Now, with the season kick-off at Silverstone (GBR) contested, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship fraternity travels to Hockenheim. At the Southern German 4.574-kilometre Grand Prix circuit, the established drivers will give their very best to try and outpace the competitive rookies. At the season opener, Formula 3 rookies Esteban Ocon, Antonio Fuoco (both Prema Powerteam) and Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) succeeded in delivering in particularly impressive style and made for a rookies-only podium in race three.
While the two 17-year-old Prema drivers Esteban Ocon and Antonio Fuoco already have got some car-racing experience under their belts, Max Verstappen is making his very first steps in single-seater racing, this year. The 16-year-old Dutchman advanced to the Formula 3 European Championship as Kart World Champion and two-time Kart European Champion. And by finishing runner-up in the third race of the season kick-off weekend, the son of former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen demonstrated that making the big step to Formula 3 right away was a good decision.
Apart from the rookies, experienced Formula 3 drivers Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Nicholas Latifi (Prema Powerteam) and Jordan King (Carlin) also succeeded in delivering in fine style by securing a race win (Blomqvist) and a podium each respectively. While Felix Rosenqvist (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), runner-up in 2013, encountered a somewhat difficult weekend. The Swede who races for the only German team on the grid left the home of the British Formula 1 GP as 10th in the championship. His team-mate Lukas Auer, fourth in the 2013 drivers championship, came fifth in race one and when the weekend was over, he held seventh championship position. Both drivers have fond memories of the Hockenheimring: the 22-year-old Swede won two races of last year’s season finale and finished second in the third, while 19-year-old Austrian Auer secured to podiums on the same weekend.
Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing): “Hockenheim is a beautiful circuit and I like racing there. It has go several fast corners offering you the chance of gaining an advantage. Furthermore, my team, Van Amersfoort Racing, has been really fast at Hockenheim in 2013. It’s my goal to tie in with my Silverstone performance, there, or even up the ante. It would be fantastic if I could celebrate my first win at the wheel of a Formula 3 car.”
FIA F3 European Championship Press Release
