- Six podium places and 15 top ten finishes for drivers ‘powered by Volkswagen’
- Third race win for Leclerc and first for Giovinazzi in Baden-Württemberg
- Thrilling battles for the lead over the second Formula 3 European Championship weekend
With a haul of two wins and six podium finishes, the up-and-coming drivers ‘powered by Volkswagen’ were again successful over the second weekend of racing in the Formula 3 European Championship in Hockenheim. Charles Leclerc of Monaco (Van Amersfoort Racing) had every reason to be happy this weekend, winning the third race on Sunday evening after having come second in race 2 and third in race 1. Antonio Giovinazzi of Italy (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) performed well too, winning the first race on 1 May and finishing in third place in the subsequent two races. As such, he remains at the top of the leader board in the Formula 3 European Championship.
Leclerc demonstrated his racing skills during Sunday’s wet conditions, attacking the front-runner and pole sitter Felix Rosenqvist (Dallara-Mercedes) during lap 13. Leclerc performed an audacious but clean manoeuvre to draw level with the Swede coming out of the hairpin bend and subsequently took the lead – which he maintained until he saw the black and white chequered flag on lap 22. This is already the second win of the season for the 17-year-old rookie, adding to his success in the season opener in Silverstone.
Giovinazzi was undeterred by three safety car phases on the 4.574-kilometre Hockenheimring and scored his first win of the season in the first race on Friday. It was once again Rosenqvist in pole position who initially took the lead. However, this only lasted for half a lap, as Giovinazzi succeeded in overtaking him and then held on to the lead until the finishing line. Rosenqvist clinched a start-to-finish victory in the second race on Saturday, followed by Leclerc in second place and Giovinazzi in third. Markus Pommer (D) of Motopark made a good impression at his home race – the 24-year-old came seventh in both the first and third race, and scored twelve championship points.
In addition to two race wins, the up-and-coming drivers with 225 hp engines made in Wolfsburg racked up a tally of six podium places and 15 top ten finishes in Hockenheim. With Giovinazzi on 106 points overall – a mere five points ahead of Leclerc on 101 – it will be interesting to see what happens over the next weekend of racing in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in Pau, France, on 15 to 17 May.
Quotes, FIA Formula 3 European Championship in Hockenheim
Charles Leclerc (MC), Van Amersfoort Racing; Dallara-Volkswagen #7
“It’s not been a bad weekend as I have visited the three steps of the podium. I hadn’t expected such great results when I arrived here, as this was the first time I raced on this track. But we did a solid job in practice and from there we kept improving the car and my driving. Even though the conditions weren’t easy, we’re ultimately going back home with a good amount of points, which is good for the championship. A big ‘thank you’ to my team Van Amersfoort for a great job.”
Antonio Giovinazzi (I), Jagonya Ayam with Carlin, Dallara-Volkswagen #3
“In such wet conditions, the first race was anything but easy. Initially, I tried to overtake Felix as soon as I could, because you simply have a better view in the rain when you are in the lead. The first two safety car interventions didn’t really help me and Felix put me more and more under pressure as the race went on. I managed to bring victory home and I am happy.”
Overall standings after 6 out of 33 races, FIA Formula 3 European Championship
1. Antonio Giovinazzi, 106 points; 2. Charles Leclerc, 101; 3. Felix Rosenqvist, 92; 4. Jake Dennis, 46; 5. George Russell, 41; 6. Lance Stroll, 36; 7. Maximilian Günther, 34; 8. Alexander Albon, 34; 9. Markus Pommer, 28; 10. Gustavo Menezes, 25; 11. Mikkel Jensen, 18; 12. Brandon Maisano, 17; 13. Callum Ilott, 14; 14. Santino Ferrucci, 10; 15. Pietro Fittipaldi, 4.
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