Marciello celebrates. © FIA
Raffaele Marciello scored his sixth FIA European Formula 3 victory of the season in comfortable style at Brands Hatch this afternoon.
Marciello’s Prema Powerteam teammate, Alex Lynn, came home 2.8 seconds adrift in 2nd spot, with Lucas Auer making it a Prema 1-2-3 finish, a further 3.2 seconds off of Lynn.
Starting on the outside of the front row, the Italian jumped poleman Lynn off the line, leading the rest of the way with little trouble. “Like this morning, if you are first, it is a big advantage, so it is very important to start [well] and I got a good start and overtook Alex. Then it was easy, because if you are in front, you can manage the lap times.”
Marciello built a lead of nearly five seconds, when he began to encounter backmarkers, but kept his through the rest of race, ensuring Lynn could not get a look in. The Italian spent a few tours trapped behind Roy Nissany, but as the laps ticked down, Marciello managed the pace, leading his Prema Powerteam compatriot over the line. “My biggest problem was Nissany. For six laps, he stayed in my way, but it is very difficult for the driver – six laps was too much,” commented the race winner.
For Lynn, once he was passed at the start, there was little for him to do. “Raffaele is always very good at his starts and mine wasn’t good enough, so I didn’t deserve to win the race today. I’m disappointed to not win the race, but I get another chance tomorrow, so we will take it as it comes.” The 19-year-old added, “To be honest, [the start] happened so quickly, we will need to have a look at the data to see what [Marciello] is doing better than me at the start and try to improve. The balance wasn’t to my liking, but I got quite reasonably close to him when he got stuck behind Nissany.”
Beyond the leaders, there was precious little movement in the field – mostly due to Brands Hatch’s tight and twisty nature.
Following Lynn, Auer headed Sven Muller (4th) home, although Muller did his best to press his Austrian rival. “At the beginning, I was quite close to Alex, but toward the end I got big pressure from the back, but in the end I managed 3rd place and good points.”
In the distance, Felix Rosenqvist (5th) and Tom Blomqvist (6th) playing out their respective battle. Harry Tincknell guided Josh Hill to 7th and 8th, while Will Buller (9th) and Jann Mardenborough (10th) rounded out the top ten. The only action came from Nicholas Latifi who damaged his front wing on the rear of Daniil Kvyat on the opening lap.
2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Race 2; 50 laps) Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Raffaelle Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 35m8.698s 2. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc + 2.816s 3. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc + 6.109s 4. Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW + 6.354s 5. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc + 13.332s 6. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-VW + 13.668s 7. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 15.762s 8. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc + 16.220s 9. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 19.356s 10. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW + 21.719s 11. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc + 22.949s 12. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW + 26.728s 13. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW + 27.617s 14. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-VW + 30.114s 15. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 35.096s 16. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc + 35.924s 17. Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW + 37.315s 18. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 1 lap 19. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc + 1 lap 20. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW + 1 lap 21. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 1 lap 22. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc + 1 lap 23. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc + 1 lap 24. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc + 2 laps 25. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc + 2 laps 26. Michela Cerruti Ferraris Dallara-Merc + 2 laps 27. Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW + 3 laps
2013 FIA European F3 Championship points standings Pos Driver Points 1. Raffaele Marciello 214.5 2. Felix Rosenqvist 122 3. Alex Lynn 119.5 4. Lucas Auer 105 5. Harry Tincknell 89 7. Tom Blomqvist 78.5 6. Felix Serralles 76 8. Pascal Wehrlein 49 9. Josh Hill 44 10. Will Buller 39 Pos Team Points 1. Prema Powerteam 346 2. Mucke Motorsport 191 3. Carlin 157 4. Fortec 125 5. EuroInternational 92
Mans Grenhagen has been suspended from today’s second FIA European Formula 3 race following several infractions this season.
The van Amersfoort driver overtook under yellows in race one and although he was given a drive through, the stewards also felt Grenhagen had “several other infringements since the beginning of the […] season.”
With much talk recently regarding the leniency of stewarding in a number of categories, it is relieving to see a steward’s panel who are prepared to sit a driver out in the right circumstances.
Sainz Jr. © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
GP3 Series regular is set to make his Formula Renault 3.5 début on the streets of Monte Carlo next week.
Sainz Jr – who drives for MW Arden in GP3 – has secured a one-off drive with the Zeta Corse Team in the Spanish squad’s second seat.
The Red Bull junior driver will be the third driver to occupy the drive alongside the team’s regular pilot Mihai Marinescu, with Emmanuel Piget and Mathéo Tuscher having already taken part in a round each.
Although this will be Sainz Jr’s first visit to Monaco, the Spaniard has raced on streets circuit before. Having competed previously at Pau and Macau during his single season in British Formula 3 in 2012.
For Sainz, this will be an interesting test of his skill and stamina. “This is an opportunity not to be missed, it won’t be an easy challenge because it will be the fist time I discover the Monaco Circuit and I hope to learn as quickly as possible, trying, as always, to get the best result. Being my first time in the circuit and in this category, my objectives must be clear, to complete as many laps as possible and to learn,” noted the Red Bull Junior Driver.
He added, “To run in this circuit is going to be something very special, I’m looking forward to Thursday and to starting the laps. I also want to thank the team Zeta Corse for the trust they have placed in me.”
There is no doubt Sainz Jr’s speed – he certainly can peddle – but this certainly be an intriguing battle for the teenager with what is, admittedly, a back of the grid team. Sainz Jr tested a FR3.5 car last winter with Carlin.
Victory for Lynn. © FIA.
Alex Lynn scored a lights-to-flag victory at Brands Hatch this morning, although it was no easy task for the Englishman.
Lucas Auer made it a Prema 1-2-3 as he took his Dallara F312 home to 3rd place.
The poleman Lynn kept ahead of front row rival Marciello off the line, dodging the Italian’s advances through Paddock Hill Bend and Graham Hill hairpin, pulling out a narrow lead, before being pulled back by the 2nd placed man.
Indeed, the lead was never more than one second throughout the 51-lap event, with Marciello keep tabs on the leader in through the opening 22 tours. The race became somewhat more complicated for Lynn thereafter, when lapped traffic began to come into play.
Most of the tail end runners played kindly as the leaders came through, except for T-Sport man Spike Goddard, who from lap 40-42 seemed determined to sit in front of the quick men.
It was moments that proved a touch stressful for Lynn. “There were two or three laps that I was behind [Goddard]. It frustrating now when I think about it and at the time, I was even more frustrated but I take it when it comes and luckily we are on a circuit where it is quite easy to defend. My engineer was saying ‘stay calm, stay calm’ and I was saying ‘I am calm, but I lose this win I’m going to be really miffed’, but it was fine.”
With Goddard eventually dispatched, Lynn and Marciello charged towards the flag, with the 19-year-old Essex man taking the chequered flag, a mere 0.6s ahead of his Prema Powerteam teammate. “I made a good start and managed to get into turn one in the lead and for the first few laps, I was trying to get a gap to Marciello, because I knew we would be catching traffic. Unfortunately every time I started to pull a bit of a gap, we caught some cars, so he caught up a bit, but I was quite happy and I think I controlled the race quite well.”
The victor added, “He got too close for my liking (on lap 43), but he put his front wing on the outside and it’s a little difficult to try and pass someone in turn one, so I just focussed on keeping my mind and after that just concentrate on taking the cars we were lapping.”
Auer took 3rd, despite a poor start. The Austrian had started 3rd, but was 5th by the opening bend after slight contact with Sven Muller, allowing Felix Rosenqvist blend through as well. According to Auer, “My start was not the best after a little touch with Sven Muller. I was 5th and Rosenqvist made a mistake, so I overtook him and toward the end of the race I was quite strong.”
That became 4th thanks to a lap 30 move on Rosenqvist following a mistake by the Swedish racer in Surtees. The Prema man was then promoted further when a technical fault ended Muller’s race four tours later. Continuing, Auer commented that, “I tried to attack [Muller] in the last turn, didn’t manage and then in the first corner he suddenly went slow, I overtook him and finished the race in p3. For this afternoon and tomorrow, I have to concentrate on the start.”
With Muller gone, Rosenqvist held 4th to the flag, with Carlin’s Harry Tincknell in a relatively distant 5th. Tincknell led a group over the line, with Tom Blomqvist (6th) not far behind. Jordan King made 7th his own thanks to a lap 35 pass on Josh Hill (8th), with Will Buller (9th) and Daniil Kvyat (10th) rounding out the top ten.
As Kvyat is non-points scoring driver, Antonio Giovinazzi picks up the final score with his 11th place finish.
It was a tricky day for Fortec’s Felix Serralles. An off on lap four dropped the Puerto Rican from 12th to 15th, before a tangle with Mans Grenhagen on lap 20, pitching Serralles to the edge of the top twenty. Several retirements would see the Fortec rise to 16th, but no further.
2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Race 1; 51 laps)
Pos Driver Team/Car Time / Gap
1. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc 35:41.189s
2. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc +0.680
3. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc +7.728
4. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc +8.843
5. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW +21.824
6. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-Merc +21.895
7. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW +22.481
8. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc +22.903
9. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan +25.647
10. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW +31.958
11. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc +32.703
12. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc +41.243
13. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW +1 lap
14. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc +1 lap
15. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan +1 lap
16. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc +1 lap
17. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc +1 lap
18. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc +1 lap
19. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc +1 lap
20. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc +1 lap
21. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW +1 lap
22. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc +1 lap
23. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc +1 lap
24. Mans Grenhagen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW +1 lap
25. Michela Cerruti Romeo Ferraris Dallara-Merc +1 lap
Retirements:
Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW +12 laps
Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW +16 laps
Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW +16 laps
Did Not Start:
Michael Lewis Mucke Dallara-Merc DNS
2013 FIA European F3 Championship points standings Pos Driver Points 1. Raffaele Marciello 189.5 2. Felix Rosenqvist 112 3. Alex Lynn 101.5 4. Lucas Auer 90 5. Harry Tincknell 83 6. Felix Serralles 76 7. Tom Blomqvist 70.5 8. Pascal Wehrlein 49 9. Josh Hill 40 10. Will Buller 37 Pos Team Points 1. Prema Powerteam 303 2. Mucke Motorsport 179 3. Carlin 147 4. Fortec 119 5. EuroInternational 82
Mücke Motorsport racer Michael Lewis has been discharged from a London hospital following a sizeable accident at Paddock Hill Bend yesterday.
Attempting a qualifying run, the American ran too wide into the downhill opening bend, losing the rear end of his Dallara F312 and crashing hard into the tyre barrier.
Following the accident, Lewis remained conscious throughout the extraction process and was taken to the circuit’s medical centre. He was then transferred to a London hospital where he was diagnosed with a mild concussion, but suffered from no other significant injuries.
Lewis will not return to the driving seat until the next round at the Red Bull Ring in two weeks time.
Triple-pole for Alex Lynn. © FIA.
Alex Lynn secured all three pole positions for the FIA European Formula Three Championship round of Brands Hatch this evening.
In a pair of split sessions, the Prema Powerteam racer bided his time, before launching toward the top of the time sheets.
Best laps of 41.098s and 41.189s respectively were enough to give the Englishman top spot for the opening two races, with Lynn going faster still (40.845s) in the final session of the day. “For the first part, I just put in a few bankers [laps] and then decided to go for it. I was watching ‘Seabiscuit’ the other day and in the film whenever they wanted to go fast he’d say ‘time to let her loose’ and that’s exactly what I did.”
With 29 cars taking part this weekend, it was decided to split qualifying into two groups in order to prevent traffic unnecessary traffic issues. For both qualifying sessions, fifteen running contested group A, before the final fourteen went out in Group B to secure the positions.
The fastest group from the qualifying sessions assume the left hand side of the grid for all tree races, with the slower group residing on the dirtier side.
Lynn’s Prema teammate Raffaele Marciello topped both Group A sessions, ensuring he lines up 2nd for all three events. The Italian failed to break the 41.3s barrier during the first qualifying session, but smashed that in the second qualifying stint with a best 40.836s.
It leaves another Prema competitor, Lucas Auer, 3rd for all events. Both Sven Muller and Mans Grenhagen surprised, with the former securing 4th for the two races and Grenhagen taking 6th for race three.
The Group A session of qualifying two ended prematurely when Michael Lewis (Mücke Motorsport) went off at Paddock Hill Bend. The American is conscoius, but has been taken to hospital for check ups.
2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Race 1 Grid) Pos Driver Team/Car Time 1. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc 41.189s 2. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 41.367s 3. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc 41.224s 4. Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.477s 5. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.247s 6. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 41.486s 7. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-Merc 41.282s 8. Michael Lewis Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.725s 9. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.374s 10. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW 41.777s 11. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 41.505s 12. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc 41.799s 13. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW 41.622s 14. Mans Grenhagen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.810s 15. Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW 41.638s 16. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW 41.890s 17. Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.646s 18. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc 41.955s 19. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.701s 20. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 41.980s 21. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.899s 22. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 42.033s 23. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.942s 24. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 42.068s 25. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc 42.168s 26. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc 42.152s 27. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc 42.418s 28. Michela Cerruti Romeo Ferraris Dallara-Merc 43.401s 29. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc 42.613s 2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Race 2 Grid) Pos Driver Team/Car Time 1. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc 41.098s 2. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 41.310s 3. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc 41.147s 4. Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.395s 5. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.182s 6. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 41.425s 7. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-Merc 41.267s 8. Michael Lewis Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.704s 9. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.367s 10. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW 41.731s 11. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW 41.458s 12. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc 41.756s 13. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 41.487s 14. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW 41.756s 15. Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW 41.585s 16. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.798s 17. Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.610s 18. Mans Grenhagen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.801s 19. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.692s 20. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc 41.816s 21. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.785s 22. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 41.827s 23. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.936s 24. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 42.053s 25. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc 42.091s 26. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc 42.146s 27. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc 42.384s 28. Michela Cerruti Romeo Ferraris Dallara-Merc 43.371s 29. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc 42.560s 2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Race 3 Grid) Pos Driver Team/Car Time 1. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc 40.845s 2. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 40.846s 3. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc 40.970s 4. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 41.052s 5. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 40.982s 6. Mans Grenhagen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.245s 7. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW 41.206s 8. Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.247s 9. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.257s 10. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW 41.285s 11. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-Merc 41.260s 12. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc 41.322s 13. Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.306s 22. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW 41.332s 14. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 41.324s 15. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 41.382s 16. Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW 41.486s 17. Michael Lewis Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.296s 18. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.498s 19. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.537s 20. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.549s 21. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc 41.554s 27. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc 41.885s 26. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.557s 23. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.998s 24. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 41.689s 25. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc 42.040s 28. Michela Cerruti Romeo Ferraris Dallara-Merc 43.184s 29. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc 42.206s
Auer on top at Brands. © FIA.
Felix Rosenqvist and Lucas Auer topped the time sheets of this morning’s European Formula 3 free practice sessions at Brands Hatch.
Running on the much-lamented “Indy circuit”, Rosenqvist (Mücke) made the most of the cool conditions to register 35 laps in the opening forty-minute run, with a best tour of 41.570s.
The Swede swapped the mixed it at the top of board with Prema Powerteam pairing Alex Lynn, Raffaele Marciello and Carlin’s Jordan King. Sven Muller set the early pace in the session, as cars ventured out onto the cool track for the first time.
Auer went three-tenths quicker in the second free practice session, setting a best of 41.276s, garnering a 0.049s gap over Marciello. Rosenqvist went two-tenths quicker than his earlier time, but dropped to 3rd, while Mans Grenhagen showed improved late pace to scoop 4th spot.
The sessions were relatively quiet, although an off for Lynn at Clearways ended the opening session a few minutes earlier. Jann Mardenborough suffered a brief off through Paddock Hill Bend, but survived without damage.
Meanwhile Daniil Kvyat signed a deal to race with Carlin over the remainder of the European F3 season, alongside his GP3 drive with Arden. The Romeo Ferraris team return to the Formula 3 paddock with Michele Cerruti, following their absence from the Hockenheimring.
Fortec have reduced their weekend package back down to three cars, following Ed Jones’ guest appearance in the previous round. It means the field comes in at 29 entries – this was initially an issue due the Indy circuit’s limitation to 28 slots; however, that issue has since been bypassed and all 29 drives will start.
2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Free Practice 1) Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.570s 2. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc 41.612s + 0.042s 3. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 41.687s + 0.117s 4. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW 41.710s + 0.140s 5. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-Merc 41.741s + 0.171s 6. Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.844s + 0.273s 7. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.848s + 0.278s 8. Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.898s + 0.328s 9. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc 41.902s + 0.332s 10. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc 41.902s + 0.332s 11. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 41.930s + 0.360s 12. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW 41.934s + 0.364s 13. Michael Lewis Mucke Dallara-Merc 42.001s + 0.431s 14. Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW 42.034s + 0.464s 15. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc 42.049s + 0.479s 16. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc 42.136s + 0.566s 17. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 42.141s + 0.571s 18. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc 42.268s + 0.698s 19. Mans Grenhagen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 42.278s + 0.708s 20. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 42.331s + 0.761s 21. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW 42.398s + 0.828s 22. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 42.467s + 0.897s 23. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc 42.566s + 0.996s 24. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW 42.676s + 1.106s 25. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc 42.784s + 1.214s 26. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc 42.879s + 1.309s 27. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 43.880s + 1.310s 28. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc 43.074s + 1.504s 29. Michela Cerruti Romeo Ferraris Dallara-Merc 44.298s + 2.728s 2013 FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 4, Free Practice 2) Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Lucas Auer Prema Dallara-Merc 41.276s 2. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 41.325s + 0.049s 3. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.348s + 0.072s 4. Mans Grenhagen Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.450s + 0.174s 5. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.468s + 0.192s 6. Jordan King Carlin Dallara-VW 41.469s + 0.193s 7. Alex Lynn Prema Dallara-Merc 41.470s + 0.194s 8. Tom Blomqvist Eurointernational Dallara-Merc 41.478s + 0.202s 9. Dennis van de Laar Van Amersfoort Dallara-VW 41.532s + 0.256s 10. Michael Lewis Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.560s + 0.284s 11. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 41.596s + 0.320s 12. Josh Hill Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.601s + 0.325s 13. Will Buller T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 41.603s + 0.327s 14. Sven Muller Ma-con Dallara-VW 41.613s + 0.337s 15. Lucas Wolf URD Dallara-Merc 41.654s + 0.378s 16. Antonio Giovinazzi Double R Dallara-Merc 41.672s + 0.396s 17. Daniil Kvyat Carlin Dallara-VW 41.683s + 0.407s 18. Jann Mardenborough Carlin Dallara-VW 41.723s + 0.447s 19. Nicholas Latifi Carlin Dallara-VW 41.837s + 0.561s 20. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 41.874s + 0.615s 21. Eddie Cheever Prema Dallara-Merc 41.891s + 0.686s 22. Roy Nissany Mucke Dallara-Merc 41.962s + 0.748s 23. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 42.024s + 0.790s 24. Mitchell Gilbert Mucke Dallara-Merc 42.066s + 0.916s 25. Andre Rudersdorf Ma-con Dallara-VW 42.192s + 1.740s 26. Sean Gelael Double R Dallara-Merc 42.385s + 1.109s 27. Tatiana Calderon Double R Dallara-Merc 42.646s + 1.370s 28. Sandro Zeller Zeller Dallara-Merc 42.755s + 1.479s 29. Michela Cerruti Romeo Ferraris Dallara-Merc 43.815s + 2.539s
Unfortunately, one of talking points to emerge from last weekend’s GP2 action at Barcelona was that of driving standards in the category.
While there is little doubt the competitive end of GP2 contains some noteworthy talent – including the likes of Robin Frijns, Felipe Nasr, James Calado, Sam Bird and points leader Stefano Coletti – there have been occasions when the pack has been a touch… frenetic.
So much so that standards of driving have once again called into question, yet this is by no means just a GP2 problem by any stretch of the imagination.
Having played witness to some truly horrendous and petulant incidents, whether they occur in Formula 3, Formula Renault, GP3, Auto GP or otherwise, far too often too lenient an action has been taken.
Often by the time a number of drivers have reached the level of GP2, the die has been cast by experience.
On the penultimate lap of Sunday’s GP2 Series sprint race, Caterham’s Sergio Canamasas peered down the inside of a struggling Johnny Cecotto Jr (Arden) at the Banc de Sabadell turn, with Canamasas running the kerb as they approached the new chicane.
As the pair leaned in toward Europcar corner – with Cecotto Jr slightly ahead – the Arden racer appeared to swerve very suddenly to the right, clashing with Canamasas. Despite the hit Cecotto Jr to maintain 5th.
From there, Canamasas slowed dramatically and his race was rendered null when moments later he was rear-ended by Rio Haryanto.
Following a review of the collision, the stewards declared the clash to be a racing incident, with neither party receiving punishment – a decision that drew some exasperation from within the paddock. Speaking to Cecotto Jr afterward, the Arden racer was clear about his innocence. “There was contact with Canamasas; I left him plenty of space for him to go to the right and the stewards saw that as well and they took no further action.”
It had been a tricky race for Cecotto Jr. The Venezuelan banged wheels with eventual race winner Stefano Coletti off the start, damaging his steering arm in the process. “I was really struggling, because in the first corner Coletti didn’t give me any space, crashed into me and since then I had steering bent far to the left. It made it very difficult throughout the race, especially in the first lap when I lost two positions because at one corner, the car just didn’t turn at all – I actually thought I had a puncture.”
Somewhat disabled by the opening lap collision drove the Arden racer to push his Pirelli’s harder than he ideally would have. But… that swerve… it is not, nor should it excuse, which makes the eventual stewards decision so unusual.
The incident generated yet more criticism for the already under-fire Cecotto Jr. It is less than two months since the Colombian racer deliberately drove Sam Bird off the track toward the end of qualifying at Sepang and come the following round in Bahrain, Canamasas did the same to Kevin Ceccon – twice.
On both occasions, Cecotto Jr and Canamasas merely had their qualifying times deleted, but with lenient penalties being awarded for such dubious conduct, it is maybe no surprise to find the third weekend in a row marred by such on track manoeuvres. In Malaysia, Cecotto Jr recovered to score points in the sprint race.
As with the series mentioned earlier, GP2 is a learning category, although the competitors within are decidedly closer to the top rung of single-seater motorsport. Ideally, these types of incidents should have been wrung out of a driver’s psyche long before s/he has reached GP2, but the increasing tendency for drivers to act out in such an aggressive manner on track raises the question as to whether enough is being done prior to GP2 to stamp out poor driving standards.
It is no secret that drivers in the ranks have been getting younger in recent decades and while the experience of karting and early race car divisions is clearly in abundance, maturity is often still yet to form, as occasional Formula One Driver Representative Allan McNish explains. “They started racing earlier, so their race craft is better. They’ve been brought up and educated in the ways of motorsport in a wider way than we ever were, but then again, they are still young and they still don’t have that real world experience.”
A former Formula One driver and twice winner of the Le Mans 24 Hour Race, McNish has acted as coach to young drivers, including Carlin’s European Formula 3 driver Harry Tincknell. “There’s never any easy solution, the only thing is young drivers have a lot more talent and energy than experience and you have to learn these things, so it’s partly the education process and the growing up process and you see certain drivers who know how to keep out of trouble and they end up winning championships – Robin Frijns is an example.
“They are definitely more aware and better developed than I was at 16 or 17. Sometimes it’s the stuff away from the racing circuit the working with engineers and all the development of that side of things can also be part of it.”
On Sunday afternoon, one current GP2 driver left me in no doubt as to his thoughts of the situation. “Something needs to be done about the driving standards right now, because some people are getting away with some things and it’s spoiling the racing for other people – there were so many people deliberately driving other cars off the track,” said the race winner, before adding “The tarmac is there for a reason – it’s to be used and for the drivers to use it. Just because they are coming through doesn’t mean that they need to put you on the grass – it’s a completely avoidable accident every time.”
Expanding on the point, he also revealed, “Nobody is learning. We’ve had three rounds now and it’s still going on. You see a couple [of incidents] during the year and think ‘he’s gone too wild there’, but it’s common ground to that now and in my book it’s wrong. There’s defending a position harshly, but fairly and there’s forcing drivers off the track and the latter seems to be the thing to do right now.”
The application of fair stewarding is not purely to act as a monitor fair competition on track, but also as a point of safety, as noted by McNish. “When you take Eau Rouge or even the old last corner [at Circuit de Catalunya] when there was no run off area and there was only one metre between you and the wall, if you did something that was a bit radical, you had a shunt and now if you do something a bit radical, you both go across the run off area or somebody spins and that’s it.
“The ‘get out of jail free’ card is there much than it ever was before, which is correct, because nobody wants to have the shunts that they had before. They hurt, I can tell you from experience, they bloody well hurt.”
The likes of Formula 3, World Series, GP3 and GP2 exist to prepare drivers for the top level of single-seater motor racing, yet while dangerous on track actions persist, it only serves to harm the reputation of junior categories everywhere and the competitors within.
It is about time the sport works to change that attitude to poor driving standards, before petulance does some very real damage.
Nick Yelloly. © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Media Service.
Carlin Motorsport racer Nick Yelloly is confident his sidestep to the GP3 Series in 2013 will bear fruit in his push to reach Formula One.
Hailing from Staffordshire in England, Yelloly had previously raced in the original iteration of the GP3 Series in 2011 with Atech CRS, before moving to Formula Renault 3.5 in latter part of the year.
A full season in the Renault 3.5 category followed in 2012, with Yelloly enjoying a confident run with Comtec, picking up two wins and a further two runner-up spots on his way to 5th in the championship, before announcing his switch back to GP3 with Trevor Carlin’s eponymous team.
On his return to the Formula One support series, the 22-year-old scored a 4th place in race one, but was punted out of the Sunday morning opener while running in a podium place.
Yelloly entered this year with plenty of experience behind him and with Carlin; he believes a title push is very much on the cards. “This is probably one of the first times that I’ve gone into a season with a team that have won a lot before and Carlin are proven championship winners.”
With Red Bull junior driver Antonio Felix da Costa behind the wheel of the original GP3/10 machine, Carlin enjoyed a solid run to 3rd last season and it is a performance Yelloly believes that success can be repeated and even improved upon. “They fought at the front last year and yes, it is a different car, but it is all the same people that made the car fast in the first place, so I’m pretty confident about that,” notes the World Series race winner. He adds, “I’ve got the experience of higher power, a bit of age and experience with tyres going off, whereas the older tyres in GP3 didn’t really go off. There’s a bit of extra pressure, but if you can’t deal with pressure, then this isn’t the sport to be in.”
Introducing the GP3/13 chassis and engine package has virtually transformed the face of the championship from one of an underpowered category with low buzzsaw-sounding engines to one which aligned itself as a healthy step up from Formula 3.
The naturally aspirated 3.4 litre engines and slightly reconfigured aerodynamic programme have certainly upped the laptimes, with the pole lap in Spain some 4.449 seconds quicker than last year’s effort, although the unchanged tyre compounds have proved a touch dramatic in their degradation – a factor picked up in pre-season testing. “The track temperatures [in testing] will never be as high as what we will run [at race weekends], but you never know with the way the weather is in Europe at the moment. You never know what the weather will be like, but it should be a lot warmer than what we tested in.”
As with all the competitors in the GP3 Series this year, Yelloly has found the Pirelli tyres a troublesome component due to excessively high wear, but one that needs to be mastered if success is to come.
Indeed the nature of the new car and the Pirelli’s saw lap times drop by approximately 7-10 seconds per lap by the end of the races; however the Englishman was pleased with how the new machine handled. “GP3 have done a really good job with the new car,” says the Carlin lead. “The old car wasn’t a proper racing machine – the engine was quite flat and there wasn’t much grip. Now it feels like the old World Series [by Renault] from around 2011 – there’s a fair bit of power and not tonnes of grip, although the new car […] is a completely different animal to the old car.“
Carlin have achieved much since their formation in the mid-90s and it is that success that has served to boost Yelloly’s belief in the team. “Being at Carlin is great, because we have a bit of cross reference with the GP2 team who have already ran in hot conditions and seen how their car behaved, so I don’t think it will hamper us too much.”
With eight British Formula 3 titles, as well as a couple of World Series crowns in Carlin’s drawers, Yelloly has had plenty of praise for his new team. “They are probably the most professional that I have worked with and they are very, very thorough.” He continues, “Mike Lugg is my engineer; he is very experienced and won in Formula 3 with [Jean-Eric] Vergne, so I have some very good people on my side.
“They are very serious when it comes down to business. We just have to get on with using the car – we have just got on with our job, not really worry about the times, because we’re pretty confident that we will be there or thereabouts.”
Inevitably there have been questions as to why Yelloly has transferred back to the GP3 Series in light of his achievements in the Formula Renault 3.5 category; however for the Staffordshire native, it was all quite simple – and very familiar. “Money is a big thing. We couldn’t fund another season [in Formula Renault 3.5] in a top team,” comments Yelloly. “I was with Comtec, who came last in the championship the year before and that was a very good deal, but to go and win it [in a top team] or be in the mix with [Antonio Felix] da Costa, [Kevin] Magnussen and [Stoffel] Vandoorne, we just couldn’t afford it.”
It is a story now all too common along the ranks feeder series categories, as drivers struggle to meet the rising costs of competing in motorsport; however Yelloly was undeterred by the financial barriers ahead. “I thought ‘what’s the next best thing to do to relight the fire?’ and GP3 with Carlin was a no-brainer. We got a good deal. The car was coming up in performance; you learn the Pirelli tyres, race in front of the Formula One bosses and get to drive for Trevor as well,” states Yelloly matter-of-factly, before adding, “That was the motivation.”
As GP3 is not running in Monte Carlo this year, there is several weeks until the next competitive meet at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia; however the meantime, the field is to congregate in June at the Hungaroring for its sole in-season test. Yelloly is confident that the team can at least go some way to solving some of the heavy tyre wear issues that cropped up in Barcelona.
Despite his drawbacks in the opening round, Yelloly is realistic about the potential for the rest of the season and of the long term. “The aim is to win, as everyone will say. Really, we’re trying to raise the money to either do something similar to Robert Wickens, where he went back to World Series to win, but ideally [the future] would be GP2.
“If the money is not there, then you have to look at different routes or go into sportscars, GTs or LMPs, but at the moment I am still fully focused on getting into Formula One, so therefore either World Series or GP2.”
Coletti celebrates. Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service.
Rapax driver Stefano Coletti claimed the GP2 Sprint Race ahead of the hard charging Robin Frijns and Felipe Nasr.
The Monegasque racer enjoyed a terrific start, to jump from the third row to the lead, but needed to fend off the intentions of Johnny Cecotto Jr in the process.
A poor couple of corners dropped Cecotto Jr to 4th behind the super quick Frijns and Nasr, both whom rose from 8th and 7th on the grid respectively.
Coletti maintained a narrow gap over Frijns throughout the running, although the Dutch racer did fall at least 4.7s behind the leader one point.
Having preserved his tyres in the middle stint, Frijns drew back to the rear of Coletti in the final laps; however the Hilmer Motorsport racer could not budge passed the Rapax, ensuring Coletti a margin of 0.6s at the flag.
It is a victory that allows Coletti to extend his championship lead over Nasr to 17 points.
Nasr enjoyed a solid run to 3rd to continue his run of consistent top four finishes. In the early laps, the Brazilian made a gap while Cecotto Jr dropped behind, allowing Nasr to keep solid pace as the race aged.
The next spot would eventually be taken by Carlin’s Jolyon Palmer. The Briton continues his upward turn of form, as he lept Kevin Ceccon and Alexander Rossi at bay in the opening half of the race, before slotting by Cecotto Jr with six laps remaining to take 4th, quickly pulling clear of the Venezuelan.
For Cecotto Jr, his race was once again became shrouded in controversy. With his Pirelli’s destroyed, the Arden racer weaved and cut across several competitors, before clashing with Sergio Canamasas in an attempt to hold him behind on the penultimate tour.
With Canamasas stumped for pace, a squeezed Rio Haryanto could do little but run into the rear Canamasas, as a pack of at least twelve cars closed into a tight bunch in the final chicane.
Haryanto would gain a ten-place grid penalty for Monaco’s Feature Race as a result – harsh considering the circumstances. Although slightly damaged, Cecotto Jr continued to claim 5th at the flag. His collision with Canamasas was deemed a racing incident; however it could have easily avoided had a touch a sensibility prevailed.
Amidst the chaos that formed behind the Cecotto Jr / Canamasas / Haryanto mess, Rossi took 6th ahead of Ceccon, with Daniel Abt sneaking from 12th to 8th on the final lap to pick up the final point.
Fabio Leimer took 9th ahead of Jon Lancaster 10th; as the field sorted itself out while James Calado and Sam Bird tiptoed through the mess to secure 11th and 12th respectively.
In a heart stopping moment at the race start, Tom Dillmann stalled on the grid, with the field around the Frenchman somehow missing him by inches.
2013 GP2 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 3, Sprint Race; 26 laps) Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Stefano Coletti Rapax 41m49.895s 2. Robin Frijns Hilmer + 0.691s 3. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 7.212s 4. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 12.129s 5. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden + 35.593s 6. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 36.991s 7. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 38.483s 8. Daniel Abt ART + 39.645s 9. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 40.664s 10. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 41.353s 11. James Calado ART + 41.464s 12. Sam Bird Russian Time + 41.876s 13. Mitch Evans Arden + 42.520s 14. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 44.190s 15. Stephane Richelmi DAMS + 44.277s 16. Simon Trummer Rapax + 44.487s 17. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus + 44.628s 18. Daniel de Jong MP + 45.041s 19. Rene Binder Lazarus + 48.132s 20. Marcus Ericsson DAMS + 53.650s 21. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 53.938s 22. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 1m02.518s 23. Nathanael Berthon Trident + 1m06.632s 24. Rio Haryanto Addax + 1m25.590s 25. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 1 lap 26. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 1 lap
2013 GP2 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 3, Sprint Race) Pos Driver Points 1. Stefano Coletti 93 2. Felipe Nasr 76 3. Fabio Leimer 54 4. Robin Frijns 37 5. Sam Bird 33 6. Jolyon Palmer 31 7. Alexander Rossi 27 8. James Calado 24 9. Tom Dillmann 22 10. Johnny Cecotto Jr 19 Pos Team Points 1. Carlin 107 2. Rapax 101 3. Racing Engineering 64 4. Hilmer Motorsport 56 5. Russian Time 55
Victory for Vainio. © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Media Service.
A stellar start for Aaro Vainio helped the Finn to a welcome GP3 Series sprint race victory at Barcelona.
The Koiranen GP racer spent the duration under pressure from teammate and poleman Kevin Korjus, eventually taking the win by 1.8 seconds.
Patric Niederhauser finished completed the podium following a late move on yesterday’s race winner Tio Ellinas.
Vainio jumped from 4th on the grid to the lead before the first corner, as Korjus and fellow front row man David Fumanelli proved sluggish off the line.
A brief safety car period shortly after race start gave the drivers an opportunity to calm the wear on their Pirelli tyres; however upon the release of the green flag on lap 3, Vainio held his own.
Although Korjus rarely sat underneath the rear wing of Vainio, his presence throughout ensured the race leader could not relax; however the Finn did not panic either, as he ran to the chequered flag and full points.
Niederhauser followed yesterday’s runner-up spot with another podium, but was helped a touch when David Fumanelli removed Nick Yelloly from the action with a punt up the rear. Fumanelli would receive a 20-seacond post race penalty as a result, dropping him to 17th place.
Niederhauser, who was running 7th from the start, also moved by Conor Daly on the same lap, before driving by Yelloly’s disabled car. Fumanelli received damage making a pass on lap 13 relatively easy.
Despite a severe shortage of grip, Ellinas doggedly fought to keep Niederhauser at bay succeeding for several laps, until the Swiss pilot slotted by with three laps remaining.
Ellinas continued on to finish 4th ahead of Fumanelli; however Fumanelli’s penalty promotes Daly to 5th. Carlos Sainz Jr was next up after passing Jack Harvey for 7th on lap 14 – unfortunately Sainz Jr’s car was found to be underweight and the Spaniard was disqualified, giving Harvey 6th spot.
Lewis Williamson held off a group of cars at the flag to take 7th. The Scot spent much of the race being hounded by Giovanni Venturini (8th), Adderly Fong and Luis Sa Silva, only for the latter pair to drop away as the tyres did the same. With Fong and Sa Silva falling backward, Alex Fontana claimed 9th, just two-tenths up on Eric Lichtenstein.
There was plenty of bumping and grinding on the opening lap, as Robert Visoiu bashed the rear of Melville McKee in the turn 7/8 chicane, bringing out a two-lap safety car. Visoiu had 20 seconds added post-race in lieu of a drive through penalty.
Like yesterday, speed and consistency fell away along with the grip from the quick wearing Pirelli’s, with laps at the end some 6-7 seconds shy of early race pace; however degradation was spread evenly throughout the field.
2013 GP3 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 1, Race 2; 17 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Aaro Vainio Koiranen 28m44.420s
2. Kevin Korjus Koiranen + 1.808s
3. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 6.948s
4. Tio Ellinas Manor + 14.048s
5. David Fumanelli Trident + 15.234s
6. Conor Daly ART + 15.469s
7. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden + 16.085s
8. Jack Harvey ART + 17.853s
9. Lewis Williamson Bamboo + 20.916s
10. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 21.704s
11. Alex Fontana Jenzer + 22.088s
12. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin + 22.355s
13. Adderly Fong Status + 22.924s
14. Luis Sa Silva Carlin + 25.239s
15. Samin Gomez Jenzer + 25.419s
16. Facu Regalia ART + 25.968s
17. Dino Zamparelli Manor + 26.851s
18. Patrick Kujala Koiranen + 38.111s
19. Robert Visoiu MW Arden + 40.758s
20. Carmen Jorda Bamboo + 45.568s
Retirements:
Josh Webster Status 14 laps
Emanuele Zonzini Trident 12 laps
Nick Yelloly Carlin 12 laps
Jimmy Eriksson Status 10 laps
Ryan Cullen Manor 6 laps
Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 5 laps
Melville McKee Bamboo 0 laps
2013 GP3 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 1, Race 2) Pos Driver Points 1. Tio Ellinas 39 2. Patric Niederhauser 28 3. Aaro Vainio 25 4. Conor Daly 21 5. Kevin Korjus 18 6. Nick Yelloly 12 7. Jack Harvey 12 8. David Fumanelli 6 9. Lewis Williamson 2 10. Robert Visoiu 2 Pos Teams Points 1. Koiranen GP 43 2. Marussia Manor 39 3. ART Grand Prix 33 4. Jenzer Motorsport 29 5. Carlin 12
© Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Media Service.
Tio Ellinas claimed a frantic victory in the opening GP3 race of the season at Barcelona today.
With shot tyres, the Cypriot barely held Patric Niederhauser and Conor Daly at bay in the final laps, as the trio finished covered only by nine-tenths.
Knowing the tyres may go off quickly, Ellinas surged into an early banker lead, heading Niederhauser by 3.8 seconds after six laps.
The gap hovered at that for a few tours, before Ellinas’ Pirelli’s gave way, allowing Niederhauser to close the gap, yet Niederhauser too was struggling for grip, making the attack as difficult as the defence and contributing somewhat to his finishing 2nd, just 0.428s behind Ellinas.
As laptimes fell from the 1:37’s to 1:41’s late on, the conservative Daly closed in, taking over six seconds from the leading pair in the final four laps; however the American ran out of time, closing to within 0.94s of Ellinas as the chequered flag flew.
In the pack, the action was coming thick and fast, as drivers up to ten drivers slipped in and out of various tyre wear phases.
From there, Carlin’s Nick Yelloly was next to the flag, coming in a healthy 4th. The Englishman lost bucket loads of time behind MW Arden’s Daniil Kvyat – seemingly the first to feel the pain of destroyed Pirelli’s – as did several members of the pack behind him, including Aaro Vainio (5th), who in turn enjoyed a solid gap to Jack Harvey (6th) and David Fumanelli (7th).
Kevin Korjus recovered from qualifying penalty somewhat to finish 8th, taking the reverse grid pole. The Estonian led a large train of cars across the line, with Robert Visoiu, Alex Fontana, Lewis Williamson and Giovanni Venturini all just missing out on the prized 8th place.
Dino Zamparelli takes a grid penalty into tomorrow’s race, ensuring he starts from last place. In an attempt to overtake Korjus, the Anglo-Italian collided with the Koiranen racer two laps from the end, with Zamparelli retiring there and then – as noted, Korjus continued to 8th spot.
By the end of the race, Kvyat came home 20th, with just the backmarker group of Ryan Cullen, Carmen Jorda and Adderly Fong behind.
Kvyat’s tyres began to give up as early as lap five and by the end of 17, the Russian was dropping close to eight seconds per lap to the leaders. It marks a new age for GP3 and it appears conservation is the key to success – whether drivers like it or not.
2013 GP3 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 1, Race 1; 17 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Tio Ellinas Manor 28m06.022s
2. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 0.428s
3. Conor Daly ART + 0.940s
4. Nick Yelloly Carlin + 9.726s
5. Aaro Vainio Koiranen + 16.925s
6. Jack Harvey ART + 23.006s
7. David Fumanelli Trident + 23.572s
8. Kevin Korjus Koiranen + 28.615s
9. Robert Visoiu MW Arden + 29.053s
10. Alex Fontana Jenzer + 29.426s
11. Lewis Williamson Bamboo + 29.669s
12. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 30.832s
13. Luis Sa Silva Carlin + 37.044s
14. Melville McKee Bamboo + 37.277s
15. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden + 51.669s
16. Samin Gomez Jenzer + 51.949s
17. Emanuele Zonzini Trident + 52.325s
18. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin + 52.759s
19. Jimmy Eriksson Status + 53.858s
20. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden + 1m08.691s
21. Ryan Cullen Manor + 1m09.967s
22. Carmen Jorda Bamboo + 1m10.626s
23. Adderly Fong Status + 1m14.398s
24. Facu Regalia ART + 2 laps
Retirements:
Dino Zamparelli Manor +3 laps
Patrick Kujala Koiranen +7 laps
Josh Webster Status +11 laps
2013 GP3 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 1, Race 1) Pos Driver Points 1. Tio Ellinas 31 2. Patric Niederhauser 18 3. Conor Daly 15 4. Nick Yelloly 12 5. Aaro Vainio 10 6. Jack Harvey 8 7. David Fumanelli 6 8. Kevin Korjus 4 9. Robert Visoiu 2 10. Alex Fontana 1 Pos Team Points 1. Marussia Manor 31 2. ART Grand Prix 23 3. Jenzer Motorsport 19 4. Koiranen GP 14 5. Carlin 12
© Malcolm Griffiths/GP2 Series Media Service.
Robin Frijns drove a pitch perfect race at Barcelona this evening to assume his first GP2 victory of the season.
The Hilmer Motorsport man took the win ahead of Carlin pairing Felipe Nasr and Jolyon Palmer; however the latter would lose 3rd to the stewards.
Starting 8th, Frijns – the reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion – stopped at the end the end of the sixth tour, changing to the harder Pirelli tyres.
Emerging from the pits in 18th, the Dutchman edged up the order as tyre strategies evolved around him, eventually rising to 4th as Johnny Cecotto Jr, Tom Dillmann and Mitch Evans ran long first stints.
By lap 27, the road ahead finally cleared, allowing Frijns to claim the win, just 3.3s ahead of the charging Nasr.
For Nasr, runner-up represented an extension of his winless streak in his GP2 career. The Carlin racer initially lost out to Stefano Coletti at the start, however he would barge passed the hesitant Stephane Richelmi to regain 3rd.
Following his lap nine stop for fresh tyres, Nasr’s drove a quiet, conservative race until the latter stages, when his began to come alive. Moves on passed Alexander Rossi (lap 25), Coletti (lap 31) and Sam Bird (lap 33) brought Nasr to the rear of Palmer, but in passing his Carlin stablemate, the pair clashed, damaging Palmer’s floor. Nasr chased after Frijns, closing the gap to 1.7s on the penultimate tour; however the Dutch leader pulled away on the final lap to solidify the result.
It would get no better for Palmer. The Englishman collided with Bird on lap 36, pitching the Russian Time racer into retirement and earning Palmer a 20-second penalty, demoting him to 10th. This marked an unfortunate end to a decent for Palmer, who – like Frijns – pitted early, claiming positions on the road as rivals succumbed to tyre degradation.
With Palmer penalised, GP2 returnee Jon Lancaster took 3rd ahead of Coletti, while Dillmann made his long early stint work to secure 5th, despite being punted off at turn four by Richelmi.
Rossi enjoyed a quiet race to close the top six, just four-tenths up on Kevin Ceccon, while Cecotto Jr’s long opening stint could not match Dillmann’s similar efforts – the Venezuelan was classified 8th. Rio Haryanto took 9th, with the penalised Palmer now in 10th place.
It was not good day for poleman Marcus Ericsson who led in the initial running. Following his stop, Ericsson chanced upon a gaggle of cars in the final corners, resulting in a collision with Bird and Kevin Giovesi. The damage would see Ericsson drop out and would earn Bird a grid penalty for the Sprint race – he will now start 25th.
Nathanaël Berthon also picked up a grid penalty for somersaulting over Sergio Canamasas and Dillmann on lap five.
2013 GP2 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 3, Feature Race; 37 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Robin Frijns Hilmer 1h00m38.896s
2. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 3.316s
3. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 12.290s
4. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 12.609s
5. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 13.329s
6. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 14.325s
7. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 17.160s
8. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 17.504s
9. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden + 24.013s
10. Rio Haryanto Addax + 32.024s
11. Daniel Abt ART + 32.823s
12. Mitch Evans Arden + 35.748s
13. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 39.922s
14. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 40.999s
15. Stefano Richelmi DAMS + 42.690s
16. Daniel de Jong MP Motorsport + 43.102s
17. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport + 54.532s
18. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 56.946s
19. Simon Trummer Rapax + 57.935s
20. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1 lap
21. Sam Bird Russian Time + 4 laps
Retirements:
Kevin Giovesi Lazarus +26 laps
Marcus Ericsson DAMS +27 laps
Sergio Canamasas Caterham +32 laps
Nathanael Berthon Trident +33 laps
James Calado ART +36 laps
2013 GP2 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 3, Feature Race) Pos Driver Points 1. Stefano Coletti 76 2. Felipe Nasr 66 3. Fabio Leimer 54 4. Sam Bird 33 5. Robin Frijns 25 6. James Calado 24 7. Alexander Rossi 23 8. Jolyon Palmer 23 9. Tom Dillmann 22 10. Jon Lancaster 17 Pos Team Points 1. Carlin 89 2. Rapax 84 3. Racing Engineering 64 4. Russian Time 55 5. Hilmer Motorsport 44
© GP3 Media Services.
With only a single free practice committed into the GP3 Series books for 2013, four drivers have already found themselves in trouble with the stewards.
Koiranen GP pairing Patrick Kujala and Kevin Korjus were joined in the bad books by Carlos Sainz Jr (MW Arden) and Alex Fontana (Jenzer Motorsport) when all four were deemed to have ignored yellow flags during today’s free practice session.
Each competitor will be demoted ten places following tomorrow morning’s session.
It marks a difficult starter for the quartet, as they lead into a GP3 season made difficult by the new engine / aero package and fast wearing tyres.
© Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service.
Marcus Ericsson emphatically grabbed his first GP2 pole and points of the season thanks to a storming effort in the closing minutes of the sole qualifying session.
Having headed much of the session – helped in no small part by a stellar final sector – Ericsson lost out to teammate Stephane Richelmi in final moments, before retaking the top spot.
Initial fears of an incoming rainstorm proved false; however the threat did force the field into a series of early runs, with Ericsson setting the gauntlet before the first set of stops.
Come the final stints, no one could match Ericsson’s final time of 1:28.704, giving the Swede a one-and-half tenths advantage over Richelmi as the chequered flag waved.
Felipe Nasr slotted into 3rd spot in his Carlin machine. Like many of his rivals, the Brazilian matched Ericsson in the first two sectors of the lap, only to lose entire tenths in the final few turns.
It was a similar tale for Sam Bird (Russian Time, 4th), Stefano Coletti (Rapax, 5th) and Fabio Leimer (Racing Engineering, 6th).
James Calado only completed five laps to claim 7th place; however that could put him in a nice position for the Feature Race, as times become a key factor. Robin Frijns took his Hilmer Motorsport Dallara to 8th, ahead of Kevin Ceccon (Trident, 9th) and Kevin Giovesi (Venezuela GP Lazarus, 10th).
Alexander Rossi pitted early in order to secure a free track, but struggled to improve, eventually lining up 17th. On his return to the GP2 Series, Jon Lancaster placed his Hilmer Motorsport machine 15th.
2013 GP2 Series round of Barcelona (Rd 3, Qualifying) Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m28.706s 2. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m28.871s + 0.165s 3. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m29.152s + 0.446s 4. Sam Bird Russian Time 1m29.188s + 0.482s 5. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m29.213s + 0.507s 6. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m29.293s + 0.587s 7. James Calado ART 1m29.318s + 0.612s 8. Robin Frijns Hilmer 1m29.321s + 0.615s 9. Kevin Ceccon Trident 1m29.424s + 0.718s 10. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m29.425s + 0.719s 11. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m29.609s + 0.903s 12. Daniel Abt ART 1m29.668s + 0.962s 13. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m29.685s + 0.979s 14. Tom Dillmann Russian Time 1m29.739s + 1.033s 15. Jon Lancaster Hilmer 1m29.759s + 1.053s 16. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m29.792s + 1.086s 17. Alexander Rossi Caterham 1m29.804s + 1.098s 18. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m29.824s + 1.118s 19. Mitch Evans Arden 1m29.936s + 1.230s 20. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m29.956s + 1.250s 21. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m29.969s + 1.263s 22. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m30.020s + 1.314s 23. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m30.025s + 1.319s 24. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m30.025s + 1.319s 25. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m30.763s + 2.057s 26. Daniel de Jong MP 1m30.773s + 2.067s
© Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service
A millennia old city situated in the south west region of the UK, Bristol is hardly known for producing top-level motorsport talent.
Indeed the city has never had one of its own grace Formula One – 20-year-old Dino Zamparelli is aiming to change all that.
The 2011 Formula Renault BARC champion makes his GP3 Series début at this season’s opening round in Barcelona this weekend.
A podium sitter in the now defunct Formula Two category last year, Zamparelli signed for the Marussia Manor squad in February and with the heat rising, the Anglo-Italian racing divulged his thoughts to TheMotorsportArchive.com about what to expect.
Related news: “Yelloly, Webster and Zamparelli make it four Brits in GP3”
It is a deal that also sees him become part of the parent team’s Young Driver Programme, but for now, having tested his new GP3/13 machine during three pre-season test session, the Bristolian is keen to get behind the wheel. “I absolutely love the car – it’s really fast and a pleasure to drive. You can carry good speed into the corners and really get the car on the limit.”
The GP3 Series may prove something of a new test for all concerned this year thanks to the introduction of the latest chassis upgrades by Dallara – the GP3/13 – some three years after its predecessor’s début.
Alongside that, series engine supplier, Renault, have dropped the original 2.0 litre turbo-charged unit in favour of a 3.4 litre naturally aspirated motor – a change that produces an 120 bhp to the category, increasing the engine’s overall output to approximately 400 bhp.
Whereas the chassis and engine package has changed significantly, the Pirelli tyre compounds remain the same and in testing, the drop off in performance has been massive, with one driver informing TheMotorsportArchive.com a drop off of up to eight seconds in simulations.
“I’m learning all the time and feel like I’ve been there for a long time already. I’ve been working away with my team focussing on different areas.”
While such a rise in performance may appear to be daunting at first, Zamparelli has made significant leaps in power before and believes previous experience in Formula Two will serve him well. He reveals, “The jump from Formula Renault to F2 in 2011/2012 was quite significant. I really had to get used to more grip, more power and more downforce.”
Continuing on that theme, Zamparelli adds, “The GP3 car has similar power output to the F2 – so for me the transition wasn’t too bad,” notes the Marussia racer. “I feel like F2 taught me a lot about driving a highly powered car and I also got used to European circuits, having only really raced in the UK. I feel like I’m ready for GP3 now.”
Power is something that seems to run in the Zamparelli household, although not strictly of the wheels variety. His father, Mike, was a powerboat racer, won the Embassy Grand Prix at Bristol in 1990, while also enjoying success at numerous other events.
For now, Zamparelli is building his own ties with the Marussia Manor squad and believes he can bring the success that mostly eluded the team last year. “They are a really dedicated and hungry bunch of guys – I feel like I’ve fitted in really well.”
At times it can be easy to forget that GP3 is also a learning category – one of a number of preparatory steps for drivers aiming for the top tier of motorsport, yet the pre-season running proved a tricky prospect for all.
The unusually long winter in Europe ensured numerous wet and cold sessions, with snow only clearing from parts of Spain and Italy in March. While not ideal, Zamparelli was none too perturbed. “Well there were quite a few different weather conditions during the official GP3 testing, which is always good.” Expanding on that thought, Zamparelli adds, “It’s always good to feel the car in different conditions so you can be ready for the season for whatever driving condition comes your way. Watching GP3 last year, it seems like we may need to ready ourselves for a few wet races!”
The pre-season running offered more than thirty drivers opportunities to pilot the new GP3/13, but with the start of competition just around the corner, Zamparelli is measuring his chances as well as the opposition. “It’s difficult to know what people are doing in testing and the times on the screen can count for not much come for the first race. I’m confident that we’re right up there.”
Despite that confidence, Zamparelli believes there are still strides in performance to be made. “There are plenty of areas I have been improving and there have been areas that I still want to work on.”
Yet as much as the GP3 Series is another learning experience and step along the way to Formula One, the 20-year-old sees only one desirable result. “To win,” he comments emphatically, before adding, “I feel like I’ll be ready for the first race. I won’t stop working until I get what I want.” And with that, the start of competition closes in.
The opening round of the GP3 Series comes this weekend from Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
DTM (Rd 1; Hockenheim)
Augusto Farfus took the opening DTM race of the season at the Hockenheimring ahead Dirk Werner and Christian Vietoris. Starting 2nd, the RBM BMW racer DRS-passed polesitter Timo Schneider on the sixth tour, making his first stop a lap later when the safety car intervened.
The sudden change of strategy left Farfus lingering in a group outside the top six, while tyre strategies evolved and hands were played, before moving passed Daniel Juncadella to claim what would eventually become the lead and the victory.
Werner came home just 3.69s shy of Farfus, despite qualifying 20th. A long middle stint on options from the Schnitzer BMW pilot brought the 31-year-old into play, emerging ahead rookies Pascal Wehrlein and Juncadella to assume the runner-up spot.
Vietoris was the victim of a poor start on prime tyres dropping from 3rd to 11th on the opening lap; however the HWA Mercedes racer climbed up the order with, like Werner, a long middle stint and some decisive moves.
Gary Paffett assumed 4th after Vietoris passed him late on; however Paffett continued to drop back in the final tours, eventually finishing just ahead of Bruno Spengler (5th), Schneider (6th; whose race was hampered by the safety car), Joey Hand (7th) and Mike Rockenfeller (8th). Marco Wittmann and Roberto Mehri rounded out the top ten.
Wehrlein and Juncadella did not pit under the safety car, giving the pair an opportunity to lead the race until they finally stopped on lap 27. Timo Glock enjoyed a brief, but respectable début and was running well until his wheel fell off following a pitstop on lap 17.
British Formula Ford (Rd 3, Thruxton)
Dan Cammish increased his winning streak in the British Formula ford Series to nine at the weekend with three more dominant displays at Thruxton. The runaway points leader headed Andrew Richardson across the line in the opening event, before beating Juan Rosso in the second and third races of the weekend; however Cammish did not have it easy.
Cammish had to fight hard to keep Richardson at bay at the beginning of race one, with Richardson making a stellar start; however the poleman recovered enough to maintain the lead over his fellow Briton. There was a reprieve for Cammish when Richardson was passed by Lassi Halminen on the fourth tour, only for Halminen to drop out soon afterward with mechanical issues. Harrison Scott took 3rd, just shy of Richardson, but not before the feisty Scott edged out Rosso in a tight mid-race battle. Luke Williams survived an opening lap collision with Camren Kaminsky, dropping to 12th; however Jamun racer sliced through the order to take 5th ahead of Fred Martin-Dye and Nico Maranzana.
It was easier for Cammish in race two, as he pulled out an 8.6s lead in the opening tours, before calming his pace in the final tours to win by 5.1s from Rosso. The real battle was for 2nd as Scott battled with Williams, before the latter dropped back in the later laps, but where one opponent had dropped back, Scott gained another in Rosso, but it was the Argentine racer who took the battle for 2nd, demoting Scott to 3rd. Kaminsky recorded a 4th place finish, despite falling to 9th in the opening tours, but he rose back to 4th, following a ding-dong battle with Maranzana (5th), George Blundell (6th) and Williams (7th).
Cammish completed his weekend rout on Sunday morning to extend his series lead to 87 points over new-2nd-placed man Scott. The championship leader also set a new lap record for Formula Ford’s at Thruxton on his way to a 10.04s victory over Rosso, in a race where he truly stretched his legs over the competition; however the 24-year-old eased off briefly mid-race following a near off at the chicane – beyond that, Cammish was untouchable. Rosso claimed 2nd early on, only for Richardson to sweep by on lap five; however the Argentine racer persisted and Rosso retook the runner-up spot on the final tour. Scott and Sam Brabham had relatively quiet runs to 4th and 5th respectively, with Martin-Dye taking a distant 6th.
TheMotorsportArchive.com 