was unsuccessful as well. Still, I am very happy with my second place”.

Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing): “My start was good and I was alongside Esteban in the first corner. There, he didn’t leave me enough room and I couldn’t avoid the collision. The left front suspension of my car was damaged in the accident and I am happy that I have made it to the finish at all. Because of the damage, my tyres were completely worn out at the end of the race”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Esteban Ocon celebrates again - second victory in Moscow.

In the second FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race, Esteban Ocon continued to improve his track record in Rússia. Following three pole positions and victory in the first race of the weekend, the Lotus Fórmula 1 junior driver also won the second race near the Russian capital. For the entire race, Antonio Fuoco withstood the pressure by his direct rival on track, Tom Blomqvist and managed to bring second place home. With his seventh victory of the season, race winner Ocon managed to extend his lead in the drivers’ standings; he now has a 109 points’ lead from Max Verstappen. The 16-year-old Dutchman retired due to technical problems.

Esteban Ocon already used the opening stages of the race to pull clear from his rival Antonio Fuoco. After only three laps, the Frenchman was leading by more than two seconds and gradually extended his margin. In a similar way, Fuoco was also able to pull a gap from Tom Blomqvist, who was ahead of Max Verstappen, Lucas Auer and Jordan King. After a few laps, Blomqvist closed up to Fuoco again and reduced the gap. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen visibly slowed down on lap eleven and had to retire in the pits at the end of lap twelve due to technical problems.

Halfway through the race, Esteban Ocon was almost four seconds clear of his team-mate Antonio Fuoco, who still wasn’t able to pull away from Blomqvist. However, the Brit didn’t mount a serious challenge to Fuoco’s second place before the chequered flag came out. Thus, behind dominant race winner Ocon, Fuoco came home ahead of Blomqvist. Fuoco scored his sixth podium finish of the year, Blomqvist took part in the prize-giving ceremony for the fifth time this season.

Lucas Auer, Jordan King, Jake Dennis, Felix Rosenqvist, Nicholas Latifi, Dennis van de Laar and Gustavo Menezes rounded out the top ten. In the process, Latifi and van der Laar only found a way past a charging Menezes in the closing stages of the race and demoted the American driver with Brazilian roots to tenth place.

Esteban Ocon, (Prema Powerteam): “Once again, I had a good start. It was my goal to pull a gap to my rival Antonio during the first couple of laps and I succeeded. After that, I had to stay focussed to avoid making any mistakes. Moreover, I tried to save my tyres. Congratulations to Antonio for his second place”.

Antonio Fuoco, (Prema Powerteam): “I almost stalled at the start, but I was able to hold on to my second place. During the race, the tyres of my car degraded, so that I had no chance anymore to follow Esteban. I even had to be careful to prevent Tom Blomqvist from overtaking me, because he was quicker than me during the second half of the race”.

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “Being back on the podium after two weekends that didn’t go so well is nice. In the races, we were always good but we sometimes struggled in qualifying. That is also the thing on which we still have to work. In this race, I had no chance to mount a challenge to Antonio, because at this track, overtaking is very difficult”.

F3 Euro Series: Felix Rosenqvist conquista vitória importante em Pau, na França.

A nona corrida do campeonato FIA F3 Euro Series, marcou o fim da “maré de azar” do vice-campeão da temporada passada Felix Rosenqvist, o sueco venceu a terceira corrida do final de semana disputada no circuito de rua de Pau, sul da França. Esteban Ocon novamente foi ao pódio com a segunda colocação e Tom Blomqvist terminou em terceiro. Com os resultados Ocon chegou a 164 pontos contra 107 de Blomqvist.

Largando em segundo no grid, Felix Rosenqvist assumiu a liderança no início, enquanto o pole Esteban Ocon tinha trabalho para segurar Tom Blomqvist. Nesta ordem, foram as primeiras voltas. Max Verstappen cujo carro foi ligeiramente tocado por Ocon na largada, caiu para sexto. Uma volta mais tarde, no entanto, o holandês de apenas 16 anos colidiu com a barreira de pneus, encerrando sua participação na etapa.

Na frente, Rosenqvist manteve uma margem consistente ao longo da corrida até Michele Beretta parar seu carro na volta 18 depois de uma batida, o safety car foi à pista, no reinício, Rosenqvist defendeu sua liderança e não deu chance para seus rivais. Jake Dennis, foi o segundo melhor estreante terminando em quarto. Mitchell Gilbert, (Fortec Motorsports), obteve o seu melhor resultado na temporada ao terminar em quinto à frente de Lucas Auer.

O top 10 foi completado por: Dennis Van de Laar, John Bryant-Meisner, Jordan King e Antonio Giovinazzi. Para Felix Rosenqvist o final de semana foi complicado, segundo o piloto, problemas técnicos na corrida 1 e saída de pista na prova 2 fez com que ele perdesse pontos preciosos. No entanto, ele ficou feliz pela vitória, apesar de garantir que não foi fácil.  

Fotos: FIA F3 Euro Series - divulgação

F3 Euro Series: Tom Blomqvist vence a prova 2 em Pau, na França.

Tom Blomqvist venceu a oitava rodada do campeonato FIA de Fórmula 3 Euro Series, a prova foi disputada neste domingo (11), no circuito de rua de Pau, no sul da França. Com condições de pista molhada ele superou Esteban Ocon líder do campeonato que chegou em segundo, Jakes Dennis completou o pódio. Com os resultados Ocon chegou a 146 pontos e Blomqvist aos 92.

Devido as condições meteorológicas e pista escorregadia, a prova teve início com o safety car na pista, após 5 voltas a bandeira verde foi acionada e Ocon manteve a ponta, seguido por: Felix Rosenqvist e Max Verstappen, a corrida prosseguiu com boas disputas por posições, na volta 12, Verstappen que havia perdido terreno para Ocon e Rosenqvist saiu da pista e abandonou.

Logo depois, Felix Rosenqvist diminuiu a diferença para Ocon e atacou o francês mas acabou rodando e deixando a prova. Duas voltas depois, mais um incidente envolvendo: Tatiana Calderón, Felipe Guimarães e Edward Jones, apenas o piloto brasileiro permaneceu na corrida, mas a organização mandou o safety car à pista arruinando a vantagem de Ocon na liderança da prova.

Após o reinício, Esteban Ocon sofreu pressão de Tom Blomqvist que conseguiu ultrapassar o novato, o francês segurou nas voltas finais Jake Dennis, Antonio Giovinazzi e Dennis Van de Laar para assegurar o segundo lugar. Mitch Gilbert, foi o sexto, Lucas Auer, Felix Serralles, Roy Nissany e Hector Hurst, completaram o top 10. Abaixo comentário dos três primeiros colocados:

Tom Blomqvist, (Jagonya Ayam com Carlin): “Estou muito feliz por ter vencido esta corrida. Foi a primeira vez para nós em uma pista molhada neste fim de semana, achei que chegaria em terceiro, embora Ocon tivesse um dano em seu carro, ultrapassá-lo após a relargada não foi uma tarefa fácil”.

Esteban Ocon, (Prema Powerteam): “Estou um pouco desapontado, porque poderia ter tido um resultado melhor. Minha suspensão ficou danificada pelo toque com Rosenqvist, poderia ter sido pior, portanto, eu não tinha condições de manter a posição após a saída do safety car”.

Jake Dennis, (Carlin): “Esta foi a minha primeira vez dirigindo um carro de Fórmula 3 em uma pista molhada, acho que eu não fui tão ruim. As vezes manter o carro na pista é tarefa complicada, mas conquistar meu primeiro pódio em uma corrida com essa em Pau foi ótimo”.

Fotos: FIA F3 Euro Series - divulgação

F3 Euro Series: Tom Blomqvist vence corrida em Silverstone.

Tom Blomqvist, da (Jagonya Ayam com Carlin), teve um início excelente para a nova temporada da Fórmula 3, o piloto britânico venceu em casa a primeira prova do final de semana em Silverstone, em segundo lugar chegou o estreante Esteban Ocon, da (Prema Powerteam), completando o pódio, outro piloto britânico, Jordan King. O italiano Antonio Fuoco, que faz parte do programa de jovens talentos da Ferrari, terminou em quarto.  

Blomqvist assumiu a liderança na largada, seguido por Ocon e Fuoco, o italiano sofria bastante pressão de King pelo terceiro posto. Uma colisão entre Michele Beretta, (Eurointernational) e Alexander Toril, (ThreeBond com a T-Sport), levou o carro de segurança para à pista. Na relargada, as posições foram mantidas entre os primeiros colocados, mas não demorou muito para Jordan King conseguir a ultrapassagem sobre Fuoco, entretanto já era tarde para brigar pela vitória com seu compatriota Blomqvist, com o carro #31.

Lucas Auer, terminou em quinto na primeira corrida da temporada, Nicholas Latifi, foi o sexto, na sequência chegaram: Felix Serralles, Edward Jones, Felix Rosenqvist e o brasileiro Felipe Guimarães que completou o top 10. Vice-campeão na temporada de 2013, o sueco Rosenqvist fez uma prova discreta e o nono lugar foi um resultado abaixo das expectativas. Abaixo comentários dos três primeiros colocados:

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam com Carlin): “É claro, estou muito satisfeito com esta vitória. Eu pretendia fazer um bom começo e consegui abrir boa vantagem durante as primeiras voltas. Depois fui capaz de controlar a prova até o fim. Estou muito feliz com esse começo de temporada”.

Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam): “Na verdade, a minha relargada após a saída do safety car foi muito boa, não tive a chance de ultrapassar Tom e King vinha me perseguindo, chegou a me ultrapassar, mas felizmente, fui capaz de retomar a posição”.

Jordan King (Carlin): “Meu início e os primeiros metros foram muito bons. Eu imediatamente fiz ultrapassagens, na relargada passei Ocon, mas não consegui manter o segundo lugar por muito tempo. Eu estou feliz com o terceiro lugar, mas teria sido melhor com o segundo”.

Fotos: FIA F3 Euro Series - divulgação

F3 Euro Series: Tom Blomqvist e Esteban Ocon garantem as pole positions em Silverstone.

O campeonato FIA de Fórmula 3 Euro Series, terá sua primeira rodada tripla neste final de semana em Silverstone, na Inglaterra. Nos treinos de classificação realizados nesta sexta-feira (18), Tom Blomqvist e o estreante Esteban Ocon, garantiram as poles positions para as provas de abertura da temporada 2014.

Na primeira fase de qualificação, Blomqvist bateu o novato Esteban Ocon pela margem mínima de 0,002 segundos. Na segunda sessão, o francês conquistou a melhor posição no grid de largada, após superar o canadense Nicholas Latifi, Blomqvist foi o terceiro e o italiano Antonio Fuoco o quarto. Já para a prova que encerra a rodada em Silverstone, novamente Ocon largará na pole, com seu companheiro de equipe Fuoco e Blomqvist completando o top 3.

Grid de largada corrida 1: Depois que os novatos Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon e Antonio Fuoco terem dominados os treinos livres, o experiente Blomqvist cravou a melhor volta na classificação com o tempo de 1:51s327, faltando 7 minutos para o fim da sessão, os quatro pilotos formarão as duas primeiras filas do grid. Félix Serralles larga em quinto, Jordan King em sexto, na sequência largam: Edward Jones, Nicholas Latifi, Dennis Van de Laar e Lucas Auer que completam o top 10. Único brasileiro no grid da F3 Euro Series 2014, Felipe Guimarães largará em décimo terceiro.

Grid de largada corrida 2: Na segunda qualificação, Esteban Ocon, cravou a melhor volta em 1:51s322 e inverteu a ordem de largada da primeira prova, já que seu companheiro de equipe na Prema Powerteam, Latifi, superou Blomqvist, que só chegou a esta posição nos estágios finais da sessão. Fuoco largará em quarto, Giovinazzi, da Carlin foi o quinto e outro estreante garantiu o sexto lugar no grid, trata-se de Max Verstappen piloto que fechou os testes da pré-temporada na frente.

Grid da corrida 3: As posições de largada são determinadas por uma média entre a segunda melhor volta no qualy 2, neste ranking, o piloto Ocon também provou ser imbatível, ficando com sua segunda pole, a seu lado largará o italiano Antonio Fuoco. Tom Blomqvist, Nicholas Latifi, Max Verstappen e Antonio Giovinazzi, foram os seis mais rápidos. Abaixo comentários dos poles em Silverstone:

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam com Carlin): “Na primeira fase de qualificação, o carro estava muito bem e não era muito ruim na segunda sessão. Especialmente, esta manhã, as coisas estavam muito melhor, com isso, consegui uma volta perfeita e eu estou muito feliz com a primeira pole position do ano. Após os bons resultados nos testes, largar na frente na primeira qualificação é bom. Espero por boas largadas e especialmente por boas corridas. No entanto, a temporada ainda é muito longa”.

Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam): “Eu não esperava por estas duas pole positions, mas nós trabalhamos muito duro durante o inverno e nas sessões oficiais de testes. Os dois tempos de volta mais rápidos são o resultado do enorme esforço de toda a equipe. Agora estou ansioso para as três corridas e quero ganhar, porque é isso que todos nós estamos aqui para fazer”.

Fotos: FIA F3 Euro Series - divulgação