Armstrong and Lawson back in FIA F3 action in France

The wait is over as Le Castellet welcomes the F3 paddock for Round 2 of the 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship, six weeks after the first race weekend of the season.

Marcus Armstrong and his PREMA Racing team head into the round from an exceedingly positive season start in Spain, having scored two wins and cruised to the top of the driver and team standings at Circuit de Catalunya.

Current championship leader Robert Shwartzman is hoping to pick up from where he left off in the 2019 opener where he cruised from pole to win in race 2 before adding more points with fourth place in race 2.

Indian Jehan Daruvala did an outstanding job too, starting from the reverse grid pole in race 2 and then sailing to an almost uncontested victory.

New Zealander Marcus Armstrong was also consistent, and despite not being able to fight for wins, his positive third place in race 1 leaves him close to Daruvala in points. He is now determined to fight for a higher podium position as soon as possible.

Fellow Kiwi Liam Lawson had a dismal opening round with a DNF in the opening race and 17th place finish in the second. He lies 19th overall.

The 5.8-kilometre French venue will be challenging as usual, with high-speed straights coupled with a variety of corners calling for accurate set-up work. Racecraft and engineering are expected to go hand in hand, with chemistry making most of the difference on race day.