F3 EC

A turbulent race with Tom Blomqvist as a surprising winner-

Track: Norisring
Winner: Tom Blomqvist (Eurointernational)
Pole position: Felix Rosenqvist (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport)
Temperature air / track: 27.7 °C / 29.7 °C
Weather: sunny, warm

British driver Tom Blomqvist (Eurointernational) became the surprising winner of an action-packed 16th season round of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at the 2.3 kilometres long Norisring. The son of former world rally champion Stig Blomqvist benefited from the fact that twelve drivers were given a 20 seconds’ time penalty after the race for not having sufficiently reduced their speed when the yellow flags were out. Harry Tincknell (Carlin) was classified second from André Rudersdorf (ma-con), who scored his maiden podium finish in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. In the drivers’ standings, Raffaele Marciello (Prema Powerteam), who came fifth in the race, remains in the lead.

Raffaele Marciello took the lead at the start from Felix Rosenqvist (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), who had started from pole position. As Rosenqvist raced under appeal due to a fuel sample after qualifying that didn’t comply with the regulations, he is not classified until the appeal has been dealt with. After 39 laps, Marciello still wasn’t able to celebrate his victory. Due to being too fast under yellow flags and the subsequent penalty, he was relegated from first to fifth place. For all drivers involved, the infringement would have resulted into a drive-through penalty, but as the penalties only occurred just before the end of the race, the drive-through penalties were converted into 20 seconds’ penalties. 

Alex Lynn (Prema Powerteam), Lucas Auer (Prema Powerteam), Félix Serrallés (Fortec Motorsports), Alexander Sims (ThreeBond with T-Sport) and Luis Felipe Derani (Fortec Motorsports), who initially finished scond to seventh, lost their positions due to the 20 seconds’ penalties. Not only race winner Blomqvist, Tincknell and Rudersdorf benefited from this, but also Eddie Cheever (Prema Powerteam), who was promoted to fourth, and Sandro Zeller (Jo Zeller Racing), who scored his first points in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. 

There were not only countless yellow flags, the safety car also had to be deployed twice in this race. Mitchell Gilbert (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) and Sean Gelael (Double R Racing) caused the first safety car intervention with a collision, the two lady racers Tatiana Calderón (Double R Racing) and Michela Cerruti (Romeo Ferraris) triggered the second safety car phase by another collision.

Tom Blomqvist (Eurointerntional) 
“For me, victory really comes as a surprise. I only was told that I had won the race after the prize-giving ceremony. Of course, I am happy with the points, although being declared as the winner in spite of not having been first across the line.”

Harry Tincknell (Carlin)
“For me, being up here is a huge surprise, too. As always at the Norisring, it was an action-packed race. Indeed there were many yellow flags and we were told about the correct behaviour under yellow during the drivers’ briefing. Therefore, I made sure that I really backed off when the yellow flags were out.”

André Rudersdorf (ma-con)
“Of course, my maiden podium finish in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is great. With so many spectators and a great atmosphere, the Norisring is unique. In the race, I tried to avoid any big risks. That this is the result, is fantastic!”