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: Max Verstappen unbeatable in the rain.

In qualifying for the 25th season race of the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship, Max Verstappen, 1:37s036, came out on top and claimed pole position on a rain-soaked track. The 16-year-old Dutchman, who was appointed a member of the Red Bull Junior Team only a few days ago, completed the 3.629 kilometres long Nürburgring sprint circuit 0s649 seconds faster than second-placed Edward Jones, 1:37s685. Santino Ferrucci, 1:38s079, claimed third place, his best classification in a FIA Fórmula European Championship qualifying to date. The youngest driver in the field was 0s074 seconds faster than Lotus Fórmula 1 junior driver Esteban Ocon, 1:38s153, who had to make do with fourth place.

Max Verstappen dominated the entire first qualifying and eventually claimed first place. Edward Jones only moved up into second place in the final seconds of the session. Santino Ferrucci also set his personal fastest time in the closing stages and moved up to third place. As a result, Esteban Ocon, the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship points’ leader, dropped back from second to fourth place just before the end of the session. Antonio Fuoco and Lucas Auer, also lost two positions in the closing stages. They ended up fifth and sixth respectively.

Seventh place behind Austrian driver Auer went to Italian Antonio Giovinazzi, who scored his maiden FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race win at the Red Bull Ring a fortnight earlier. His team-mate Tom Blomqvist was classified eighth from Roy Nissany and Felix Rosenqvist, (Mücke Motorsport, 1:38s735).

Max Verstappen, (Van Amersfoort Racing): “My qualifying was quite good, but it wasn’t too difficult. I like the Nürburgring and I really like to drive here. On top of that, my car was perfect, the only thing I had to do is drive it without any accidents. Claiming pole position in my first qualifying as a Red Bull Junior Team member is a great feeling”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

F4 Inglesa: Gustavo Lima abre segunda metade da temporada em Silverstone confiante em bom resultado.

Gustavo Lima encara neste fim de semana (15 a 17 de agosto) seu primeiro desafio no automobilismo depois de ter completado 18 anos. O brasiliense volta à Inglaterra para abrir a segunda metade da temporada 2014 da F4 Inglesa no mais tradicional dos autódromos britânicos: Silverstone. O piloto da Hillspeed segue para o lendário circuito, berço da F1 em 1950, focado em somar pontos importantes para avançar na classificação do campeonato. Após quatro etapas 12 corridas, Gustavo tem uma vitória e 158 pontos, que lhe dão momentaneamente a nona posição na tabela.

Antes de acelerar em Silverstone, Gustavo segue nesta quinta-feira para um intenso programa de treinamento na sede da McLaren, na sede da equipe em Woking. Membro da Academia de Pilotos da equipe de F1, Lima aproveitará a presença na base da escuderia britânica para treinos físicos ao longo do dia.

A categoria volta ao circuito de Silverstone, palco da abertura do campeonato deste ano. Gustavo começou bem a temporada conquistando resultados sólidos na etapa, comprovando um grande salto de qualidade em relação ao seu ano de estreia na F4. O piloto brasiliense espera repetir a boa performance neste fim de semana para recuperar terreno no campeonato. O cronograma das atividades de pista terá início nesta sexta-feira com a realização de treinos livres.

Gustavo Lima:

“A gente sempre espera o melhor, e é com esse espírito que vou para Silverstone. Em nossa primeira etapa lá neste ano, consegui bons resultados, então acredito que podemos ter um fim de semana positivo, somando pontos importantes para a temporada, sobretudo para recuperar o terreno perdido na última corrida. Agosto será um mês bem importante, com duas etapas, e será fundamental termos um bom desempenho agora para abrirmos de forma consistente essa segunda metade do campeonato”.

Fotos: Jakob Ebrey - Fonte: Eversports

F3 Euro Series: The hunt for championship leader Ocon to be continued.

This weekend at the 3.629-kilometre Nürburgring, the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship is going to contest its ninth race meeting of the 2014 season. Esteben Ocon, a protégée of the Lotus Fórmula 1 Team, travels to the Eifel as championship leader, with his lead over second-placed Dutchman Max Verstappen amounting to 94 points. Nonetheless, the two rookies mustn’t rest on their laurels as Tom Blomqvist and Lucas Auer are determined to give their very best to close in on Ocon and Verstappen and pass them in the overall standings. Austria’s Auer wants to do so at the wheel of his Dallara-Mercedes entered by Mücke Motorsport, the only German team on the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship grid.

In time for the home race of his team, with 24 races contested, Lucas Auer proved to be in good shape. In his own home event, at the Red Bull Ring, the Austrian young gun secured two podiums, thus reducing the gap to the leaders, Ocon and Verstappen. While Esteban Ocon encountered a race weekend to forget, in Styria. For the first time this year, he had to leave a race venue empty-handed. Max Verstappen also failed to shine and had to settle for adding just 27 points to his tally while Tom Blomqvist delivered in great style: the Briton won a race and finished runner-up in the other two to pass Auer in the overall standings for third position. Blomqvist’s entire team, Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, was extremely competitive in Spielberg. His team-mate, Antonio Giovinazzi, secured two poles and in race three, the Italian celebrated his first FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race win.

Thanks to this success and the 61 points scored by Blomqvist with his three podiums, Jagonya Ayam with Carlin now holds second position in the team ranking behind Prema Powerteam. Right behind the Britons, Mücke Motorsport follows in third position. With its three drivers Lucas Auer, Felix Rosenqvist and Roy Nissany, the Berlin based squad’s gap to Jagonya Ayam with Carlin amounts to just 22 points.

Antonio Giovinazzi was the seventh driver to have won a FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship race, this year. 26 drivers succeeded in scoring points, among them Tatiana Calderón, the only girl racer on the competitive grid. The Colombian who secured four top 10 results, to date, secured her best result in the season so far by finishing fifth at Spa-Francorchamps. She is determined to continue her upswing and keep on adding points to her tally, in the Eifel.

Tatiana Calderón, (Jo Zeller Racing): “I’m really happy with my season so far. I had a difficult start as I joined Jo Zeller Racing really late but from Spa-Francorchamps, things ran really well for me. I scored my first FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship points at the Belgian circuit and afterwards, I succeeded in demonstrating that this success wasn’t a nine-day wonder. I’m delighted with having secured my best grid positions in regular conditions, at the Red Bull Ring, by qualifying 12th twice. I hope that I will be able to also score points at the Nürburgring as it is one of my favourite circuits. Last year, in the British F3 Championship, I even made it to the podium, there. I hope to be able to repeat this feat, this weekend - but to do so in a series as competitive as the FIA Fórmula 3 European Championship, everything must run absolutely perfectly”.

Photos: FIA F3 Euro Series

Stock Car chega à metade da temporada, e Rafael Suzuki estreia em Cascavel em busca de ascensão.

O piloto Rafael Suzuki espera encerrar um período de resultados adversos nesse fim de semana no Autódromo Zilmar Beux, em Cascavel. Apesar dos abandonos forçados nas últimas três corridas, em Goiânia e Brasília, o paulista radicado do Maranhão confia no potencial do trabalho com a equipe ProGP, chefiada pelo ex-piloto Duda Pamplona, para somar bons pontos na sexta etapa da Stock Car, que marca o fim da primeira metade da temporada, e acontece entre 15 e 17 de agosto, no interior do Paraná.

Nesse evento, em particular, pilotos e equipes terão duas sessões extras de treinos livres na manhã de sexta-feira (15), oferecido pela organização com o objetivo de aprimorar os câmbios dos carros, que nesta temporada foram trocados do modelo sequencial acionado por alavancas pelo de “borboletas” atrás do volante.

A temporada 2014 da Stock Car tem Átila Abreu na liderança com 76 pontos, seguido por Thiago Camilo com 72 e Julio Campos com 71. Rubens Barrichello, vencedor da Corrida do Milhão, é o quarto com 69.

Rafael Suzuki

“Nós sabemos do nosso potencial e, por circunstâncias fora do nosso controle, não tivemos ainda os resultados que queremos. Fazíamos uma boa Corrida do Milhão, e isso nos deixa otimista para Cascavel. Nosso carro era muito nervoso nas freadas antes, mas agora acreditamos ter solucionado o problema. Esse treino extra será importante para nós, não só para trabalharmos no câmbio, mas também para conhecer a pista”.

Kart

Rafael Suzuki disputou a 5ª etapa do Campeonato Maranhense no último sábado (9) no Kartódromo João Sallem, em São Luís. Correndo na categoria Graduados, o piloto - Campeão Brasileiro da categoria em 2011 - sagrou-se vencedor da etapa ao vencer as duas provas do dia.

Fotos: Carsten Horst/Hyset e William Camizão - Fonte: Eversports

Em Goiânia, Hitech fica perto do pódio no Mercedes-Benz Challenge e pontua no Brasileiro de Turismo.

Faltou muito pouco para a Hitech Racing conquistar seu segundo pódio consecutivo em categorias de turismo. Na quarta etapa da temporada 2014 do Mercedes-Benz Challenge, Paulo e Lorenzo Varassin garantiram o melhor resultado da equipe chefiada por Rodrigo Contin neste fim de semana no Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia. Longe dos erros e com ótimo ritmo de corrida, a dupla formada por pai e filho largou da sétima posição e levou o CLA 45 AMG #37 à quarta colocação no início da tarde deste domingo (3).

A julgar pelo ritmo exibido nos treinos e também na classificação, Eduar Merhy Neto também tinha potencial suficiente para lutar pelo pódio em Goiânia. Depois de garantir o quinto lugar no grid, o curitibano manteve a posição e vinha fazendo pilotagem segura, mas cometeu um erro na segunda volta, foi para a terra e rodou, sendo acertado de forma involuntária por outro piloto que tentou desviar. Desta forma, Merhy Neto teve de encerrar sua participação na disputa da prova.

Já no Brasileiro de Turismo, o fim de semana foi de muito trabalho. Na primeira corrida da quarta etapa do campeonato, Mauri Zaccarelli largou do fim do grid devido a uma punição - perda de 15 posições no grid - por um incidente na última etapa, enquanto Pedro Saderi partiu da sexta fila. O londrinense era o oitavo quando escapou da pista e, após ser tocado por outros pilotos, teve de abandonar. Mauri recuperou algumas posições e fechou em décimo.

Na manhã deste domingo, os pilotos da categoria voltaram à pista. Desta vez, foi Saderi quem largou do fim do grid e, após boa reação, fechou em 11º. Zacarrelli se envolveu em alguns entreveros na pista e chegou a ser punido com drive-through. A quatro voltas do fim, o experiente piloto teve de abandonar a prova devido a uma pane no sistema de injeção eletrônica. O Brasileiro de Turismo volta à ativa dentro de duas semanas, junto com a Stock Car, para a etapa de Cascavel, onde a Hitech Racing já realizou testes durante a pré-temporada.

Rodrigo Contin:

“Ficamos bem perto de conquistar mais um pódio no Mercedes-Benz Challenge, com uma boa performance do Lorenzo e do Paulo Varassin. Nossos pilotos estão evoluindo, e os resultados na pista provam isso. Foi uma pena o que aconteceu com o Eduar, já que poderíamos ter tranquilamente nossos dois carros entre os cinco primeiros. Estamos crescendo a cada treino, a cada corrida. Nosso fim de semana no Brasileiro de Turismo foi de muito trabalho e de muito aprendizado. Os resultados não foram como o esperado, mas agora temos de trabalhar ainda mais para a etapa de Cascavel, numa pista onde testamos na pré-temporada e temos boas referências”.

Fotos: Vanderley Soares - Fonte: Eversports

Problema mecânico tira Rafael Suzuki da luta por pontos em sua estreia na Corrida do Milhão.

A primeira vez de Rafael Suzuki na Corrida do Milhão da Stock Car terminou de forma precoce e inesperada na manhã deste domingo (3) no Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia. Depois de ter largado da 26ª colocação, o paulista radicado no Maranhão vinha em bom ritmo, já havia conquistado seis posições e estava no grupo de fortes competidores como Cacá Bueno e Ricardo Maurício, que fecharam a prova no top 10.

No entanto, uma falha na bomba d’água superaqueceu o motor do carro #8, que apagou, encerrando na sétima volta suas esperanças de conquistar seu melhor resultado na categoria, justamente na prova mais importante do campeonato. O vencedor da Corrida do Milhão foi Rubens Barrichello, que embolsou R$ 1 milhão depois de triunfar no grande duelo travado com Thiago Camilo.

Apesar de um início difícil nos treinos, quando enfrentou alguns problemas mecânicos, o desempenho mostrado na sessão classificatória representou uma melhora significativa em termos de ritmo, a ponto de o piloto ter ficado a menos de 0s3 do grupo que lutou pela pole em Goiás.

O resultado negativo, porém, não desanima o representante da equipe ProGP. Sem perder o foco na sua evolução como piloto da Stock Car, Rafael Suzuki mal terá tempo para descanso. A categoria volta a se reunir daqui a duas semanas, entre 15 e 17 de agosto, para a rodada dupla de Cascavel, no interior do Paraná.

Rafael Suzuki:

“Foi uma pena. Éramos rápidos e estávamos ultrapassando bastante gente. O motor simplesmente desligou devido a um modo de segurança quando superaquece. Esse foi o terceiro abandono em três corridas por erros que não foram nossos. Agora é olhar pra frente, continuar trabalhando e esperar por dias melhores”.

Fotos: Carsten Horst e Rafael Gagliano/Hyset - Fonte: Eversports

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

Augusto Farfus faz grande corrida na Áustria, fatura melhor resultado do ano e volta ao pódio no DTM.

Sem sombra de dúvidas, Augusto Farfus foi um dos grandes nomes da sexta etapa da temporada 2014 do DTM, disputada neste domingo (3) no rápido circuito Red Bull Ring, na Áustria. Comprovando a bela forma que exibiu ao longo de todo o fim de semana, o piloto brasileiro mostrou bom ritmo do início ao fim das 47 voltas da corrida, chegou a liderar a disputa e cruzou a linha de chegada na segunda colocação, conquistando assim seu melhor resultado neste ano. Com os 18 pontos somados hoje, Farfus deu um salto importante na classificação do campeonato, subindo de 13º para nono lugar, agora com 33 pontos.

Com tempo bom e muito sol na região de Spielberg, a prova foi muito movimentada desde o início. Augusto que largou com pneus macios, ganhou uma posição já na largada e subiu para terceiro. Na quarta volta, o brasileiro do Team RBM ultrapassou Timo Glock e assumiu o segundo lugar, ficando só atrás de Robert Wickens. Nas voltas seguintes, o curitibano de 30 anos aumentou o ritmo e se aproximou do canadense, travando uma disputa emocionante, chegando a andar lado a lado com o piloto da Mercedes, que defendeu bem a ponta da corrida.

Farfus antecipou sua parada e entrou nos boxes na volta 19. Três voltas depois, o grupo que tinha Wickens, Glock e Marco Wittmann fez a parada obrigatória. Depois dos pit-stops, Augusto novamente ficou lado a lado com o carro de Robert, mas desta vez levou a melhor o piloto da BMW, que conseguiu fazer a ultrapassagem, ficando somente atrás de Jamie Green, que adotou estratégia diferente e retardou ao máximo seu pit stop, e por isso assumiu a liderança. Mas após investigação, o britânico foi punido por uso indevido dos pneus macios e, com isso, o brasileiro chegou ao primeiro lugar.

Wickens também foi punido por saída insegura após o pit stop. O canadense, no entanto, optou por ficar na pista e, após muita resistência, ultrapassou Farfus. Em seguida, foi a vez de Wittmann passar o brasileiro, que voltou ao segundo lugar após Wickens receber bandeira preta e ser desclassificado pela direção da prova. Depois de 47 voltas, Augusto foi ao pódio pela primeira vez em 2014 e se mostrou muito feliz com o ritmo do carro ao longo de todo o fim de semana.

Longe da Alemanha desde o fim de junho, o DTM volta ao seu país-base para realizar a sétima etapa da temporada 2014 dentro de duas semanas, no tradicional circuito de Nürburgring.

Augusto Farfus:

“Foi um grande fim de semana para nós. Realmente, provamos na pista que estamos no rumo certo. Nossa M4 era boa o bastante para ganhar a corrida, e tive o pacote mais competitivo aqui na Áustria, onde lideramos boa parte da disputa. Fiz o trabalho de equipe ajudando meu companheiro de BMW, mas mostramos do início ao fim que nosso carro era um dos melhores na pista e poderíamos ter vencido a prova. Agora vamos ainda mais motivados para a etapa de Nürburgring”.

DTM, 6ª Etapa, Spielberg, Final:

1 - Marco Wittmann, RMG BMW

2 - Augusto Farfus, RBM BMW, +3.298s

3 - Timo Glock, MTEK BMW, +5.391s

4 - Martin Tomczyk, Schnitzer BMW, +6.237s

5 - Timo Scheider, Phoenix Audi, +6.666s

6 - Adrien Tambay, Abt Audi, +12.213s

7 - Mattias Ekström, Abt Audi, +14.046s

8 - Jamie Green, Rosberg Audi, +14.456s

9 - Christian Vietoris, Mercedes AMG, +15.224s

10 Bruno Spengler, Schnitzer BMW, +15.782s

11 Miguel Molina, Abt Audi, +16.192s

12 Joey Hand, RBM BMW, +16.214s

13 Mike Rockenfeller, Phoenix Audi, +17.717s

14 Maxime Martin, RMG BMW, +30.235s

15 Daniel Juncadella, Mercedes AMG, +34.836s

16 Edoardo Mortara, Abt Audi, +35.420s

17 Gary Paffett, Mercedes AMG, +40.852s

18 Paul di Resta, Mercedes AMG, +44.107s

19 Nico Müller, Rosberg Audi, +45.827s

20 Vitaly Petrov, Mercedes AMG, +45.971s

Fotos: BMW/DTM - divulgação

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