On October 13 2019, the Dallara F312/317 Formula 3 car was signed off after eight years of service. Formula Scout spoke to some of the category’s top teams – and a top journalist – to share their favourite moments

Eight F3 championships in Asia and Europe, as well as the prestigious Macau Grand Prix, made use of Dallara’s era-defining F312 chassis between 2012 and 2019, when its FIA homologation was stripped as the new vision for F3 came into play.

In 2017 an aerodynamic and safety-based update was made to the car, with a noticeably lower nose profile being introduced. That design had several dramatic moments at Macau, first with the stunning conclusion of the 2017 grand prix, and then a year later with Sophia Floersch’s horror shunt that ultimately contributed to the cars being overlooked for Macau last year and changes being made to the circuit.

The F312 was, and still is, a popular car with more club-based racers in series such as the MSVR and Austrian F3 Cups, and the F2000 Italian Trophy. While still used in international series, it enabled the more confident and enthusiastic racers to take their efforts into higher profile series – such as CF Racing’s toe-in-the-water debut in Euroformula last year.

Drivers and teams praised the F312/F317 for its high quality and ability to train drivers well, although its relevance was decreased once the higher formulae switched to heavier machinery over F3’s lightweight philosophy. But the standard of racing, and the drivers and teams, still made FIA European F3 the top driver development series until its untimely decline.

Interest in the style of car has prompted Dallara to design a successor, without the F3 moniker, that will be used in Euroformula and the renamed Super Formula Lights (formerly Japanese F3) from this year onwards.

Motopark FIA European F3 Norisring 2018
2019 Euroformula driver and teams champion, ’19 Japanese F3 driver and teams champion, 2017 & ’18 Macau GP winner

Photo: Davide Pastanella / Red Bull Content Pool

Motopark team principal Timo Rumpfkeil, never an emotional sort, has two stunning Macau Grand Prix victories to pick from, but went for a performance that was arguably more to do with what his team did off-track than what happened in the race.

At the start of the second race on the Norisring street circuit in 2018, Dan Ticktum stalled on the grid and was rear-ended by Carlin’s accelerating Ameya Vaidyanathan. Ticktum went to hospital with a painful headache, the car ended up “shattering into a million bits”, but already had an engine and gearbox reattached by the time Ticktum arrived at hospital.

He took to the grid of the final race of the weekend, in his rebuilt car, in third place. In a safety car-filled encounter, Ticktum amazingly took victory by 0.057 seconds from team-mate Juri Vips.

“It was a massive effort from the team to bring the car back into one piece, to repairing a complete car in three hours with engine change, gearbox change, all the bodywork changed,” Rumpfkeil tells Formula Scout. “Which was something I doubted to be possible as we started, and to bring the car back to the grid and then win the race, is probably something which even had more emotions than winning in Macau.”

Motopark joined European F3 in 2015, and took its first win at Zandvoort with its German F3 champion Markus Pommer.

“It was a great effort to win in the first year joining European F3, when the other teams had three years head-start on the car. But then Zandvoort has never produced really the most exciting races, so after the start it was pretty much done. If you keep your senses together, it?s a 35-minute wait until the race is over. That?s been remembered well, but not so emotional.”

Carlin Macau GP Grand Prix 2012
2017 European F3 driver champion, 2012 & ’13 British F3 driver champion, ’12 & ’16 Macau GP winner, ’16 & ’19 Pau GP winner

Photo: GEPA pictures/Dutch Photo Agency

Carlin marked itself out as the team to beat in Britain when the Dallara F312 was introduced, but it found the opposition a little tougher on the continent.

Its first Euro Series win with the car came via Jazeman Jaafar at Brands Hatch, and it added a few more when the British and European paddocks combined grids on several occasions. A move to a new factory meant Carlin was unable to do windtunnel work with the F312, and racing in two championships meant it was adapting to two different tyre manufacturers.

The Macau GP was run using Yokahama rubber, putting all European teams on a level playing field against each other. It was the Japanese teams that therefore had the tyre advantage, but Carlin had a secret weapon to utilise.

A few weeks before, Formula Renault 3.5 race-winner Antonio Felix da Costa had obliterated the field in a MSVR F3 Cup cameo with Carlin in an older F3 car, to ensure he was eligible for Macau entry, and after a test day at Silverstone in the F312 he travelled to the Far East wanting to win.

He was third fastest in both free practice sessions, just 0.037 seconds off the pace despite his car inexperience, and was fastest in the first qualifying session of the weekend. Despite having new tyres at his disposal he failed to improve in the all-important Q2, but that was still good enough for second place behind Alex Lynn’s stonking pole lap for Fortec.

After bettering a fast-starting Felix Rosenqvist in the qualification and main race, da Costa took a hard-earned double win and his first grand prix triumph. It was also Carlin’s first Macau win since Takuma Sato in 2001.

Fortec Motorsports Macau GP Grand Prix 2013
2014 British F3 driver champion, 4th in 2013 European F3 teams standings, 5th in ’16, ’17 & ’19 Euroformula teams standings

To Fortec’s Euroformula boss Mick Kouros, engineering Pipo Derani to third in the 2013 Macau GP was Fortec’s greatest achievement with the Dallara F312.

“It was an exceptionally strong field, and you had to not only have a fast car but a fast driver to be on that podium,” Kouros gleams proudly.

Fortec turned up to the event with a crack line-up of Derani, Tom Blomqvist, John Bryant-Meisner, Will Buller and Ed Jones, and with two previous podiums: second place with Heikki Kovalainen in 2002, and third from pole with Alex Lynn in 2012.

Derani didn’t look like he’d be replicating that result in free practice, but was fifth fastest in the first qualifying session. Blomqvist bumped him down to seventh in the second session, although he was top of the timesheet at one point.

A collision at the start immediately put Blomqvist out of the qualification race, and gained Derani one spot. He was gifted another when Prema’s Lucas Auer crashed ahead of him, and thus he started the main race from fifth. Possibly the best start of his life meant he dicing for second on the run to the first braking zone at Lisboa in the main race. Three into one with Raffaele Marciello and Felix Rosenqvist was risky, and Derani was the only one to emerge unscathed – and in second place.

He lost the position to da Costa on a safety car restart shortly after, and eventually the damaged Marciello got through too. The Prema man then crashed, and Derani was back in a podium position.

After fending off pressure from ThreeBond with T-Sport’s Alexander Sims, Derani met the chequered flag in third to the elation of Fortec. Derani didn’t remain in single-seaters for long, instead carving out a career in American sportscars.

Hitech GP FIA European F3 Pau 2016
2nd in 2016 European F3 team standings, 3rd in 2018 European F3 team standings, 3rd in ’16 European F3 driver standings

Photo: FIA F3 European Championship

The Hitech name was revived in 2015 by former GP3 racer Oliver Oakes, with his Silverstone-based team entering two European F3 rounds with future Formula E star Sims. It had a top five finish and a fastest lap by its fourth race, and was already a formidable squad when it entered F3 full-time a year later with Ben Barnicoat, Nikita Mazepin and George Russell.

In the season opener it took its first podium through Russell, and a first win one round later at the Hungaroring with Barnicoat.

The next races were on the Pau street circuit, and the team-mates topped their group in Q1. Prema’s Lance Stroll was faster in the other qualifying group, but Hitech struck back in the first two races of the weekend.

A poor start for Stroll handed Barnicoat the lead in a damp race one, which he turned into a dominant win, and Russell was similarly assertive in the equally wet conditions of race two. Had it not been for qualifying several rows back for race three, the Pau GP itself, one of the pair would likely have made it a triple win for Hitech.

Russell won again at Spa-Francorchamps, while Jake Hughes and Enaam Ahmed added victories in 2017 and ’18. Ahmed’s early season winning spree sent him into an unexpected championship lead before sinking to ninth in the points.

Hitech has since gone on to dominate in regional F3, first in Asia and then through its contract with W Series, and is one of several of the European F3 teams that successfully jumped ship to the newly created FIA F3 Championship last year. Its ambitions have now stretched to Formula 2, a first for the Hitech name since a GP2 partnership with Piquet Sports in 2005.

RP Motorsport Euroformula Silverstone 2017
2012, ’14, ’15, ’17 & ’18 Euroformula driver champion, ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17 & ’18 Euroformula teams champion

Photo: Fotospeedy

RP Motorsport is the most successful team in Euroformula Open history, and therefore it was a tricky task for team manager Niki Rocca to pick one highlight amongst 11 titles and close to 80 wins before its success in the series dried up last year.

The veteran Italian named a few dominant performances, and it was Harrison Scott’s 2017 double win at Silverstone that stood out the most.

Despite spinning midway through the session, Scott took a dominant pole in Q1. His banker lap prior to his spin was good enough for pole, and he ended up 0.751s clear. A “remarkable” car then propelled him to a 14.547s win in the 15-lap first race, one of the most dominant performances seen in championship history.

He returned on Sunday with another dominant pole, once again showing stunning pace on used tyres prior to his pole lap, and took top spot by an enlarged 1.062s. There was spots of rain and a strong destabilising wind through the first corner in race two, meaning Scott wasn’t as dominant, but he still met the chequered flag with over 10s in hand to his nearest opponent.

So dominant was Scott that he skipped the Barcelona season finale, having already won the title, and his Silverstone record of two wins, two poles and two fastest laps was repeated at Paul Ricard and Jerez. It wasn’t the first time that RP Motorsport had achieved that feat, having completed it at Paul Ricard in 2012, Jerez and Spa in 2014, and Paul Ricard and Jerez in 2018.

RP may not return to Euroformula in 2020 after its disastrous showing last year, but the series would sorely miss the Italian squad if it departs entirely.

Campos Racing Euroformula Monza 2016
2016 Euroformula driver and teams champion, 2nd in 2014 & ’15 Euroformula teams standings

Photo: Fotospeedy

Formula Scout’s choice for the best race of 2016 was also Campos’s favourite in F3, and had one of the coolest endings to a junior single-seater race of the last 10 years.

The Spanish team’s lead driver Leonardo Pulcini had won five races that season, and was looking to complete his first weekend double in the second race at Monza.

Drivex School’s Nikita Troitskiy initially led the way, before being reeled in by team-mate Ferdinand Habsburg and Pulcini. The two had banged wheels down the straights while disputing second place, and they soon cleared the inexperienced Troitskiy.

A lock-up for Pulcini four laps from home lost him the time he’d gained on leader Habsburg, but two laps later he utilised the slipstream down Monza’s main straight and made contact with Habsburg again while trying to pass at the first chicane.

On the final lap, Pulcini dived to the inside of Habsburg at Curve Grande and they ran side-by-side through the corner. Pulcini got ahead but Habsburg fought back at the Roggia chicane and regained the lead by cutting across the inside.

Habsburg weaved left and right down the straight after Ascari, but after eventually choosing to defend the inside, Pulcini took more speed around the outside of Parabolica, the final corner of the race, to steal victory and completed his double.

Campos mentioned another Euroformula race as a joint favourite: Alex Palou’s debut success in 2014. The IndyCar-bound Spaniard made his first car racing start with the team in the Euroformula Winter Series, then stunned by taking victory, pole and fastest lap in the main series’ opening race at the Nurburgring – in just his second car racing appearance.

Prema FIA European F3 All of it
2012 F3 Euro Series driver and teams champion, 2013, ’14, ’15, ’16 & ’18 European F3 driver and teams champion

Prema was the dominant force through much of the revived European F3, winning 12 titles out of 13 attempts. It’s therefore unsurprising than team boss Rene Rosin could not pick out just one race as Prema’s favourite.

?Choosing only one moment from that extremely successful period is impossible as they were simply too many,” says Rosin.

“Having won the drivers? championship almost every season from 2012 to 2018 (with very talented drivers such as Dani Juncadella, Raffaele Marciello, Esteban Ocon, Felix Rosenqvist, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher) and all team titles in those years is something I am personally extremely proud of.

“All of those moments had one thing in common: a hardworking, passionate group of people combined with some of the most talented drivers of this decade. It has been a privilege to be able to witness the exceptional racing we had over those years and they will be forever remembered as some of the most successful moments of the team?s history.?

In 2015 and ’16, Prema won 20 races in a season, and its ’15 campaign led by F3 veteran Felix Rosenqvist included an astonishing 23 poles, 18 fastest laps and 46 podiums. However it was in 2018 when the team finally broke the 1000-point barrier across one year. Not only that, but it also won the Pau GP thrice, Macau GP twice, the Masters of F3 and in British F3.

In the coming years it it likely that more of its former F3 stars, whether they be in the driving seat or part of the behind-the-scenes action, will be making their way to the highest echelons of motorsport.

Van Amersfoort Racing FIA European F3 Hockenheim 2015
3rd in 2014 European F3 driver standings, 3rd in 2015 European F3 teams standings, 2nd in ’15 Macau GP

Narrowing down all of his F3 races down to just one in the timeframe given was a difficult task for Frits Van Amersfoort, boss of the eponymous team, so Formula Scout has selected one on the Dutchman’s behalf.

FR2.0 Eurocup graduate Charles Leclerc set the track record in the pre-event test for the 2015 season opener at Silverstone, and made his way to two pole positions. The latter he converted into a victory, and Leclerc departed second in the points.

The championship reconvened a month later at Hockenheim, where VAR was not confident of success, but Leclerc once again saved his best till last for the team and outdid Prema’s experienced Felix Rosenqvist for race three victory.

A wet circuit meant the race was led away by the safety car, before poleman Rosenqvist and his tail-happy car was left to fend off the seemingly planted car of Leclerc. Rosenqvist’s start gap was efficiently reduced by Leclerc, who had 945 laps less applicable experience on the circuit.

Leclerc’s first attempt at the lead resulted in brief contact at the hairpin, and a outside-to-inside move at the same corner a few laps later resulted in Leclerc pinching the lead through the following corner. The safety car came out just moments later, and when it returned to the pits there were only two laps of the shortened race to go.

Once unleashed up front, Leclerc immediately set the fastest lap and pulled out a three-second lead for a win that certainly left an impact. It was reminiscent of VAR’s previous success story the year before, where single-seater rookie Max Verstappen also made his name known with victory at Hockenheim then added another nine before moving on to F1.

Double R Racing Macau GP Grand Prix 2015
2nd in 2013 British F3 teams standings, 3rd in 2014 British F3 teams standings, 3rd in 2019 Euroformula teams standings

Double R returned to the continent last year in Euroformula and finished third in the teams standings. There were no wins, but one pole position and several podiums certainly pleased Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt and his squad.

The Woking-based team first raced the Dallara F312 in British F3, but mostly struggled. A refreshed line-up in 2013, led by Jagonya Ayam proteges Sean Gelael and Antonio Giovinazzi led to a change of fortunes, and in the reversed grid race at Silverstone they scored a one-three finish. Double R’s next double podium was the final ever British F3 race in 2014.

Two-time Brazil F3 Open winner Felipe Guimaraes scored in a part-time European F3 campaign that year, and the team signed off its chassis with a fruitless two-car effort the next year.

Weak driver line-ups had mostly squandered any good results for Double R, which has a working relationship with Dallara outside of racing, but it was still highly rated and attracted top talents for its Macau entries.

FR3.5 star Kevin Korjus raced in 2012 and ’13, ex-DTM racer Roberto Merhi came fourth in 2014, and Sims made the podium a year later. The Briton qualified 13th due to an odd tyre graining issue, but he made up an incredible 10 places in the qualification race. Seven of those came on the opening lap, where he was assisted by a collision up ahead, and he gained his final position from a penalty for on-the-road winner Giovinazzi. In the main race he was in fourth for a short while, but otherwise had a car more than capable of being on the podium.

Sims came back in 2016, but it was racing returnee Dan Ticktum who was the stronger Double R driver. He finished eighth in the qualification race in just his second weekend in the car, but was punted out of the top 10 in the main race.

Marcus Simmons [journalist] FIA European F3 Norisring 2015
Has been to over 200 Dallara F3 races

Photo: FIA F3 European Championship

F3 expert Marcus Simmons probably knows the Dallara F312/F317 better than any other journalist, and by his own calculations in a Autosport magazine column (October 24 2019), he has been to 220 races at 78 different events, and seen 200 of the 240 drivers who raced the car using an FIA-spec engine (excluding Euroformula from 2012 to ’18).

Simmons has an even greater selection of races than the teams to choose from, but at least he was quick to pick a favourite.

“I think I’ll choose Norisring 2015 – Alex Albon/Leclerc/Russell all run wide late on at Turn 1 and let Maximilian Gunther in for his maiden win.”

The three future F1 talents made their error after a safety car restart (the last of four) late in the race, allowing fellow rookie Gunther – now a FE race-winner with BMW Andretti – to sneak by.

Poleman Albon and fellow front row starter Russell traded the lead over the first few laps, before Albon stretched out a lead after the first safety car period. Numerous bouts of chaos led to three more interruptions, and a five-minute fight to the end.

Albon lost his lead this time midway around the lap, and dropped another spot to Leclerc at the last corner. Leclerc then dived down the inside of Russell at Turn 1, but it only sent he and Russell wide. Instead of capitalising, Albon also ran wide and Mucke Motorsport’s Gunther – who had started 12th on the grid – took a lead he would not give up in the remaining time.

For pure excitement, and few would disagree, Simmons highlights the 2017 Macau GP and its dramatic career-redefining conclusion won by Dan Ticktum. It was a race that cemented why the Dallara F317 was such a popular car.

Further reading
What could Euroformula?s 2020 car mean for the future of ?F3?? (June 2019)
The timeline of European F3?s demise (March 2019)
Top 10 European Formula 3 drivers that F1 missed out on (February 2019)
Was Schumacher a worthy winner of the final European F3 season? (December 2018)
How Ticktum?s Macau Grand Prix glory showed his class as well as luck (November 2017)

The post Teams’ memories of a Formula 3 era appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: ATS F3 Cup

Markus Pommer secured his German F3 Cup crown as he showed he was the class of the field again at a moist penultimate event at the Sachsenring. Victory in a sodden first race was enough to guarantee the title, and the 23-year-old followed that with third in the reverse grid race two and then another win in race three, meaning he has taken a double win in six of the seven weekends run so far.

Sam MacLeod enjoyed a strong weekend that saw him climb to third in the standings, in firing distance of P2. The Briton was only sixth in race one after an off while running second, but capitalised on starting third for race two to score his third win of the campaign. He started on pole ahead of Pommer for race three, but would have to settle for second.

34 points ahead of MacLeod is Nabil Jeffri. The Malaysian benefited from MacLeod’s error to take second in race one, and was then fifth and eighth in the later races. Indy Dontje dropped to three points behind MacLeod after taking fourth place in the two main races, and seventh in the other.

McLeod’s Van Amersfoort Racing team-mate Weiron Tan enjoyed by far his best weekend yet in the series, taking his first three podiums. The Malaysian, who left the Caterham F1 setup after compatriot Tony Fernandes sold up, took a third, a second and a third. Macau Grand Prix podium finisher Pipo Derani returned to the series with ADM and scored a best result of fifth.

ADAC Formel Masters: Jensen seals crown with two wins

Photo: ADAC

For a lot of what Pommer has done in German F3 this year, Mikkel Jensen has done the same in ADAC Formel Masters, and that includes wrapping up the title on Saturday at the Sachsenring and winning two more races. The Danish driver won the weekend’s opening two races from pole, with the second of those wins enough to become the seventh and last champion in the series ahead of the switch to F4 next year. Jensen completed his weekend with fourth in the reverse grid race.

Mucke duo Maximilian Gunther and Marvin Dienst took the consolation of a one-two finish in race three at the end of a low-key weekend, with Gunther fifth and eighth and Dienst ninth and sixth in the earlier races. But Jensen’s Neuhauer team-mate Tim Zimmermann was able to overhaul Dienst for third in the standings thanks to third-place finishes in races one and two, followed by fifth in race three.

Joel Eriksson, younger brother of GP3’s Jimmy, enjoyed a strong weekend and climbed to fifth in the standings courtesy of a second and a fourth in the main races, followed by tenth, enabling him to jump Motopark team-mate Ralph Boschung who managed no better than eighth. Igor Walilko was also impressive, taking fourth, second and third.

Formula Renault 2.0 NEC: Barnicoat beats rivals to take title

Photo: Evers Media

Ben Barnicoat claimed the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC title in his first season of single-seater racing after beating his rivals in a final weekend at the Nurburgring that was extended and then shortened. In the first race – arranged following a postmonement from the previous round at Most – Barnicoat passed his chief rival Louis Deletraz to finish fourth, and repeated that in race two to further stretch his championship lead. He was due to start back in 15th for the final race, but heavy fog early on Sunday morning caused that to be cancelled and the season ended early.

Andrea Pizzitola won the opening race from pole position and took third in race two, but was denied the chance to start from pole in race three. Gustav Malja was the victor in race two after passing surprise pole-sitter Josef Zaruba at the start, allowing the Swede to take fifth place in the final standings.

Seb Morris was second to Pizzitola in the opening race, and then beat Steijn Schothorst to sixth in race two to tie on points with the Dutchman and take third place – and the last of the prize FR3.5 tests on offer – on countback, with two wins to Schothorst’s one.

Protyre Formula Renault: Fittipaldi secures title despite winning streak ending

Photo: Paul Davies Photography

Pietro Fittipaldi saw his eight-race winning streak in Protyre Formula Renault come to an end in the opening race at Croft, but his tenth win from 13 races in race two was enough to wrap up the title in advance of the final round. The Brazilian was beaten to pole for the two races by his nearest rivals Matteo Ferrer and Alex Gill, but fast starts got him into the lead each time.

However, a misjudged move from team-mate Colin Noble allowed Piers Hickin to nip through and score his first win. Fittipaldi took second, and in the later race was allowed to take a dominant victory ahead of Gill and Hickin. Poor starts cost Ferrer and restricted him to third and fifth in the two races, while Gill was fourth and second.

Just seven points split Ferrer, Gill and Hickin in the fight for second going to the Silverstone season finale next weekend.

BRDC F4: Maini steals points lead after Russell and Hyman collide

Photo: BRDC F4

Arjun Maini will take a 21-point advantage into the BRDC F4 title decider after George Russell and Raoul Hyman clashed fighting over the race three lead at Donington, handing Maini the win and the championship lead. Russell had finished second and sixth in the opening races, and was leading race three from pole when he and Hyman made contact – for the second time this season – sending both into retirement.

Maini had finished fourth in the weekend’s first two races, and was running fifth in race three until being presented with victory by contact ahead of him between Sennan Fielding and Will Palmer and then Russell and Hyman. Before that point, Hyman had finished down in seventh in race one but brought himself back into contention with victory in race two, but he has now slipped to fourth in the points behind Fielding, who won race one, was seventh in race two and made it home in ninth in race three.

Palmer had kept himself in contention with fifth in race one and then second in race two, but was forced to retire from race three after his contact with team-mate Fielding. Struan Moore is the sixth driver who can mathematically win the title after a third, a fifth and a tenth. Also on the podium during the weekend were Diego Menchaca and Jordan Albert.

Formula Renault 1.6 Nordic: Another Aron brace as Lappalainen takes title

Joonas Lappalainen secured the Formula Renault 1.6 Nordic title with a fourth and a fifth at the Mantorp Park finale as Ralf Aron scored his second consecutive double victory.

Aron was dominant in race one from pole, with Oliver Soderstrom and Lukas Sundahl completing the podium. In race two, Ilmari Korpivaara and Pontus Fredricsson were second and third.

Formula Masters China: Four winners from four races at Zhuhai

Photo: Formula Masters China Series

James Munro, Jake Parsons, Matthew Solomon and Dan Wells all took a win each in an extended Formula Masters China weekend at Zhuhai. Although Munro started his weekend well, the rest of it would be far from straightforward, suffering a retirement, a 13th and a seventh after two collisions and an off.

That’s reduced his championship lead to just six points over Solomon, who was a first lap retirement in race one, made contact with Munro in race two, took victory in race three and then third in race four.

Relegated from first to 11th in race one for jumping the start, Parsons came through to win race two from fifth on the grid, was second to Solomon in race three and then sixth in race three, having started from the back as a result of not being present at the earlier Zhuhai round, from which that race had been postponed. Wells was another race one retiree, following that with fifth and third before his first win of 2014.

Star Driver: Markus Pommer

Pommer matched his most dominant set of three results in German F3 at the Sachsenring with wins in the two main races and a third place in the reverse grid race. That was despite having the initial pressure of needing to wrap up the title, and despite some challenging weather conditions.

Photo: ATS F3 Cup

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Photo: Alexander Trienitz / ATS Formel 3 Cup

German F3 champion Markus Pommer took his 13th victory of the season in the third race of the penultimate round at Sachsenring.

When polesitter Sam MacLeod stalled off the line, Pommer jumped into the lead off the front row and would not give up the lead for the remainder of the distance.

It wasn’t an easy victory for the German, however, as he came under pressure from two Van Amersfoort Racing drivers during the wet race.

Early on, Pommer had to manage the gap to Malaysian Weiron Tan, who stayed within three seconds or so of the leader and eventually spun out shortly after the halfway point of the race.

Tan rejoined in third, behind MacLeod, who drove a superb recovery race after his startline stall and managed to get within 2.7s of Pommer at the checkered flag, having also set the fastest lap of the race.

With Van Amersfoort Racing drivers locking out the lower steps of the podium, Indy Dontje had to do with four place, while Pipo Derani sealed the best result of his return to F3 racing with fifth.

Nicolai Sylvest was sixth, ahead of Nikita Zlobin, Nabil Jeffri and Maximilian Hackl, with Andres Mendez and Luca Iannaccone finishing as lapped cars.

Race results

The post Pommer cruises to victory in final Sachsenring race appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: Alexander Trienitz / ATS Formel 3 Cup

Scotsman Sam MacLeod took his third win of the German F3 season in the penultimate round’s reverse-grid race at a slightly wet Sachsenring.

Starting from third, MacLeod cleared the front row ADM duo of Nikita Zlobin and Pipo Derani in the opening minutes of the race and comfortably set the pace to finish more than 11 seconds clear of anyone else.

MacLeod’s teammate Weiron Tan claimed second in a VAR 1-2 as he narrowly held off newly-crowned champion Markus Pommer.

Having slipped behind Tan and Pommer while stuck behind Zlobin, Nicolai Sylvest eventually fought his way through to fourth, while Nabil Jeffri rounded out the top five.

Pipo Derani ran in second for the first half of the race but ended up slipping down to sixth in the final minutes, narrowly keeping Indy Dontje at bay as the latter recovered from a lap one spin.

Maximilian Hackl, Andres Mendez and Zlobin rounded out the finishers as Luca Iannaccone retired seven laps into the race.

Race results

The post MacLeod leads Van Amersfoort Racing 1-2 in second Sachsenring race appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: ATS Formel 3 Cup

Lotus driver Markus Pommer became the 2014 German Formula 3 champion today, securing his title with a confident win in race one at Sachsenring.

Pommer, who picked up the third consecutive German F3 drivers’ title for Motopark-operated Team Lotus, won his 12th race of the season under torrential rain.

The race start was delayed by ten minutes due to barrier repairs and that proved just enough time for the track to be hit with a huge shower. As such, the organizers started the proceedings under the safety car.

The safety car period continued for the first ten minutes of the race but green flag racing did finally arrive after that with Pommer comfortably holding on to the lead at the restart.

The German driver went on to build up a solid cushion to the opposition – one that he would successfully manage for the remainder of the race.

Behind him at the restart, Van Amersfoort Racing’s Sam MacLeod immediately came under severe pressure from Nabil Jeffri. Soon, the Scotsman wound up making a mistake and went off into the gravel, rejoining in seventh as the Malaysian took second.

From that point on, Jeffri appeared to fall further back from Pommer, getting almost within reach of third-placed Weiron Tan.

However, Jeffri soon got on pace with the race leader and comfortably held second. His compatriot Tan went on to secure third.

Further back in the field, Nicolai Sylvest and MacLeod were charging through the field. The duo first caught up to ADM’s Pipo Derani and, after a couple of laps of battling, both ended up passing the Brazilian.

They then reeled in fourth-placed Indy Dontje and, as the Dutchman kept Sylvest at bay during the final minutes of the race, the Dane slipped behind MacLeod. Just then, however, an off for Derani brought out the red flag and, with two minutes on the clock, the race was over.

The results were rolled back to the end of the previous lap, with Sylvest getting fifth ahead of MacLeod. Derani was restored to seventh, just ahead of squadmate Nikita Zlobin.

Andres Mendez, Maximilian Hackl and Luca Iannaccone rounded out the order.

Race results

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Photo: Alexander Trienitz / ATS Formel 3 Cup

German F3’s runaway leader Markus Pommer topped qualifying for the series’ penultimate round at Sachsenring, while Van Amersfoort Racing’s Sam MacLeod claimed pole for race three.

Pommer, who is more than a hundred points ahead of his rivals with six races remaining, was 0.17s clear of the Scotsman on best laps, but lost out by just 0.009s on second-best efforts.

Pommer’s nearest opponent Nabil Jeffri will start both races from third place, leading compatriot Weiron Tan and teammate Indy Dontje.

F3 returnee Pipo Derani will line up in sixth on both occasions, with Nicolai Sylvest in seventh and Andres Mendez in eighth.

Nikita Zlobin, Maximilian Hackl and Luca Iannaccone rounded out the field.

Qualifying results

The post Pommer and MacLeod share poles for German F3 round at Sachsenring appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: ATS Formel 3 Cup

German F3 championship favorite Markus Pommer began the penultimate round of the season at Sachsenring in an appropriate fashion by comfortably topping the free practice session.

The 23-year-old, who is expected to clinch the drivers’ title with a round to spare, was three tenths clear of the opposition.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Sam MacLeod managed a late flyer to demote his teammate Weiron Tan from second in the classification.

Nabil Jeffri and Indy Dontje – the two drivers still in contention for the title besides their squadmate Pommer – took fourth and fifth respectively.

SMP Racing’s Nikita Zlobin was sixth, ahead of JBR’s Nicolai Sylvest and Lotus man Andres Mendez.

Brazilian Pipo Derani, who is making his return to Formula 3 this weekend to assist the ADM team’s development, was ninth, posting the same time as Mendez, while Maximilian Hackl and Luca Iannaccone rounded out the field.

Session results

The post Pommer quickest in practice to kick off German F3’s penultimate round appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photos: FIA F3 European Championship

The inaugural season for the revamped European F3 championship was met with a lot of excitement from all sides involved, but, ultimately, wound up being the expected evolution of the F3 Euro Series – a great grid with some fascinating racing, yet still mostly dominated by Prema and Mucke despite the involvement of the two big British squads.

It was a Marciello – Rosenqvist show, but that didn’t mean there weren’t lots of people to watch all around the grid – veterans, regional F3 graduates and ambitious upcomers from ADAC Formel Masters and Formula Pilota China alike. Below, we give you the rundown of the drivers who headlined FIA F3’s first year…

1. Raffaele Marciello

Italy, Prema Powerteam, age 18

489.5 points, 13 wins, 19 podiums, 12 pole positions, 7 fastest laps

After lighting up the F3 Euro Series with a powerhouse debut season in 2012 following two decent campaigns in Italian single-seaters, the pressure was on Marciello in 2013 as the Ferrari protege came into the championship as the favourite (further bolstered by Pascal Wehrlein’s DTM promotion).

Over the first four rounds he took six wins from 12 races despite losing one due to a technical infringement. Many were ready to call it there, but a dreadful weekend at Spielberg severely decreased his lead. The pattern continued for the rest of the year. A phenomenal weekend at Nurburgring would be followed by an absolute shocker at Zandvoort and, due to the inconsistencies, he had to wait until the last round to officially become champion.

It was not perfect – he noticeably struggled when not in the lead and seemed to falter when Prema wasn’t the best car at a given round. But he was often so eerily untouchable that you tend to forget the bumps. Having set the pace in GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 testing, he looks set to continue his winning ways next season with the latter series his likely destination. Season rating: 8/10

2. Felix Rosenqvist

Sweden, Mucke Motorsport, age 22

457 points, 10 wins, 18 podiums, 4 pole positions, 10 fastest laps

2013 marked Rosenqvist’s third year in European F3, after a stellar debut in 2011 and a very up-and-down 2012. After Wehrlein was called up to DTM, the Swede quickly slotted into the status of Mucke’s chief title hope and fully lived up to that title as the season went on.

The severely rainy opener at Monza wound up being his worst showing of the year, as from that point on he began reliably increasing his points tally. When Marciello faltered at Spielberg, Rosenqvist took advantage with a stunning triple victory and then scored more points than anyone at the Norising. Just like Marciello, he also had some crucial points losses, stalling on the grid at Nurburgring and going off in qualifying at Vallelunga. Still, each time, the Swede fought his way back into the points, fighting for every single position.

It wasn’t enough in the end, but it sure made an impression. His F3 tenure should be over now and, while he hasn’t been that prominent in post-season testing, he would be a very welcome addition to the GP2 or the FR3.5 grid. If not, his Mercedes and Mucke ties should create a DTM opportunity. Season rating: 8

3. Alex Lynn

United Kingdom, Prema Powerteam, age 20

339.5 points, 3 wins, 14 podiums, 5 pole positions, 4 fastest laps

After three years with Fortec, which included a Formula Renault UK title and a solid debut season in British F3, Lynn secured a Prema deal for his European move and was soon one of the potential title contenders.

The first rounds went rather according to plan, as he reliably made the points and fought for podiums, even taking a maiden pole at Silverstone. At another British track – Brands – he finally took his first victory and later added another at Norisring. There were some issues and inconsistencies mid-season, but that was ironed out quick, as he made the top eight in the final eleven races of the championship, adding yet another victory at Vallelunga. Having secured third in the standings, he then confidently won the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

Another year of F3 seemed to be the plan, but after the Macau triumph, the Briton instead lined up a switch to GP3 with Carlin. He’s also been accepted into the Red Bull Junior Team, which should provide a clear path of progression for his career. Season rating: 8

4. Lucas Auer

Austria, Prema Powerteam, age 19

277 points, 1 win, 9 podiums, 3 fastest laps

Auer might be the nephew of the President of FIA’s Single-Seater Commision – one Gerhard Berger – but nepotism has nothing to do with where he is right now. He broke into FIA F3 on merit, having taken the 2011 JK Racing Asia title in his debut year and then finishing third in German F3 in 2012.

Not a lot of people mark their first race in a championship with a podium – but that’s what the Austrian managed at Monza, following it up with a similar success at Silverstone. He kept reliably bagging points throughout the first half and inherited his first victory when Marciello was disqualified at Brands.

There was a bit of pattern change in half two, as Auer reliably finished within the top seven, yet only managing the occasional podium. He briefly challenged Lynn for third in the standings, but wound up settling for fourth. He’s already sealed the deal to do a sophomore FIA F3 campaign, switching to Mucke, with who he’ll surely be expected to challenge for the title. Season rating: 8

5. Harry Tincknell

United Kingdom, Carlin, age 22

227 points, 1 wins, 2 podiums, 2 pole positions

Having been mostly UK-bound for the early years of his single-seater career, Tincknell had a big jump ahead of him in the switch to European F3, despite having two previous years in the British series.

But from race one Tincknell adapted exceptionally well. He scored in all three races at Monza and then held on to his first win in the series from pole at Silverstone. At Brands, he added another podium, but that’s where standout performances came to a halt as the Briton continuously put in solid but unremarkable weekends, before a return to form at Hockenheim with three fifth-place finishes.

He still seems to lack that one final tenth, but the fact that he’s second only to Rosenqvist in total points finishes is one to be proud of. Mentored by Allan McNish, Tincknell has been linked with a move into the LMP2 class of endurance racing and it’s hard to imagine a driver more perfect for the role.?Season rating: 7

6. Jordan King

United Kingdom, Carlin, age 19

176 points, 2 podiums, 1 fastest lap

The highest-placed driver without prior F3 experience in the standings, Formula NEC runner-up King was a more than welcome addition to the grid, but ended up surpassing expectations.

The initial adjustment phase, which yielded some quality finishes yet also a bit too many retirements, was over at Spielberg, where King snatched his first podium in the series. From that point on, he was reliably a force at the front, with four fourth-place finishes and another podium at Zandvoort.

Having also added the British F3 title to his CV in 2013, the young Briton really put himself on the market, testing in a number of series after the season was over. Still, he is expected to stay in FIA F3, where he could look to end Prema’s dominance. Season rating: 8

7. Tom Blomqvist

United Kingdom, EuroInternational, age 19

151.5 points, 3 podiums

Another Formula Renault UK champion in the field, Blomqvist scored a Red Bull Junior Team spot after a strong 2012 and stayed on for a sophomore year in FIA F3.

Having joined EuroInternational, who he knew from a grandiose part-time campaign in German F3 last year, Blomqvist was rather surprisingly left by himself, as the second seat of the car was unfilled for most of the season. That did not make things easy for him or the squad and, together, they were often rather inconsistent. Still, the talent and experience showed – he scored three podiums in the first three rounds and was generally a reliable points finisher, which allowed him to repeat his rookie year’s result of seventh place.

As Red Bull have been pretty ruthless when it comes to selection, in both past and present, one tough year proved enough for Blomqvist to lose his backing. Still, it seems he won’t be lost without it, as he’s heavily tipped to join Carlin for a 2014 campaign in FIA F3, with backing from KFC Indonesia alongside Gelael and Giovinazzi. Season rating: 7

8. Pipo Derani

Brazil, Fortec Motorsports, age 20

151.5 points, 3 podiums

After a promising rookie year in Formula Renault NEC was followed up by three difficult campaigns in various F3 championships, the Brazilian needed to perform big-time in 2013.

But, while his team-mates got up to speed in the FIA F3 championship rather quickly, Derani had a very tough adjustment period, scoring a rather paltry 18 points over the first five rounds. However, just when Fortec began losing drivers and struggling for results, something clicked for Derani. At Nurburgring, he was suddenly the team leader, taking two podiums as he doubled his pre-round points tally. More strong weekends followed, capped off with another podium at Vallelunga and, finally, he firmly took over as the top Fortec driver in the standings – something that seemed completely implausible halfway through.

His season culminated with a third-place finish in the prestigious Macau GP. Shortly after that, Derani announced a switch to Road to Indy’s Pro Mazda series for 2014. He’s earned that one fully. Season rating: 7

9. Sven Muller

Germany, ma-con/Van Amersfoort Racing, age 21

122 points, 1 podium

The 21-year-old ADAC Formel Masters graduate was tipped for great things in FIA F3 after a stellar rookie year with Prema in 2012. However, plans came undone when he was not retained by the Italian squad, forcing him to secure a quick move to the familiar ma-con squad.

The partnership wouldn’t last all year as Muller, who was routinely quick but kept narrowly missing out on podiums and being involved in way too many crashes, switched to Van Amersfoort Racing come Zandvoort. While that didn’t dramatically improve his results, he found some welcome consistency and managed a great final weekend at Hockenheim where he finally took his first podium of the year.

It seemed rather likely that Muller could stick around as one of F3’s experienced drivers, but he wound up securing Porsche backing for a season in the Carrera Cup Germany, where he has the potential to build a long career in sportscars. Season rating: 7

10. Alexander Sims

United Kingdom, ThreeBond with T-Sport, age 25

112 points, 5 podiums, 1 fastest lap (12/30 races)

When T-Sport needed a replacement driver for the departing Buller, they wisely opted to call up McLaren GT3 man Sims, who further solidified himself as an exceptionally handy guest driver in 2013.

He made that especially apparently in his four rounds with T-Sport, as he climbed into the top ten in the standings with a very limited schedule. Stepping in at Norisring, he immediately showed frontrunning pace, confidently taking two top-five finishes. At Nurburgring, he gave the team their first podium of the year, and while Zandvoort didn’t go so well, he was the man of the moment at Vallelunga, taking podiums in all three races on a track generally dominated by Prema.

Combined with his outright brilliant guest showings in GP3, Sims has duly returned into the single-seater limelight, despite the rather above-average age. It’s fair to say he’s earned at least one crack at GP2 or FR3.5, but if he continues in single-seaters, another year at the F3 level is more likely. Season rating: 8

11. Felix Serralles

United States, Fortec, age 21

104 points, 2 podiums, 1 fastest lap

Fortec’s chief hope in F3 after coming within one round of the British crown, the talented Puerto Rican had some serious expectations to live up to in his first year in the European championship.

The season started well enough, too. As Fortec were coming to grips with the new challenge, Serralles delivered some good finishes in the first two rounds before hitting a jackpot at Hockenheim, where he finished runner-up twice. His season would completely come apart after that. He left Spielberg and Brands empty-handed and, following two decent enough showings at Norisring and Nurburgring, would not score again for the remainder of the year, consistently hitting trouble and seemingly struggling due to a back injury remission. The absolute lowpoint came at the Hockenheim finale when, after colliding with Estonian Kevin Korjus, he deliberately ran into the latter’s car and was excluded from the race.

Having missed Macau, Serralles has now joined series newcomers West-Tec for 2014. He’s surely talented enough to succeed, but there are issues that need ironing out. His career will hinge on whether he can do that as soon as possible. Season rating: 6

12. Josh Hill

United Kingdom, Fortec, age 22

56 points, 1 podium (15/30 races)

Coming out of what is perhaps the most successful racing family in single-seaters, Hill finally entered the big leagues in 2012 when he took third in Formula Renault 2.0 NEC. Pressure was again on to perform this year as he lined up the switch to European F3.

The first two rounds at Monza and Silverstone weren’t the easiest, as he often failed to maximize his pace and only took two points finishes. But at Hockenheim, it all suddenly clicked as Hill took a very impressive podium finish in race two. He’s remained largely on-pace for the next two rounds, despite some rather inconsistent performances.

Midway through the rather promising season, Josh officially called it quits on his motorsports career, instead focusing on music. Season rating: 7

13. Eddie Cheever, Jr.

Italy, Prema Powerteam, age 20

50 points

After a good sophomore year in Italian F3, Cheever was finally given the nod to the European scene, and remained with Prema for his rookie year in the FIA series.

As matching his teammates would probably have been a rather tall order, his occasional points finishes early on were a pretty decent start. However, there wasn’t much in the way of noticeable improvement at mid-season, where he had a seven-race non-scoring streak, as he continued to struggle with converting decent qualifying results into points. It wouldn’t have been a season to be remembered fondly, but his performance on home turf at Vallelunga was genuinely encouraging, as he took his best finish of the season in fourth and his second-best – a fifth place.

He might be done with single-seaters after this year, as news has been circulating that he’s lined up a seat in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Season rating: 6

14. Pascal Wehrlein

Germany, Mucke Motorsport, age 19

49 points, 1 win, 3 podiums, 2 pole positions, 2 fastest laps (3/30 races)

After an outright stunning rookie year in F3 Euro, Wehrlein was set to come back for a title campaign, but was called up at short-notice by the Mercedes DTM squad.

He still got to do the opening weekend at Monza and showed just what we’d be in for if he stuck around, with a double pole and a victory in tricky conditions.

His rookie year in DTM went alright after all, despite some rather noticeable bad luck. He’ll surely stick around for another year in touring cars at least, but, as we’ve seen previously, there’s always a chance he’ll be back to running open-wheelers at some point down the line. Season rating: N/A

15. Nicholas Latifi

Canada, Carlin, age 18

45 points

After a rather quiet, if promising, rookie single-seater year in Italian F3 and a TRS campaign, the Canadian youngster wound up making the huge FIA F3 jump with Carlin.

Surpisingly, it took Latifi just one round to adapt – in race four of the season, he suddenly took a very impressive fifth-place finish and then had a number of other standout results as the year went on.

There was not much in the way of consistency, which explains the 45 points, but the pace shown by Latifi was extremely promising for a single-seater sophomore. He deserves another year in FIA F3 at the very least and looks rather set to get the chance, potentially switching to Prema. Season rating: 7

16. William Buller

United Kingdom, ThreeBond with T-Sport/Fortec, age 21

39 points (15/30 races)

If Buller’s Formula Renault 3.5 venture was the really good part of his season, his fourth year in Formula Three, on the contrary, didn’t quite go to plan.

After some very promising pre-season tests with the T-Sport squad, he was expected to fight at the front, but the pace just wasn’t there. His brilliant opening race, where he went from 12th on the grid to fourth, wound up his best result of the year. Opting for a change of scenery after just four rounds, he signed up to race with Fortec, but, after his debut round with them yielded no points, the Northern Irishman called it quits on European F3, focusing on the British series instead.

While his F3 efforts this year have been extremely par for the course, he has shown something special in 3.5 and is expected to make the full-time switch in 2014. Season rating: 6

17. Antonio Giovinazzi

Italy, Double R Racing, age 19

31 points

After British F3 was scaled back, the ultra-promising Formula Pilota China champion wound up getting a European F3 drive in just his second year in single-seaters.

To say it was a challenge would be an understatement, as both he and the team lacked the experience to regularly fight for points. Yet Giovinazzi still looked very competent – he routinely finished on the outskirts of the top ten, picking up the occasional point and noticeably improving along the way. Much of his season was hurt by poor qualifying – he hadn’t started higher than tenth before the Hockenheim finale. The German track, however, seemed to suit him and Double R reasonably well and, having made it in the top ten for all three grids, he almost doubled his points total in one weekend.

Largely reliant on the backing of his teammate Sean Gelael, as the rookie duo will move higher up the field for 2014 by joining Carlin, where Giovinazzi in particular could shine. Season rating: 7

18. Lucas Wolf

Germany, URD Rennsport, age 19

28 points, 1 podium

A year ago, the underexperienced ADAC Formel Masters graduate surprised Formula 3 with a podium in his otherwise tough maiden season and, as such, was deserving of another European F3 campaign with family-run team URD Rennsport.

Admittedly, with a severely increased grid, it was always going be much harder to replicate the feat. And, for most of it, Wolf was achieving results par for the course – only managing to break into the top ten on one weekend and often involved in incidents. However, the Spielberg weekend midway through the season saw Wolf fight on an entirely different level. He qualified for all three races in the top three and, despite one DNF, managed to bag a podium.

It’s tough to see where 2014 will take the young German – it’d make sense to stay in F3, but he’s tried his hand at GT3 racing and might end up switching his focus. Season rating: 6

19. Michael Lewis

United States, Mucke Motorsport, age 22

23 points (27/30 races)

Having not been retained by Prema after an up-and-down rookie season in F3, American Michael Lewis struggled to find another seat on the grid and was not there for the opener, after a predicted deal with Romeo Ferraris fell through.

He was, however, the obvious choice for Mucke to replace the outgoing Wehrlein and stepped into the German’s seat from round two. Still, it was Rosenqvist’s year in the team, as the rest seemed to struggle – and the American was no exception. A quiet and ultimately disappointing second year saw him race mostly on the outskirts of the top ten, picking up the occasional points but failing to achieve standout results.

At 22, the California native could afford another year in F3, but looking for outside alternatives seems more sensible – he’s definitely capable enough to adapt to the Road to Indy racing scene should it come to that. Season rating: 5

20. Dennis van de Laar

Netherlands, Van Amersfoort Racing, age 18

22 points

Dutchman Dennis van de Laar was a surprise promotion for Van Amersfoort Racing, joining their FIA F3 squad after just one midfield year in German F3.

As such, rookie season struggles for inevitable. To van de Laar’s credit, he adapted rather quickly, scoring in the opening two races when the Dutch squad’s car was showing very promising pace.

The promising start didn’t seem to lead to much and, by the end, he was outclassed by new teammate Muller, finishing with a best result of sixth to the German’s podium. Still, it was a decent enough rookie season and one that van de Laar will be hoping to follow up on, having secured a deal to race with Prema in 2014. Season rating: 6

21. Jann Mardenborough

United Kingdom, Carlin, age 22

12 points

There’s one thing that always prefaces any discussions of Mardenborough’s results – that being, his background. The GT Academy winner didn’t come from karting and, instead, is one of the “gamer turned racer” types. His first season in cars came in 2012, when he looked spectacularly sharp in British GT.

A new challenge beckoned for 2013 in the form of single-seaters and FIA F3 in particular. And, while Mardenborough doesn’t have the background to match any of his competitors, he’s shown a rather remarkable ability to adapt, being a rather consistent factor in the midfield from the get-go.

His best finish did come in the penalty-fest that was the Norisring opener and his 12 points pale in comparison to Latifi’s 45, yet, on sheer pace, he was mighty impressive. He has tested in FR3.5 and GP3 and looked impressively ready for a switch, but his single-seater efforts are probably not his main focus. Season rating: 7

22. Roy Nissany

Israel, Mucke Motorsport, age 19

11 points

After two midfield years in ADAC Formel Masters, Nissany opted for the rather huge leap to FIA F3 – admittedly, a move that worked out well in the past for others.

However, Rosenqvist was the only driver this year capable of consistently bagging points in the orange car and Roy was no exception. To his credit, it was a better season than expected – while he was often amongst the backmarkers, he was more than capable of fighting for the occasional point.

His middle of the season was probably stronger than the end, yet it still wound up painting a nice picture. He’s earned the chance to be retained by Mucke for 2014. Season rating: 5

23. Mitch Gilbert

Australia, Mucke Motorsport, age 19

10 points

After finishing fourth in his rookie German F3 year, Gilbert looked more than ready for the FIA F3 switch and lined up a very good seat with Mucke.

So, not much was indicating that a “nightmare” year was upcoming. But, in the end, that’s what happened. He was surprisingly lacking pace over the few opening rounds, often running with the backmarkers, and, while points and other decent finishes started coming in in the second half, it was not enough to salvage the year.

But those things happen. And, indeed, Gilbert has shown his considerable talent before and has what it takes to bounce back from a tough year. A change of scenery will suit him well for 2014, as he looks to be a prime candidate for a Fortec seat. Season rating: 5

24. Andre Rudersdorf

Germany, ma-con, age 18

3 points

German youngster Andre Rudersdorf came into 2013 after two titles the previous year, but, when compared to FIA F3, both were pretty minor (Austrian F3 and German F3 Trophy Class).

So, with a smaller team like ma-con, all Rudersdorf really needed to do was run on-pace and, for the majority of the running, he lived up to the mission.While let down by his qualifying efforts (making the top 20 on the grid only twice), he’s generally been neat and tidy in the races, which allowed him to pick up three points.

Should be retained by ma-con for 2014 and will hopefully strive to become a more prominent part of the top ten. Season rating: 5

25. John Bryant-Meisner

Sweden, Fortec Motorsport, age 19

2 points (6/30 races)

The Swede, recovering from an injury that sidelined him for pretty much all of 2012, spent most of this year racing German F3, but did try out the final FIA F3 rounds with a clear goal of stepping up to the category in 2014.

He’s made an impression, too, managing to mostly keep up with the other Fortec drivers in both qualifying and races. Reliably in the midfield on his debut, he would record five top-16 finishes and, among them, picked up two points. If this was the audition for 2014, you’d have to imagine that he passed it. Season rating: N/A

Daniil Kvyat

Russia, Carlin, age 19

1 win, 7 podiums, 5 pole positions, 2 fastest laps (21/30 races)

Red Bull Junior Team’s Daniil Kvyat was a surprise part-time acquisition by Carlin, as the Russian was simultaneously signed up for GP3.

Ultimately, it turned into a double campaign and one Kvyat could be mighty proud of. He took an against-odds pole during his first round and, while struggling with starts, still managed to convert that into a podium. He was masterful at Spielberg, taking a triple pole but ultimately finishing runner-up to Rosenqvist on all three occasions. Finally, he managed to convert his fifth pole into a win at Zandvoort and then capped off his campaign with several other strong finishes.

Sure, there were off rounds, but they weren’t due to any inherent lack of pace. And, with this kind of FIA F3 guesting on his resume and a GP3 title, Kvyat, who was promoted by Red Bull into an F1 seat for next year, can make that step with his head held high. Season rating: 8

The rest of the field

Double R’s Sean Gelael and Tatiana Calderon did not wind up scoring points, although it wasn’t for the lack of trying, especially on the Indonesian’s part. Gelael, thus, has probably fulfilled his goals for the huge step to FIA F3 and, at 17, remains a very interesting prospect.

Dmitry Suranovich began the season with Fortec, but ended up retiring from racing altogether after the first round. Alfonso Celis and Ed Jones both appeared in one-offs with the British team at later stages.

Mans Grenhagen was extremely promising in testing for Van Amersfoort Racing, but couldn’t convert the pace into any points and was replaced after one too many crashes. Spike Goddard was competent but quiet in his first season with T-Sport, albeit finding himself in a fair share of incidents in wheel-to-wheel racing.

Sandro Zeller had a tough year after a somewhat encouraging rookie season in 2013, while Romeo Ferraris couldn’t really find themselves in a position to fight for points during the several appearances with Gary Thompson and Michela Cerruti.

Kevin Korjus and Stefano Coletti checked off an appearance each to qualify for the Macau GP. Finally, Toyota Racing Series New Zealand double champ Nick Cassidy was very rapid on his two guest rounds, but never quite managed to convert the pace into a standout result.

The post 2013 FIA F3 European Championship season review appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: GCS

British ace boosts his standing with victory in end-of-season F3 showdown, while new star Barnicoat becomes a champion on his first day in single-seaters.

Macau Grand Prix

Lynn wins F3 classic, while rivals crash behind him

Alex Lynn claimed the biggest win of his career-to-date with victory in the Macau Grand Prix. After an impressive pole and third place finish on his debut at the famous end-of-season F3 race in 2012, the Englishman arrived this year amongst a number of leading contenders. He set the pace in the first practice session on Thursday but the crashed in the day’s qualifying session.

Fortunately Friday’s second qualifying would be faster and he was able to grab third on the grid for the qualifying race. Lynn’s Prema team-mate and European Champion Raffaele Marciello had had a quiet weekend up to that point but pulled a superb lap out the bag late in qualifying to claim pole ahead of his season-long rival Felix Rosenqvist.

Marciello got a poor launch though, as Lynn took the lead from Rosenqvist only to run wide moments later and give the place away again. Lynn made the most of a safety car restart to slipstream past the Swede and and edged away up front.

Starting from pole, Lynn kept the lead at the start with Pipo Derani moving up into second as Marciello and Rosenqvist made contact, forcing the latter out of the race. After another opening lap safety car, 2012 winner Antonio Felix da Costa would pass Derani for second but was unable to reel in Lynn.

Lynn’s two seasons in F3 so far have been a little on the quiet side for a highly-rated racer, but his Macau success has reminded everyone of his abilities and indicated he will be a favourite for the European Championship should he return in 2014. Felix da Costa never quite had the pace to challenge Lynn but accepted that winning with his relative lack of recent F3 mileage would be a tough ask.

Marciello also passed Derani but threw away a podium finish when he crashed at the final corner. It meant that the Italian failed to exit F3 on a high, despite proving earlier in the weekend that he had the pace to win. After fifth last year, the third place that Derani inherited further proved his progress, prior to announcing a switch to the US scene for next year.

Marciello and Rosenqvist challenged Lynn at the start but collided (Photo: CGPM)

Alexander Sims brought a strong part-campaign with T-Sport to an end with fourth place while Jordan King finished his superb rookie season of F3 with fifth place as top debutant, also setting the fastest lap. More experienced team-mates Jazeman Jaafar and Carlos Sainz followed after challenging weekends.

Tom Blomqvist showed good pace throughout the weekend after switching from EuroInternational’s one-car effort to a five-strong Fortec squad, and held provisional pole for much of the red-flag-affected second qualifying session. A stall and consequent collision at the start of the qualifying race relegated him to the back for the main event, but he drove well to finish eighth.?Nicholas Latifi stayed out of trouble on his debut to take ninth while Esteban Ocon completed an impressive first race weekend in a current F3 car to take tenth, despite stalling at the start.

Report: Lynn wins Macau Grand Prix qualifying race

Report: Lynn secures Macau Grand Prix victory

Protyre Formula Renault Autumn Cup

Barnicoat wins title on his first day of single-seater racing

Ben Barnicoat finished his first day of single-seater racing with a title after winning the Protyre Formula Renault Autumn Cup at Rockingham.

The event had been trimmed from two days to just one and had a grid of only six cars, but Barnicoat still managed to outclass proven winners at this level. The Racing Steps Foundation driver won two of the day’s three races and finished second in the other to take the crown.

Barnicoat’s Fortec team-mate Hong Wei Cao claimed victory in the second race of the day after a superb outside pass at the hairpin on the opening lap. Alex Gill, karting graduate Martin Kodric and Pietro Fittipaldi also finished on the podium.

Report: Barnicoat victorious in first Protyre Autumn Cup race

Report: Cao beats Barnicoat to race two victory

Report: Ben Barnicoat takes Autumn Cup title with race three win

Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography

F3 Sudamericana

Guimaraes wraps up title with a round to spare

Felipe Guimaraes secured the F3 Sudamericana crown at Cascavel. The British F3 campaigner claimed victory in race one ahead of Leonardo de Souza and Class B leader Bruno Etman.?Guimaraes’ title rival Raphael Raucci was fourth, struggling following surgery on a hand injury.

Second place behind de Souza in race two was enough for Guimaraes, with Raucci retiring with a mechanical issue. Riccardo Landucci completed the podium.

PaddockScout Driver of the Weekend

Alex Lynn

He got his mistake out of the way early in the weekend when it didn’t really matter and was then too fast for his rivals to handle during the races.

The post Roundup: Lynn conquers Macau appeared first on Formula Scout.

Photo: FIA F3 European Championship

Brazilian racer Pipo Derani will be switching over to the American junior single-seater ladder, as he has been officially unveiled as a Team Pelfrey driver for the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship season.

The news were announced on the heels of Derani’s successful outing in the prestigious Macau GP event, with the Brazilian rounding out the podium of the main race.

Derani, 20, began his single-seater career in 2009, taking seventh in Formula Renault 2.0 NEC with Motopark. He had a couple of rather quiet subsequent campaigns, taking tenth in German F3 and 15th in British F3, before joining Fortec for a sophomore year in the latter category.

Following two wins and eighth overall, Derani followed the British squad into European F3 and enjoyed a stellar season, placing as the top Fortec driver with three podium finishes.

Derani elaborated on the reasons for the switch, stating: “I’m looking and designing my career for 20 years from now… Even if I had gone to GP2 or World Series [by Renault], it would have been difficult to ensure that I would be on the F1 grid, even if everything went well. It could be a long time and I still might not have found a seat”.

Team Pelfrey, having taken Spencer Pigot to fourth in this season of Pro Mazda, have announced two drivers so far, with Derani joined by Dalton Kellett.

“We are hugely excited and feel very privileged to have been able to put a package together for Pipo to join Team Pelfrey for the 2014 Pro Mazda Championship,” said team manager Nigel Tuckey. “We have very high expectations for Pipo as his experience and success in Euro F3 and other international arenas against very stiff competition should place him amongst the drivers to beat for the championship in 2014.”

The post Derani to make Pro Mazda switch in 2014 appeared first on Formula Scout.