After 5 months waiting, the first race of FIA Formula 3 European season started with a victory for Lando Norris at Silverstone. Jake Dennis and Maximilian Günther completed the podium positions.
It was the first race of the season and it was a good one. When the drivers were coming to the starting grid some drops of rain fell in the circuit, and despite not have a wet track, the race director declared the race to be a “wet” and starting under safety car.
So after two laps of safety car the race started and immediately the first accidents happened, Nikita Mazepin (Hitech Grand Prix) spun at the start and then went off to retire. This fact and the spun of Callum Ilott (Prema Powerteam) at turn one during the second green lap, caused the safety car intervention once again.
At that point, Lando Norris (Carlin) who started from pole position kept the lead ahead of Jake Dennis (Carlin) and Maximilian Günther (Prema Powerteam).
When the green flag returned with 17 minutes and a lap to go, Mick Schumacher (Prema Powerteam) tried to overtake Joey Mawson (Van Amersfoort Racing) for the fifth position, while Ralf Aron made contact with his team mate in Hitech Grand Prix Jake Hughes, which caused another safety car situation.
At the re-start, Schumacher tried again the move on Mawson, but he went off the track and was overtook by Harrison Newey (Van Amersfoort Racing). A lap later he was pressured by his team mate, Guanyu Zhou who finally overtook him for the seventh position.
At the end, Norris took a lights-to-flag victory in his fourth FIA Formula 3 race, Dennis completed a one-two for Carlin, while Günther completes the podium.
The second race of FIA Formula 3 European championship will start tomorrow at 11 am local time, with the local driver Callum Ilott starting from pole position.
Results:
Pos | Driver | Team | Gap | ||
1 | Lando | Norris | R | Carlin | 16 Laps |
2 | Jake | Dennis | Carlin | 1.683 | |
3 | Maximilian | Günther | Prema Powerteam | 2.432 | |
4 | Joel | Eriksson | Motopark | 3.207 | |
5 | Joey | Mawson | R | Van Amersfoort Racing | 4.991 |
6 | Harrison | Newey | Van Amersfoort Racing | 9.376 | |
7 | Guanyu | Zhou | Prema Powerteam | 13.253 | |
8 | Mick | Schumacher | R | Prema Powerteam | 14.154 |
9 | Pedro | Piquet | Van Amersfoort Racing | 14.644 | |
10 | Jehan | Daruvala | R | Carlin | 15.574 |
11 | Tadasuke | Makino | Hitech Grand Prix | 16.282 | |
12 | Ferdinand | Habsburg | Carlin | 17.263 | |
13 | Jake | Hughes | Hitech Grand Prix | 17.447 | |
14 | David | Beckmann | Van Amersfoort Racing | 19.947 | |
15 | Keyvan Andres | Soori | Motopark | 22.883 | |
16 | Marino | Sato | R | Motopark | 23.410 |
Ralf | Aron | Hitech Grand Prix | Not classified | ||
Callum | Ilott | Prema Powerteam | Not classified | ||
Nikita | Mazepin | Hitech Grand Prix | Not classified |