F3 EC

Half-time review part 3: ma-con, ThreeBond with T-Sport and URD Rennsport lie in wait…

It’s season half-time in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, with teams and drivers enjoying their well-deserved summer-break. The perfect point in time for an interim review. While Lucas Wolf (URD Rennsport) already succeeded in securing a podium for his squad, ma-con und ThreeBond with T Sport had to leave the venues of the race meetings to date empty-handed, when it comes to podiums.

Prior to this season, ma-con signed Sven Müller who already successfully raced for the Spreewald based team in the ADAC Formula Masters. The 21-year-old German entered the season with high expectations but failed to deliver, in the early stages of the season. In the meantime, however, he demonstrated his skills by finishing fourth in three races and is waiting for making it to the podium for the first time. At season half-time, Müller has established as a driver to keep an eye on, in the extremely competitive field and holds the ninth championship position. Altogether, the top 10 positions are held by drivers of six different teams: three Prema Powerteam drivers, two drivers each representing Carlin and Fortec Motorsports and one driver each racing for kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport, Eurointernational and ma-con.

André Rudersdorf (ma-con), Sven Müller’s team-mate, advanced to the planet’s most competitive young-talent series as Austria Formula 3 Cup Champion and winner of the ATS Formula 3 Cup’s Trophy ranking. The only 17-year-old talent needed some time to adapt to the high level of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Having scored his first point by finishing 10th at Brands Hatch he is confident regarding the second half of the season. 

ThreeBond with T-Sport also had high expectations regarding the 2013 season. After all, William Buller (Fortec Motorsports, previously ThreeBond with T Sport) dominated the two pre-season tests. But the squad that is the only one relying on a ThreeBond-Nissan engine encountered its problems – particularly in the qualifying sessions. So, the best result Buller secured to date is a fourth place. In the meantime, the 20-year-old Briton left the team to join Fortec Motorsports. Therefore, the British squad was only represented by Richard Goddard, at the Red Bull Ring. The 20-year-old Australian who is racing with a British license finally wants to make it to the points, in the second half of the season. 

A goal Lucas Wolf (URD Rennsport) already has achieved. He even made it to the podium by finishing third. Wolf is contesting the season for team URD Rennsport as ’lone wolf’ and could enter the season preparation only late. Therefore, the 18-year-old had to make do without participating in the first two days of testing at Barcelona. Both team and driver improved race by race, in the first half of the season – to finally celebrate their first major success of the year at the Red Bull Ring. There, Wolf turned out to be the surprise of the weekend: in the qualifying sessions, in torrential rain, he secured the grid positions two, three and six and succeeded in confirming this performance in dry conditions by finishing third in race two. 

The fourth and final part of our half-time review will focus on the achievements of the teams Van Amersfoort Racing, Double R Racing, Romeo Ferraris and Jo Zeller Racing in the season to date.