Giovinazzi comeback at championship fight

Giovinazzi got his title charge back on track with victory in the third and final race of the Formula 3 European Championship weekend at the Norisring.

The Jagonya Ayam protege made his customary storming start from third on the grid, and led home the sister Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen of McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner George Russell.

Both poleman Alexander Albon and front-row partner Russell made poor getaways, Russell speculating that it was due to the earlier DTM practice starts on the first and second grid spots, and Albon adding, “I honestly thought I’d stalled – the engine went so quiet.”

Russell had to fight his way past Jake Dennis at the first of what would become three restarts, and spent most of his race fending off the attentions of Albon, who in turn had Van Amersfoort Racing’s championship leader Charles Leclerc right behind him.

Albon, who was fifth early on in his Signature car, had wriggled his way to the front of a scrap with Dennis and Leclerc after the first restart.

Giovinazzi always seemed to be able to keep the chasing trio at arm’s length, and a close race ran out without the leading positions thereafter, although Albon did have a couple of feints to the outside of Russell into the Turn 1 hairpin.

“I had the pace,” said Giovinazzi. “I tried to keep a little gap to George so he could not take the tow.

“The team did a really amazing job and I would like to dedicate this win to my grandfather, who passed away last week.”

A mid-race scrap for fifth between the fading Dennis, Dorian Boccolacci and Santino Ferrucci featured a shoulderbarge on the Brit by Boccolacci.

Ferrucci subsequently passed Dennis, before Boccolacci suddenly slowed, conceding places to Ferrucci, Dennis and Mikkel Jensen.

Jensen battled his way through to pass Mucke Motorsport team-mate Ferrucci for fifth with five laps remaining.

Ferrucci held off Callum Ilott and Boccolacci in a hectic battle for sixth.

Alessio Lorandi notched up another points finish with ninth, while Brandon Maisano was Prema Powerteam’s only points scorer in 10th, as Dennis plunged out of the points to 11th and Felix Rosenqvist could only recover to 13th after a slow getaway – in contrast to his jumped start in race two.

The first safety car was caused when Matt Solomon stalled and was hit on the grid by Sam MacLeod; the second came when Gustavo Menezes harpooned second-race winner Maximilian Gunther in the battle for eighth; the third was precipitated by a collision between Nabil Jeffri and Matt Rao.

RESULTS – 38 LAPS: