Double toyota Racing Series champion Nick Cassidy has had a sterling weekend at the Norisring competing in the FIA European F3 Championship.
“An awesome day (Saturday),” Cassidy commented. “I finished third in Race 1, before coming from 19th to fourth in Race 2. A team effort, we’ve had bricks thrown at us this year but we aren’t backing down. All eyes to the final race of the weekend tomorrow morning.
“Unfortunately after being fastest on the first set of tires in Q2 (second qualifying session) I then had a drive line failure on the out lap. This means I had to start last for Race 2 and 3 this weekend.
“Another fantastic race on Sunday. From the last row on the grid to P6! Unfortunate that the race was shortened with a lot of time under safety car but our pace was amazing. A podium wasn’t out of question today. Overall, a shame about the issue in Qualifying but the recoveries show what we are made of!”
Race 1
For Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam), everything went according to plan in the first of three FIA Formula 3 European Championship races at the 2.3 kilometres long Norisring. The 17-year-old Williams Formula 1 junior driver won an action-packed race from Niko Kari (Motopark) as the best-placed rookie, George Russell (HitechGP), Ralf Aron (Prema Powerteam), Ben Barnicoat (HitechGP), and Nick Cassidy (Prema Powerteam). Callum Ilott (Van Amersfoort Racing), runner-up in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship standings behind Stroll, retired following a collision with Joel Eriksson (Motopark), who was leading the race at the time. Another driver to retire was Maximilian Günther (Prema Powerteam), third in the drivers’ standings. Thus, Stroll was able to extend his points’ lead in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship to a margin of 63 points, securing him the unofficial half-time title with two races to spare.
At the start, Lance Stroll took the lead, but he was under pressure from Joel Eriksson from the very beginning. On lap four, the Swede, who was announced as a new BMW Motorsport junior driver yesterday, mounted an attack on the Canadian and moved up into the lead. Meanwhile, Callum Ilott, who had to start the race from twelfth place following an engine change, moved up further and further through the ranks and had closed the gap to Eriksson and Stroll on lap 17. On lap 20, the Brit braked too late for the Grundig hairpin and collided with Eriksson, causing both drivers to retire. Stroll inherited the lead and the safety car neutralised the race for a few laps.
Soon after racing resumed, Sérgio Sette Câmara (Motopark) and Guanyu Zhou (Motopark) collided while battling for third place and retired as well. After this incident, the safety car was deployed for the second time. After the second restart, things didn’t go entirely as planned either. While Lance Stroll held on to his first place, Pedro Piquet (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Harrison Newey (Van Amersfoort Racing) collided while battling for tenth place. Thus, Newey’s race came to an early end.
Out in front, Lance Stroll drove an undisputed victory home. Finnish driver Niko Kari ended up as the best-placed rookie in second place overall from New Zealand’s Nick Cassidy. After the finish, the New Zealander was given a five seconds’ penalty for a safety car infringement. Thus, George Russell, Ralf Aron and Ben Barnicoat were classified ahead of Cassidy, Mikkel Jensen (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Anthoine Hubert (Van Amersfoort Racing), Pedro Piquet, and David Beckmann (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) rounded out the top ten
Race 2
After the 14th FIA Formula 3 European Championship season race, rookie driver Anthoine Hubert (Van Amersfoort Racing) was allowed to celebrate for the first time on the top step of an F3 podium. At the 2.3 kilometres long Norisring, the Frenchman won from Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam) and Maximilian Günther (Prema Powerteam). Thus, the best-placed German in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship standings moved up to second behind Stroll as Callum Ilott (Van Amersfoort Racing), who previously held second place in the standings, concluded the race in seventh place. Nick Cassidy (Prema Powerteam) moved up from 19th on the grid to finish fourth ahead of Joel Eriksson (Motopark) and Guanyu Zhou (Motopark).
Less than three laps into the race, the first incidents occurred already. Alessio Lorandi (Carlin) retired after an accident and Ryan Tveter (Carlin) collided with Ben Barnicoat (HitechGP). After that, the safety car was deployed for the first time. At this stage, Anthoine Hubert was already in the lead from Lance Stroll, Maximilian Günther, Joel Eriksson and Guanyu Zhou.
Racing resumed on lap eleven and rookie driver Hubert held on to first place. Seven laps later, Niko Kari (Motopark) attempted to overtake Sérgio Sette Câmara (Motopark) in the battle for seventh place, but tangled with the car of his Brazilian team-mate. Sette Câmara retired while Kari was able to continue in eighth place. After this, the safety car neutralised racing action for the second time.
After the next restart, there were some entertaining position fights, especially in the midfield, until series’ returnee William Buller (Carlin) missed his braking point on lap 28 and ran into the cars of Harrison Newey (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Pedro Piquet (Van Amersfoort Racing). All three drivers retired and the safety car appeared on track for the third time. After the third restart, only few minutes remained, during which Anthoine Hubert safely brought first place home. Lance Stroll claimed second place from Maximilian Günther. Nick Cassidy, Joel Eriksson, Guanyu Zhou, Callum Ilott, Mikkel Jensen (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), George Russell (HitechGP), and Ralf Aron (Prema Powerteam) were classified in fourth through tenth place.
Race 3
After a turbulent race, Canadian Lance Stroll (Prema Powerteam) took the chequered flag as the winner of an FIA Formula 3 European Championship race for the fifth time this season already. Thus, he extended his margin as the leader in the drivers’ standings to 86 points. Rookie driver Anthoine Hubert (Van Amersfoort Racing) from France finished second at the 2.3 kilometres long track, followed by Brazilian Sérgio Sette Câmara (Motopark). Maximilian Günther (Prema Powerteam), runner-up in the drivers’ standings, was the best-placed German in the 15th race of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship season, finishing fifth behind Chinese Guanyu Zhou (Motopark).
Because the starting lights didn’t work, the race got underway behind the safety car. After one lap, green flags were waved, but shortly after, George Russell (HitechGP) and Joel Eriksson (Motopark) collided. Because Russel’s car got stuck on track, the safety car was deployed for the second time. At that time, Lance Stroll was in the lead from Anthoine Hubert, Guanyu Zhou, Sérgio Sette Câmara and Maximilian Günther.
With the race about to resume again, Pedro Piquet (Van Amersfoort Racing) ran into the back of the car driven by Ryan Tveter (Carlin) and then slid into the car of Niko Kari (Motopark). After this incident, the race was interrupted with the red flag.
Action resumed some minutes later behind the safety car. Soon after the drivers were allowed to return to racing speed, Sérgio Sette Câmara overtook Guanyu Zhou to take third place. The battle for sixth positon between the two team-mates Mikkel Jensen and David Beckham (both kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) was less harmonious. A collision put an end to the team-internal battle, both young drivers retired,
Out in front, Lance Stroll drove his fifth race win of the season home. Anthoine Hubert secured his second FIA Formula 3 European Championship podium finish, followed by third-placed Sérgio Sette Câmara. Guanyu Zhou finished fourth from Maximilian Günther. Nick Cassidy (Prema Powerteam) worked his way up from 19th on the grid to finish sixth as Callum Ilott (Van Amersfoort Racing), Alessio Lorandi (Carlin), Ralf Aron (Prema Powerteam) and Harrison Newey (Van Amersfoort Racing) rounded out the top ten.
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