A tough round of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Silverstone in the UK has seen Christchurch teenager Marcus Armstrong fall from a one-point lead to an 18-point deficit to British rival Daniel Ticktum. While Armstrong qualified well for all three races, an opening lap crash meant there were no points gained for Armstrong in the final race of the day.
The series heads to Italy this weekend where Armstrong is based. Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli hosts the series for the first time with just four rounds left in the championship.
Armstrong’s team, PREMA Theodore Racing, is ready to get back on track just five days after the running of race 3 at Silverstone. The series’ back-to-back round will feature an unprecedented schedule with plenty of late afternoon and evening running.
Due to the particular nature of the seaside resort the Misano track lays in, with high temperatures and many tourists heading towards the beaches during the day, the series will favor them by getting into action later than usual. That will also provide drivers with a new challenge as they will need to readapt their preparation to late day beginnings and endings.
Lining-up as the team’s front-runner will be Marcus Armstrong. The 18-year-old rookie is currently second in points and as the reigning Italian Formula 4 Champion he has plenty of recent racing experience at the venue. Coming from a win in the previous round at Silverstone, Mick Schumacher raced (and won) multiple times at Misano in his F4 days.
Estonian Ralf Aron, also an Italian F4 past champion, is eager to return on the Adriatic coast to get a rebound after a tough experience in the UK. The same goes for Chinese racer Guanyu Zhou and Russian Robert Shwartzman, who scored good points at Silverstone but want to be back in contention for wins as soon as possible.
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