Maldonado lidera o 3º dia de testes em Barcelona.

Apostando nos compostos supermacios, a Lotus voltou a dominar o 3º dia de testes coletivos em Barcelona, o venezuelano Pastor Maldonado já havia sido o mais rápido na quinta-feira, ele marcou 1:24s348 neste sábado e acabou ficando com o melhor tempo da semana até aqui. O estreante Max Verstappen, fez bonito com a Toro Rosso, com ritmo muito forte e também utilizando os compostos supermacios, ele foi o mais rápido pela manhã, no final da tarde foi superado por Maldonado, mesmo assim, garantiu o 2º tempo.

Lewis Hamilton foi o 3º, mas estava com os pneus médios, o sueco Marcus Ericsson terminou a sessão em 4º, pois perdeu boa parte do treino nos boxes resolvendo um problema no câmbio do “C34”. Sebastian Vettel com a Ferrari foi o 5º, o russo Daniil Kvyat agora na RBR terminou em 6º, porém, foi o segundo piloto com mais voltas completadas, sendo 112, o líder neste quesito foi Verstappen, com 129 giros.

O brasileiro Felipe Massa treinou apenas na parte da manhã, mas a equipe Williams focou a sessão em treinar pit stops, o resultado foi o 7º tempo, o time inglês como a Mercedes, vêm escondendo o jogo, não demonstrando tudo o que têm nos testes da pré-temporada. O alemão Pascal Wehrlein, reserva na Force Índia, anotou o oitavo tempo, Valtteri Bottas com a outra Williams foi apenas o nono, mas como Massa, também dedicou a atividade aos pit stops. 

A McLaren continua com problemas na unidade MGU-K (motor elétrico alimentado pela energia armazenada nas frenagens), não sendo possível completar muitas voltas, Button foi o último da tabela dos tempos em Barcelona. Neste domingo as equipes encerram a primeira sessão de testes em Barcelona, retomando na quinta-feira 26.

Foto: Lotus F1 Team - divulgação

Toro Rosso faz o lançamento do STR10.

Neste domingo (1º) de fevereiro, as equipes da Fórmula 1 irão começar os testes coletivos para a temporada 2015, o palco será o tradicional circuito de Jerez de la Frontera, na Espanha. A escuderia Toro Rosso apresentou neste sábado (31), o “STR10”, o novo carro do time de Faenza apresenta novidades no bico, a peça é mais larga e longa que o modelo anterior, porém, tem uma forma achatada.

As cores da máquina continuam sendo o azul e vermelho, com o touro vermelho do patrocinador Red Bull estampado na lateral. Outra novidade foi a nova dupla de pilotos, os mais jovens da história da categoria, formada pelo holandês Max Verstappen, de 17 anos, sensação da temporada 2014 da F3 Euro Series e pelo espanhol Carlos Sainz Jr, de 20 anos.

O chefe da equipe Franz Tost, garantiu total confiança em seus novos pupilos. Segundo ele: “A temporada de 2015 é um novo desafio para todos nós. Nós trabalhamos muito na construção do “STR10” e estamos convencidos de que teremos um ano de sucesso. Nosso objetivo é terminar no quinto lugar do Mundial de Construtores e estamos prontos para fazer o melhor para conseguir. Nosso fornecedor de motores, a Renault, também trabalhou bastante para apresentar novas modificações, e eu estou certo que nosso trabalho nos dará um conjunto que vai certamente ser muito competitivo”.

- Todos por todos, nós temos uma equipe mais forte, um “STR10” competitivo e pilotos rápidos. É uma ótima combinação, outro ponto que me deixa contente é que temos pilotos qualificados, o que torna esta temporada ainda mais animada. Os dois mostraram performances fantásticas ao longo das carreiras deles, ganhando corridas e campeonatos, e é por causa das habilidades deles que chegaram à STR. Eu acredito, realmente, que eles estão preparados para este desafio, igual ao resto do time. Estamos prontos” - concluiu.

A temporada 2015 da Fórmula 1 começa com o Grande Prêmio da Austrália, no dia 15 de março, em Melbourne. A categoria realizará três sessões de testes coletivos antes da abertura do campeonato, uma em Jerez e duas em Barcelona.

Fotos: Scuderia Toro Rosso - divulgação

F3 Euro Series: Definido o calendário da temporada 2015.

De 15 de janeiro à 27 de fevereiro, abre-se a fase de inscrições de equipes e pilotos para a temporada 2015 do campeonato FIA de Fórmula 3 Euro Series, a competição vêm revelando jovens pilotos a cada ano e passou a ser uma das principais portas de entrada para a Fórmula 1. Este ano a categoria máxima do automobilismo mundial terá a estreia de Max Verstappen, pela Toro Rosso, o holandês é considerado um dos fenômenos das pistas.

A temporada 2015 terá início com os testes coletivos em Valência, na Espanha, entre os dias 17 e 18 de março, a categoria fará ainda mais duas sessões de testes uma em Silverstone, na Inglaterra, em 7 de abril e a última acontecerá em Monza, na Itália, no dia 28 de maio. A primeira corrida tradicionalmente acontece em Hockenheim, mesmo palco da grande final. 15 pilotos já estão pré-inscritos, a Carlin dará a chance ao britânico George Russel de apenas 16 anos, ele será companheiro de Gustavo Menezes. Assim que as equipes definirem seus pilotos, faremos uma matéria completa a respeito.

Calendário 2015 da F3 Euro Series:

Silverstone (GBR) de 10 à 12 de abril.

Hockenheim (GER) de 1º à 3 de maio.

Pau (FRA) de 15 à 17 de maio.

Monza (ITA) de 29 à 31 de maio.

Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) de 19 à 21 junho.

Norisring (GER) de 26 à 28 de junho.

Zandvoort (NED) de 10 à 12 de julho.

Spielberg (AUT) de 31 de julho à 2 de agosto.

Moscow (RUS) de 28 à 30 de agosto.

Nurburgring (GER) de 25 à 27 de setembro.

Hockenheim (GER) de 16 à 18 de outubro.

Abu Dhabi: Three Fórmula 3 young-guns test Fórmula 1 cars.

The 2014 Fórmula 1 season ended this Sunday but for the teams, the work continued straight away. Following the season finale in Abu Dhabi they tested for two days at the same venue and invited three Fórmula 3 European Championship young-guns to the tests. In addition to Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) who already had covered their first kilometres at the wheel of F1 single-seaters, Richard Goddard (ThreeBond with T-Sport) also made the trip to Abu Dhabi to make his debut in a Fórmula 1 car.

On day one, only Max Verstappen was involved in the testing work. The Dutchman completed 55 laps at the wheel of a Toro Rosso vehicle to finish ninth on the time sheets. On day two, the 17-year old who already has been signed as GP driver for the 2015 season by the Scuderia Toro Rosso was even busier and completed a total of 78 laps. “Sitting behind the wheel for a total of four hours felt just great,” he beamed. “In the morning session we succeeded in completing our scheduled programme and could test several things for the 2015 season. In the afternoon, we were hampered by some technical problems but the team solved these problems before the session was over”. On the second day of testing, Verstappen crossed the line in 1:43s763, thus securing the third position on the time sheets.

Reigning FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion Esteban Ocon joined the test action only on day two. The long-term Lotus Fórmula 1 Junior contested the morning session for Team Lotus F1 and completed 34 laps. With his personal fastest lap time of 1:47s013, the Frenchman was the 10th-fastest on day two. “The tests ran really well,” he revealed before hitting the road back to France. “We completed the scheduled programme and didn’t focus on setting fast lap times. At the same time, I used the opportunity to keep on familiarising myself even with the E22 and I’m understanding the car better and better. Meanwhile, the team also supported me with a great feedback and that’s something I was particularly delighted with”.

In addition to Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen who both have had bonds with Fórmula 1 teams for quite a while, Richard Goddard also was offered the chance of demonstrating his skills in a Fórmula 1 cockpit, at Abu Dhabi. The Australian covered his first Fórmula kilometres for Force Índia and did a great job. At the end of the day he had completed 89 laps and set a personal fastest lap time of 1:44s944, thus making it to sixth position on the time sheets. With this time, he out-paced - inter alia - his compatriot Daniel Ricciardo who was the fastest of the drivers not racing for the Mercedes-Benz works team, in the 2014 Fórmula 1 season, and finished third in the World Championship. “First of all I had to familiarise myself with the F1 car,” admitted Goddard, “But afterwards, I succeeded in improving consistently. I’m really delighted with my personal fastest lap time and I think that 89 laps represent a solid distance for the beginning. I’m rather happy about the day and the way the team worked with me. Now I would love to keep the bond with Force Índia alive”.

Also involved in the testing work on day two was Raffaele Marciello. At the wheel of a Ferrari, the 2013 FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion finished second behind Mercedes test driver Pascal Wehrlein.

61° Macau Gran Prix Fórmula 3, Felix Rosenqvist claims pole position for Macau qualifying.

Felix Rosenqvist (Kashbet.com by Mücke Motorsport, 2:11s506) will be starting from pole position for tomorrow’s ten lap qualifying race for the 61st running of the Macau Grand Prix. In second qualifying, in which 17 of the first 20 drivers managed to set faster lap times than in yesterday’s first qualifying session, Rosenqvist moved up from his ninth place after yesterday’s session to the top of the time sheets and thus claimed pole position for the Macau qualifying race. “Early in the session, I did two laps, then came in to have four new tyres on the car, and I did my fast lap all on my own,” Rosenqvist reported. “In fact, I was quite surprised that the gap was so big. Indeed, the Swede was no less than 0s236 faster than Esteban Ocon (SJM Theodore Racing by Prema, 2:11s742), the reigning FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion. Just with Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing, 2:11s747), who was classified third after qualifying, Ocon will be dropped two places on the grid for tomorrow’s qualifying race for having failed to come in to have his car weighed in free practice yesterday.

As a result, Ocon and Verstappen will be starting from fourth and fifth place respectively. That promoted Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport, 2:11s838) to second on the grid alongside Rosenqvist to lock out the front row for the Mücke Motorsport team. Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 2:11s922), who was fastest in yesterday’s first qualifying and failed to post a faster time today, will be starting from third place.

Competing in the prestigious event in Macau for the fifth time, Rosenqvist clearly was the fastest driver at the 6.12 kilometres long Guia circuit on Friday. In the morning, he was first in free practice with 2:11s743, making him the only driver to post a sub-2:12 lap time. In second qualifying, the Swede doubled up by claiming pole position. The only blot on his copybook was a crash at Maternity in free practice in the lap after the one in which he set his fastest time. “That was quite stupid, also because I lost two tyres there, which is not very good for the weekend,” Rosenqvist admitted. “But being on pole position makes me quite confident for tomorrow and Sunday. We know that the speed is there”.

Second-fastest qualifyer Esteban Ocon commented: “Today, things were going much better than yesterday. We finally found the speed. Of course, it is a pity that I will be dropped two places, but I am still starting from the second row and we all know that you can overtake in Macau”. Ocon, who made an impressive Fórmula 3 debut with a top ten finish at Macau last year, is well aware of the significance of the event. “This is the one everybody wants to win, and the race so many great drivers have won in the past. It is the best race in the world”.

Third in qualifying and fifth on the grid, Max Verstappen is the best-placed Macau rookie. “The circuit is really cool,” the Dutchman commented. “Yesterday, I had some problems as the tyres started overheating, but today, I was a able to run faster and faster and I am quite pleased with the result”. Austrian Lucas Auer wasn’t too happy with his fourth fastest time: “I could have gone faster, but starting from the front row obviously is a good position and the performance of Felix and myself shows how strong we are as a team. Now, hopefully, we can convert that into good race results tomorrow and Sunday”. The qualifying race starts tomorrow at 13:45 hrs local time (6:45 hrs CET) and will determine the starting grid positions for the Sunday’s main race, the Suncity Group Fórmula 3 Macau Grand Prix.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

61° Macau Gran Prix Fórmula 3.

Year by year, the tradition-rich Macau GP is the final Fórmula 3 race of the year, representing the unofficial world finale. And the grid for this year’s edition of the prestigious event that was won by future Fórmula 1 aces such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, in the past, once again will feature numerous FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers.

It goes without saying that the new European Champion Esteban Ocon (SJM Theodore Racing by Prema) will be the spearhead of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship fraction on the grid. Last year, the Frenchman made his Fórmula 3 debut, at Macau’s demanding street circuit. And already then, the now 18-year old Frenchman delivered in fine style and convinced by setting fast lap times and finishing 10th. Just like Ocon, his toughest rivals in the championship also will travel to the South China Sea: Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), vice-champion behind Ocon, as well as Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport) also want to battle it out for the win, in Macau.

Altogether, 12 of the 15 best young FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers will race in the former Portuguese colony, among them Tatiana Calderón (JZR/Mücke Motorsport). The 21-year old Colombian will be the first woman to contest the Macau GP since Cathy Muller back in 1983. Meanwhile, three FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship teams succeeded in signing prominent drivers, for the prestigious event: W66.com Double R Racing will be represented by Spain’s Fórmula Renault 3.5 frontrunner Roberto Merhi, Eurointernational relies on the services of Monaco’s GP2 driver Stefano Coletti and Signature will contest the race - as they did at Imola - with William Buller. Just as Merhi, the Briton also contested the 2014 Fórmula Renault 3.5 season.

Photo: GCS

Nico Rosberg é o mais rápido no primeiro treino livre para o GP do Brasil.

Mercedes novamente na frente, desta vez em Interlagos, palco do Grande Prêmio do Brasil de Fórmula 1, na primeira sessão de treinos livres o alemão Nico Rosberg foi o mais rápido ao anotar 1:12s764, o líder do campeonato Lewis Hamilton veio logo atrás, o russo Daniil Kvyat colocou a Toro Rosso em terceiro, demonstrando que o time “B” da RBR aparentemente está melhor adaptado ao circuito paulista.

Fernando Alonso foi o quarto com a Ferrari, o brasileiro Felipe Massa no final da sessão melhorou seu tempo e pulou para o quinto posto. Max Verstappen, reserva na Toro Rosso, mostrou porque é considerado um dos fenômenos do automobilismo mundial, fechou o treino em sexto, mas durante boa parte das atividades esteve em terceiro. Em 2015, ele fará a estreia como titular na equipe e juntamente com o russo Kvyat formará uma forte dupla, vale lembrar que o piloto holandês foi promovido direto da F3 Euro Series pra F1.

Pastor Maldonado, Kimi Raikkonen, Kevin Magnussen e Daniel Ricciardo completaram o top 10. Felipe Nasr, segundo representante do Brasil na categoria, ainda como piloto reserva, participou do treino com o carro de Valtteri Bottas, após 22 voltas o brasiliense obteve o décimo segundo tempo. Já o tetracampeão Sebastian Vettel fez um treino discreto e terminou apenas em décimo quarto, pior ainda foi a situação de Jenson Button, que não conseguiu treinar por problemas em sua McLaren. 

Os pilotos voltam à pista de Interlagos logo mais à 01:00 hora da manhã, horário do Japão. Confira o resultado final da TL1 no Brasil:

Fotos: LAT/Getty Imagens

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: A pair of pole positions for Tom Blomqvist.

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) got himself into a good position for the battle for second place in the final drivers’ standings. With two positions for season races 32 and 33 of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship, he was fastest in second qualifying of the weekend. His fiercest rival Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing), who has already signed a Fórmula 1 contract for next season, has to make do with ninth and eighth place on the grid. On the starting grid for the 32nd race of the season, Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport) and Jordan King (Carlin) will follow behind Blomqvist. For the final race of the season at the 4.574 kilometres long Hockemnheimring Baden-Württemberg, Auer, Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) and Giovinazzi will follow behind the 20-year-old Brit. Next to Blomqvist and Verstappen, Auer also still has chances to claim runner-up spot in the championship. With Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam), the FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion has already been known for a week.

Starting grid race 2

Tom Blomqvist (1:31s817), who came to Hockenheim three points down on Max Verstappen, was already on top at the halfway point, but initially had to give up that position again. He dropped back to sixth place, but then started his final attack. First of all, the young Brit improved to third place and then moved up into the lead again. On his final lap, he improved once more and was delighted with his clear pole position. Antonio Giovinazzi (1:32s152) ensured that there are two drivers of the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team on the front row of the grid for the 32nd race. Lucas Auer (1:32s245), Jordan King (1:32s403), Felix Rosenqvist (1:32s414) and the already-crowned FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion Esteban Ocon (1:32s422) were classified in third to sixth place.

Starting grid race 3

In the classification of the second-fastest laps, Tom Blomqvist (1:31s987) was unbeatable as well. Lucas Auer (1:32s286) claimed second place from Rosenqvist (1:32s429), Giovinazzi (1:32s545), King (1:32s669) and Ocon (1:32s710).

Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “Qualifying was good. Prior to the red flags that came out after Nick Cassidy had crashed, it didn’t look too good, but at that time, I had only done one lap. However, I knew that I had the speed. My car was really good and I managed to do two very good laps towards the end of the session. Of course, I am happy with that. Now, I want to enjoy the final three races of the season and I want to have fun. I like Hockenheim and in the past, I was usually quick here”.

Photo: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Max Verstappen claims pole position at Hockenheim.

Max Verstappen set the fastest time in first qualifying and thus claimed pole position for the 31st season race of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. The 17-year-old is one of the three candidates who are battling for second place in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. On his best lap of the 4.575 kilometres long Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, he was 0s018 seconds faster than Lucas Auer (Motorsport, 1:32s020). Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:32s076), who also still has chances of claiming second place in the drivers’ standings, follows in third place, 0s074 seconds down on pace-setter Verstappen.

Halfway through first qualifying, the battle for pole position became intense: Blomqvist had just claimed the top position from Verstappen and Auer was biding his time in third place. Soon after that, the 20-year-old Austrian moved up into the lead, but Blomqvist and Verstappen also continued to run fast. Six minutes later, the Dutchman succeeded in toppling Auer from the leading position while Blomqvist stayed in third place. This order remained unchanged until the end of qualifying, so that Verstappen secured himself pole position for the first race of the final weekend of the 2014 FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship.

Italian Antonio Giovinazzi and Jordan King from Great Britain in fourth and fifth place also succeeded in keeping the already-crowned FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion, Frenchman Esteban Ocon at bay. Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 1:32s485) ended up seventh from Indonesian Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:32s535), Felix Serralles from Puerto Rico and US-American Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:32s760) rounded out the top ten.

Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing): “Qualifying went well. It was pretty close between the three of us in front, but my lap time wasn’t so bad and, of course, I am delighted with my pole position. The track is very demanding for the tyres, so you don’t have many laps to set a fast time. For me, it worked out quite well today”.

Photo: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Verstappen wins, Ocon is the 2014 FIA Fórmula 3 European Champion.

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

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: Max Verstappen unbeatable in second qualifying.

After Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) didn’t make it to the finish in the 28th season race of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship at the 4.909 kilometres long Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, he showed his class in the second qualifying a few hours later. The 17-year-old came out on top both in the ranking of the fastest and of the second-fastest laps. Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) and Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) were in second to fourth place in the classification of the fastest lap times. In the result list of the second-fastest laps, Verstappen, who completed his first free practice in Fórmula 1 last week, was followed by Ocon, Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam) and Blomqvist.

Starting grid race 2

After the first few minutes of the second qualifying, Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 1:37s971) was still in front, but the stalwart didn’t manage to hold on to his position for a long time. Instead, it was Max Verstappen (1:36s816) who toppled him, only to be outpaced by Esteban Ocon (1:37s155) himself. The 18-year-old Frenchman didn’t stay in first place for a long time either as Verstappen improved his lap time once more. Soon after that, Tom Blomqvist (1:37s125) also was faster than the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship points’ leader and moved up into second place behind Verstappen, the youngest-ever Fórmula 1 driver.

With approximately 6:30 minutes remaining, Edward Jones (Carlin, 1:37s886) lost control of his car and crashed into the tyre stacks. The driver from the United Arab Emirates was transferred to the medical centre for a check-up, but he was found to have escaped unscathed. As darkness was setting in, qualifying didn’t resume. Thus, Verstappen remained on top from Blomqvist, Ocon, Giovinazzi (1:37s196), Fuoco (1:37s221) and returnee William Buller (Signature, 1:37s312). As Verstappen still has to serve a ten-place grid penalty following an engine change from the previous meeting at the Nürburgring, he will start from eleventh place on the grid while Tom Blomqvist will be on pole position.

Starting grid race 3

Max Verstappen (1:37s106) also set the best second-fastest lap time. Esteban Ocon (1:37s303), Antonio Fuoco (1:37s326), Tom Blomqvist (1:37s456), Willam Buller (1:37s497) and Nicholas Latifi (Prema Powerteam, 1:37s540) rounded out the top six.

Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing): “I am really happy that I was fastest again in second qualifying. The two test days on Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the race weekend really went well for us, but in first qualifying, things weren’t really going as we had planned. In the first race this morning, we had a good speed again and so we did in second qualifying. I really like the Imola circuit. Driving skills mean a lot here. Finding the limit is difficult here, which is a great challenge for us as the drivers”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Seires: Prema driver Esteban Ocon back on top.

Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam, 1:36s479) secured himself a good position for the battle for the title in first qualifying for the tenth FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race meeting. The Frenchman, a protégé of the Lotus F1 team and the leader in the drivers’ standings, claimed pole position for the first race of the weekend at the 4.909 kilometres long Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola. Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:36s611) secured himself second place on the grid for his home race, ahead of the two Brits Jordan King (Carlin, 1:36s890) and Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:36s973). Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:37s006), currently runner-up in the drivers’ standings and already having made the step to Fórmula 1, had to make do with fifth place.

Around the halfway point, there was a duel for pole position involving Italian Antonio Giovnazzi and Frenchman Esteban Ocon. They were the two drivers to set lap times below 1:37 minutes. In the remainder of the session, Tom Blomqvist closed up to them, but then a crash by Sean Gelael (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:37s375) stopped the action for a few minutes. At that time, Ocon was on top from Giovinazzi and Blomqvist while Max Verstappen was skulking in fourth place.

Once the session had been resumed, Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 1:37s016) was the first driver who managed to improve his own lap time. The Swedish stalwart moved up into fifth place. The final attempts by the youngsters were briefly interrupted once again after a crash by Alexander Toril (ThreeBond with T-Sport, 1:37s926).

After the second restart, there were only 2:19 minutes remaining. In spite of the little time that was left, Nicholas Latifi (Prema Powerteam, 1:37s187) and Jordan King still managed to improve. British driver King even moved up to third place in the final seconds while Canadian driver Latifi ended up tenth in qualifying. Between him and sixth-placed Rosenqvist, Jake Dennis (Carlin, 1:37s031), Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam, 1:37s125) and Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport, 1:37s147) were seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.

Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam): “Qualifying was really good and my car was great, too. In free practice, we worked very well and I am happy to be back on top. The Imola circuit really suits me and as I am living in Italy now this race also is something of a home round for me as well. Starting from pole position for the first race of the weekend is all the more beautiful because of this. However, I am not thinking about a possible title win yet”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Will rookie Esteban Ocon secure the title as early as at Imola?

For the first time in its history, the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship is going to hold a race weekend at Imola’s 4.909-kilometre Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. For 18-year old Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam), the race meeting at the Italian racetrack represents the first chance of securing the title. The only drivers that still have the chance of stealing the French Lotus driver’s lead are Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) - who already has been signed as GP driver for the 2015 season - Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport).

Ocon’s lead over Verstappen amounts to 77 points, Great Britain’s Tom Blomqvist follows another 10 points behind - and Lucas Auer’s gap to Ocon adds up to 119 points. With a maximum of 75 points to be awarded on an FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race weekend, this means that Ocon could follow the footsteps of last year’s champion Raffaele Marciello as early as on the penultimate race weekend of the 2014 season

In addition, the grid of the Imola meeting will feature four new faces: Nick Cassidy (ThreeBond with T-Sport) already gathered his first Fórmula 3 European Championship experiences in 2013 and is making his comeback, now. Virtually the same applies to William Buller (Signature) who also already has got some FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship experience under his belt. He will race a Dallara-Volkswagen for Team Signature who are contesting their first race weekend of the season, at Imola. Meanwhile, China’s Hongwei Cao (Fortec Motorsports) who secured the British F3 title, four weeks ago, and Brazilian Sérgio Sette Câmara (Eurointernational) are making their FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship debuts, this weekend.

Câmara’s team-mate is Michele Beretta (Eurointernational), one of the three Italian’s on the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship grid. Apart from him, Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) and Antonio Fuoco (Prema Powerteam) also will represent the Italian colours, at Imola. The currently best-placed driver of the three Italians is rookie Fuoco. With six more races to go, the Ferrari Driver Academy protégé holds fifth position in the championship, right ahead of Antonio Giovinazzi who celebrated his first FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship win at the Red Bull Ring.

Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin): “I’m living a five-hour ride from Imola but it’s my home race, nevertheless. I’m looking forward to all the friends and relatives that will come to see me, this weekend, and I want to provide them a good performance. On Tuesday and Wednesday, during the official mid-season tests, I completed my first Imola laps and I really like the circuit: it is demanding and you quickly can make a mistake but this also allows you to learn a lot and demonstrate your skills. I think it’s one of the most demanding venues on the entire FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship calendar”.

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: Jake Dennis on top after first day of testing at Imola.

British driver Jake Dennis (Carlin, 1:36s808) came out on top at the end of the first encounter of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship after the summer break. On the opening day of the official mid-season test, the rookie driver was 0s027 seconds faster than Lucas Auer (Mücke Motorsport, 1:36s835). Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:36s874) and Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 1:36s007) were classified third and fourth at the 4.909 kilometres long Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola.

Jake Dennis only set his fastest lap time in the final minute of the test day and was very happy afterwards: “Today, we ran through our program and we found some things that worked well, but others that didn’t. Eventually, I managed to be in front with fresh tyres. The lap certainly wasn’t perfect, but I am happy with the day”. Just like Dennis, Lucas Auer also managed to move ahead of Max Verstappen in the closing stages. The Dutchman, who participated in his first-ever free practice session in Formula 1 last Friday, didn’t show any problems in getting used to his Fórmula 3 car again.“Somehow, getting from a faster into a slower car is easier,” the 17-year-old commented.

Behind the fastest three young drivers on the opening day of testing, Felix Rosenqvist, points’ leader Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam, 1:37s093), Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, 1:37s316) and Jordan King (Carlin, 1:37s351) followed in fourth to seventh place. The Brit had to conclude his test day early following an accident.“The rear of the car slid out on me and I couldn’t manage to get the car in control. It was just a small mistake, but it left me sidelined for the final two hours”.

Gustavo Menezes (Van Amersfoort Racing, 1:37s450), Nick Cassidy (ThreeBond with T-Sport, 1:37s498) and Felix Serralles (Team West-Tec F3, 1:37s504) rounded out the top ten. “I am delighted to be back in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship,” New Zealander Cassidy said. At Imola and Hockenheim, he will be racing for ThreeBond with T-Sport.“Last year, I took part in two events and coming back to race in this series has always been my goal. Now, I hope to improve steadily and to score some good results”.

At the end of the day, Cassidy was the fastest of the six drivers who are competing in their first season in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship this year. William Buller (Signature, 1:37s704) was classified 13th on the comeback of both himself and his Signature team and was also happy. “It took a while for me to get used to the Fórmula 3 car again. After that, things went well and the team did a good job, too. We aren’t that far off the pace, but we still have some work to do to get further up to the front.” Only two places behind Buller, Marvin Kirchhofer (Motopark, 1:37s750) ended up 15th on his first outing in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship. The German drove the car of the Motopark team that took part in an official FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship session for the first time this year.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F3 Euro Series: Mid-season tests at Imola to conclude the summer break.

Since mid-August, the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship has been taking its summer break but this Tuesday, the series is back in action: with the official mid-season tests at Imola. The teams and drivers of the planet’s most competitive young-gun series will meet at the 4.009-kilometre circuit located not far from Bologna for the first time - to prepare for the race meeting held at the same venue, this weekend. In addition to the established FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers, the Imola grid also will feature returnees and new names.

A total of six new drivers will make the trip to Imola to battle it out with their far more experienced opponents who have been contesting the entire 2014 FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship season: Hongwei Cao, (Fortec Motorsports), Nicolas Pohler, (Team West-Tec F3), Sérgio Sette Câmara, (Eurointernational) and Marvin Kirchhöfer (Motopark Academy), make their first FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship appearances while William Buller, (Signature) and Nick Cassidy, (ThreeBond with T-Sport), already contested selected FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship events of the 2013 season. China’s Hongwei Cao won the British Fórmula 3 Championship, this year - to now make the next step. Germany’s Marvin Kirchhöfer won the 2013 title in the German ATS Fórmula 3 Cup and is a GP3 regular, this year. Brazilian Sérgio Sette Câmara can hark back to F3 experience gathered at home in the national Fórmula 3 series and German Nicolas Pohler currently contests the 2014 Euroformula Open season.

Furthermore, the German Team Motopark Academy is going to contests its first official FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship tests. And the French squad Signature that opted for withdrawing from the series, after the pre-season tests, also will be back.

But the newcomers and returnees will have to cope with a strong competition, at Imola, such as the two fast rookies Esteban Ocon, (Prema Powerteam) and Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing). The two young talents have been dominating the season to date and hold first and second drivers’-championship positions, with six more races to be contested. The Dutchman will travel to Imola right from Suzuka, Japan, where he contested his first Friday practice session in the cockpit of a Fórmula 1 car. Altogether, 29 drivers from 21 nations and twelve teams will be involved in the two days of FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship testing at Imola.

Max Verstappen is making his Fórmula 1 debut.

A few weeks ago, Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing) signed his first Fórmula 1 contract and this Friday, he already took part in his first official Free Practice session for the Toro Rosso team. The Dutchman, who only turned 17 a few days ago and is currently second in the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship drivers’ standings, put in a solid performance at the challenging Suzuka race circuit and was classified twelfth.

“Today, my main goal was gaining experience”. Max Verstappen summed up after his first official outing in Fórmula 1 that came to a halt a few minutes before the end of the session due to a technical problem. “The Fórmula 1 car is bigger than my Fórmula 3 car and there is much more to do while driving. I needed some laps to adapt myself to it. I deliberately avoided taking any risks because I wanted to rack up as many kilometres as possible. This outing on Friday was a nice opportunity for me to prepare for next year even better and I am very thankful to Red Bull and Toro Rosso for this. The team is great and I am feeling really well there. I hope that I get some more chances to run on Fridays at Austin, São Paulo and Abu Dhabi, because I can hardly await getting back into the car again”.

Even though Max Verstappen didn’t say anything about his performance, his team was impressed. “Max’s performance in his first Free Practice in Fórmula 1 was fantastic. We are really happy with him, because he did lap times that we didn’t expect on the first day with this car”. Toro Rosso’s chief race engineer Phil Charles said about his latest and youngest protégé.

Nico Rosberg lidera o primeiro treino livre para o GP do Japão.

Dia de sol e nada de ameaça de chuvas para atrapalhar a primeira sessão de treinos livres para o Grande Prêmio do Japão. A atividade foi marcada pela estreia do holandês Max Verstappen, que tornou-se o piloto mais jovem a participar de um treino livre oficial, aos 17 anos, o novo piloto da Toro Rosso para a temporada 2015 conseguiu dar 22 voltas e marcar o 12º tempo.

As Mercedes dominaram a sessão com a dupla: Nico Rosberg e Lewis Hamilton, o alemão anotou a melhor volta em 1:35s461, enquanto o líder do campeonato ficou a 0s151 de seu companheiro. Fernando Alonso marcou o 3º tempo com a Ferrari, o espanhol deverá fazer suas últimas corridas pelo time italiano, segundo os “rumores” vindos do paddock da F1 em Suzuka, no próximo ano ele correrá pela McLaren que será equipada com os motores Honda.

Com a Williams, o jovem Valtteri Bottas novamente andou entre os primeiros colocados, o finlandês um dos destaques da temporada ficou com o 4º tempo, à frente do compatriota Kimi Raikkonen. Kevin Magnussen foi outro que mostrou serviço, já que sua “vaga” na equipe McLaren para o próximo ano ainda não está garantida, ficando em 6º. Daniel Ricciardo, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel e Daniil Kvyat completaram o top 10. O brasileiro Felipe Massa fez um treino discreto e fechou a sessão apenas em 11º.

Verstappen terminou o treino mais cedo, já que em sua estreia com uma carro de Fórmula 1, a máquina quebrou, porém, vale destacar que seu tempo foi apenas meio segundo mais lento que seu companheiro na Toro Rosso, o russo Kvyat. E a Caterham que anda tentando de tudo para sair da crise, deu chances ao espanhol Roberto Merhi, o piloto reserva do time andou com o carro do japonês Kamui Kobayashi, que deverá assumir o cockpit na segunda sessão. Confira os melhores tempo da TL1 em Suzuka: