INDIA in F1

Category: F3

  • Lundgaard seals second F3 pole in Monza; Jehan Daruvala starts on P4

    Lundgaard seals second F3 pole in Monza; Jehan Daruvala starts on P4

    ART Grand Prix ace qualifies ahead of Armstrong and Shwartzman
    Christian Lundgaard, ART Grand Prix, take pole. An F3 image

    Monza, 6 Sept 2019: Christian Lundgaard became the first driver this season to seal a second pole position in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, controlling an extremely competitive Qualifying session that had more than 10 different leaders. The Danish driver set his time late on as the circuit began to dry in Monza, and finished ahead of PREMA duo Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman.

    With the track still damp, following rain in the Formula 2 Qualifying session, the cars headed out with caution onto the track and Niko Kari set the first time at 1:53.444. Devlin DeFrancesco dipped under 1m 49s as they began to get a feel for the circuit. Fabio Scherer then took further chunks out of the best time.
    Leonardo Pulcini, Felipe Drugovich, Liam Lawson and Jehan Daruvala all took turns in first, in quick succession, before the in-form Armstrong grabbed the session by the scruff of the neck to break the 1m 40s barrier.
    Jake Hughes stole provisional pole as the track grew drier and the drivers were told over team radio that no further rain was expected. With just over 10 minutes to go, Lundgaard grabbed provisional pole and made the most of the improved grip on track.
    The traffic intensified as all the cars fed onto the track for their second stint, and it remained heavy for a couple of laps with less than 4 minutes left on the clock. Due to safety reasons the race director decided to red flag the session which was then not resumed. This allowed Lundgaard to claim his second pole since Budapest. Armstrong and Shwartzman took 2nd and 3rd respectively, ahead of their teammate, Daruvala.
    Lirim Zendeli snuck in a late fast lap to take fifth – his best Qualifying of the season. Teppei Natori also sealed his best of the season in sixth, ahead of Max Fewtrell, Richard Verschoor, Kari and Giorgio Carrara.
    Race 2 will get underway tomorrow at 10.30am local time, when Lundgaard will aim for his second win of 2019.
    FIA Formula 3 Round 7 – Qualifying provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    LAPTIME
    LAPS
    1
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    1:38.834
    12
    2
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    1:38.969
    11
    3
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    1:39.037
    11
    4
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    1:39.055
    11
    5
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    1:39.177
    11
    6
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    1:39.303
    12
    7
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    1:39.307
    12
    8
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    1:39.312
    11
    9
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    1:39.343
    11
    10
    Giorgio Carrara
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.344
    11
    11
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:39.437
    11
    12
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    1:39.444
    10
    13
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    1:39.505
    12
    14
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    1:39.511
    9
    15
    Jüri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    1:39.645
    11
    16
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    1:39.717
    11
    17
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    1:39.788
    12
    18
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    1:39.830
    11
    19
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    1:40.068
    11
    20
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    1:40.084
    9
    21
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    1:40.097
    10
    22
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    1:40.108
    11
    23
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    1:40.114
    10
    24
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    1:40.190
    11
    25
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    1:40.258
    11
    26
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    1:40.370
    9
    27
    Ye Yifei
    Hitech Grand Prix
    1:40.639
    10
    28
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    1:41.052
    10
    29
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    1:41.161
    11
    30
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    1:42.031
    11

  • Shwartzman quickest in wet Free Practice; Jehan Daruvala 4th fastest: F3

    Russian finishes ahead of Round 6 winners Armstrong and Piquet
    Monza, 6 Sept 2019: Robert Shwartzman topped a rain-hampered session in Monza, leading Free Practice for the first time in 2019. The PREMA racer set the quickest time early on – before the field all switched to wets – and finished ahead of in-form duo Marcus Armstrong, of PREMA Racing, and Pedro Piquet, of Trident.

    The session begun under light rain down the pit straight as teams initially set out on slick tyres. Spa-Francorchamps Race 2 winner Armstrong was first to notch a quick time, dipping under 1m 45s, followed by teammate Shwartzman.

    On his second full lap of the course, Armstrong knocked two seconds off his time, but his Russian teammate was able to shave a further two tenths to take P1 as rain began to fall harder. Jüri Vips spun off track but was able to get going again, and teams began to feed back into the pits for wet tyres.

    Estner remained out and a wobble ended with the side of his Jenzer machine stuck in the wall. The German climbed out of his car unscathed, but his team now face a race against time to get his car ready for Qualifying later today.

    Fabio Scherer was the first to get back out onto the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit and test the new tyres. The rest of the field returned shortly after and focus was centred on getting to grips with the wets.

    This saw the order remained unchanged, before the session ended under a yellow flag. Giorgio Carrara sailed off track and was beached on the sausage curb. This left Shwartzman and Armstrong to run home first and second, with Piquet in third. Jehan Daruvala and Teppei Natori completed the top five, with Niko Kari, Alex Peroni, Richard Verschoor, Felipe Drugovich and Liam Lawson all in the top 10.

    Action will intensify this afternoon as Shwartzman aims to carry across his positive early form and become the first driver to earn a second pole position of the season, when qualifying begins at 5.50pm local time.

  • Jehan Daruvala raring to go: F3 at Monza

    Monza 5 Sept 2019: The Formula 3 paddock reunites this week at Monza in Italy for the seventh round of the season. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the F2 community, the teams and the drivers will race for Anthoine Hubert to honour the talented young Frenchman whom we all miss dearly.
    PREMA Racing will welcome the opportunity to celebrate a well-earned Teams’ Championship title on home soil in Monza after another mammoth points haul at Spa-Francorchamps. Jake Hughes of HWA RACELAB had set the pace in practice, but Jehan Daruvala bagged his first pole position of the season in the afternoon’s qualifying session. The Indian was forced to settle for third however, behind PREMA teammate Robert Shwartzman and Trident’s Pedro Piquet who took his maiden F3 victory in Race 1. PREMA’s Marcus Armstrong led from lights to flag on a sombre Sunday for the New Zealander’s second victory in as many rounds.
    With the Teams’ title wrapped up, Shwartzman (152 points) leads the Drivers’ Championship, with Daruvala (129) 23 points behind in second place. Hitech Grand Prix’s Jüri Vips (122) is third, preventing a PREMA 1 2 3, with Armstrong (119) 3 points behind him. PREMA (400) are deserved victors of the Teams’ Championship, 217 points ahead of Hitech (183). ART Grand Prix (170) are third.
    Monza hosts Round 7 of the championship, a historically fast circuit with long straights and some of the most famous corners in motorsport in front of traditionally passionate Italian support. The teams and drivers will need to manage their Pirelli soft compound tyres carefully amid the low downforce turns, hard braking, and rapid acceleration. 30 cars fighting wheel-to-wheel in the braking zones should provide quite the show!
    Warm-Up // Pedro Piquet – Trident
    “Monza is one of the classic tracks on the calendar, with the fastest average and top speeds. It’s very difficult and in terms of racing; it’s one of the best circuits because the low downforce set-up also means you don’t get as much dirty air and you can battle on the long straights. Because we run a low downforce set-up you can slide a lot or lock the tyres under braking in high-speed corners, so you need to be really good in managing that.
    “There could be lots of battles in the braking zones. There will be a lot of cars side-by-side into the corners because the advantage you have on the car in front is not that big. One of the things I like is that the DRS is not quite as effective. You really need to work hard for the overtake. When you open the DRS you obviously gain on the car in front but it’s not a lot. I’m really excited for it and I hope we can have a good weekend.
    “Because the circuit has a lot of straights, people may think it’s easier on the tyres but it’s not really. You’re sliding a lot and, with the low downforce on the car, if you start to slide then the tyres are done, so you need to take care of them.
    “We always push for a competitive weekend. You have two races and you have to perform well in both. If you have the pace and you start well, fight for Race 1, if not try to get into a decent position so you can fight for Race 2. You need to be there, in the top 6, which helps a lot in the weekend, so that’s the aim.”
    Mario Isola, Pirelli Head of F1 and Car Racing
    “After an extremely difficult weekend in Spa, following the tragic passing of Anthoine Hubert, we move on to Monza. Our home circuit is also known as the ‘Temple of Speed’, which accurately describes the track characteristics. Finding the right compromise with grip despite the low downforce levels is always a challenge, as well as managing the compounds against the considerable stresses that are imposed on them by this historic circuit. Another difficulty will be balancing the set-up of the car in different weather conditions, as at this time of year both hot and cool temperatures are possible, which clearly affects how the front and rear work together.”
    Season Stats
    1 PREMA Racing are champions! The Italian outfit clinched the FIA Formula 3 championship after Race 2 at Spa-Francorchamps.
    400 PREMA have 400 points, 217 more than second-placed Hitech Grand Prix with only 206 points available.
    23 The gap between championship leader Robert Shwartzman and second-placed Jehan Daruvala at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
    8 Trident’s Pedro Piquet was the eighth different driver to have stood on the top step of the podium this season.
    Noteworthy
    Christian Lundgaard has led more laps (44) than any other driver on the grid this season. Marcus Armstrong is second with 43 laps led.
    Between their three drivers, Teams’ Championship winners PREMA Racing have taken 3 pole positions, 6 wins, 18 podiums, 5 front-row starts, 5 fastest laps, and have led for 109 laps from a possible 250.
    All six rounds so far have seen saw a different driver qualify for pole position; Robert Shwartzman in Barcelona, Jake Hughes in Le Castellet, Armstrong in Spielberg, Jüri Vips in Silverstone, Lundgaard in Budapest and Jehan Daruvala in Spa.
    Despite sitting fourth in the championship behind Shwartzman and Daruvala, Armstrong has as many wins, as many pole positions as his teammates, and he has set more fastest laps, taken more bonus points and has lead more laps then them.
    PREMA Racing’s points haul from Belgium last time out (74) was their highest since Round 2 (82).
    Trident’s Devlin Defrancesco and Carlin Buzz Racing’s Logan Sargeant will both serve five-place grid penalties in Monza after both drivers were involved in separate collisions in Belgium.
    Round 7 of the championship is the first time we will see Pirelli’s soft compound tyre since Round 3 in Spielberg.
    Local times: (GMT+2)
    Friday
    Free Practice: 09.35 – 10.20
    Qualifying: 17.50 – 18.20
    Saturday
    Race 1: 10.30 (22 laps)
    Press conference: 11.30
    Sunday
    Race 2: 09.30 (22 laps)
  • Armstrong wins Race 2, dedicates to Hubert; Jehan Daruvala 5th

    Armstrong wins Race 2, dedicates to Hubert; Jehan Daruvala 5th

    Kiwi driver dedicates victory to late Anthoine Hubert
    Marcus Armstrong dedicates the victory to Anthoine Hubert. An F3 image

    Spa Fracor champs, 1 Sept 2019: Marcus Armstrong won a tribute led FIA Formula 3 Race 2, at Spa-Francorchamps. The PREMA Racing driver emotionally dedicated the win to the late Anthoine Hubert, following the tragic events in yesterday’s Formula 2 race. Armstrong led from lights-to-flag to finish ahead of Jenzer Motorsport’s Yuki Tsunoda, who scored his highest ever finish in the Championship. Robert Shwartzman came home third, after a late overtake on ART Grand Prix’s Christian Lundgaard.

    The action started following a minute of silence in remembrance of Hubert, with teams, drivers, staff and officials from across Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3 all coming together on the grid ahead of the start.
    Reverse grid polesitter Armstrong got away cleanly off the line and retained his place ahead of Leonardo Pulcini. However, the Hitech Grand Prix racer was forced wide at the first turn and Tsunoda was able to pounce and leap ahead of him for P2. The Italian dropped down to 7th, with Lundgaard, Shwartzman and Jehan Daruvala all benefitting.
    Liam Lawson spun off track in the early exchanges, but was able to recover and get back underway, albeit from the back of the grid. Niko Kari wasn’t so lucky and was forced into retirement after going off track.
    Armstrong still held the lead over Tsunoda and set the fastest lap in his attempts to put air between them. Jüri Vips had lost places in the opening two laps, dropping from 4th down to 10th, before managing to squeeze back ahead of David Beckmann for 9th.
    Simo Laaksonen plunged into the barriers after spinning off track, which brought out a safety car. The MP Motorsport man’s car was removed from the barriers and he was taken to the medical centre for the usual checks.
    When the Safety Car returned to the pits, Armstrong held his position ahead of Tsunoda and Lundgaard, who remained 2nd and 3rd. The back of Jake Hughes’ HWA RACELAB was then nicked by Devlin DeFrancesco, and the pair briefly skidded off the circuit. They were initially able to return to the track, before being forced to retire from the pits.
    Armstrong was able to build a 2.5s gap between himself and Tsunoda, with Lundgaard harrying the back of his Jenzer machine. The Renault F1 junior was also under attack, with Shwartzman just 0.7s behind and Daruvala 0.5s.
    Max Fewtrell was the morning’s next retirement, being forced out of his car following a puncture at the end of the Kemmel straight. Meanwhile, Lirim Zendeli and Raoul Hyman collided when attempting to avoid Logan Sargeant, who had locked up around the corner. Zendeli was able to finish the race, but Hyman was forced to retire.
    Armstrong held a comfortable lead going into the final lap, as did Tsunoda, who had built up a gap of over 1s. Lundgaard was attempting to hold off Shwartzman, but eventually succumbed to the PREMA man, who sent it down the side of him, in the final sector.
    Armstrong crossed the line in 1st, ahead of Tsunoda and Shwartzman. Lundgaard was 4th and Daruvala 5th.  Piquet, Pulcini, Teppei Natori, Felipe Drugovich and Ye Yifei completed the top ten.
    Robert Shwartzman stretches his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 152, ahead of teammate Jehan Daruvala on 129 and Vips on 122. Armstrong is 4th on 119 and Lundgaard 5th with 93. In the Teams’ Championship, PREMA Racing are still 1st, with 400 points, ahead of Hitech Grand Prix on 183 and ART Grand Prix on 170. Trident are 4th with 89 and HWA RACELAB on 66.
    The Championship will resume next weekend in Monza, when Shwartzman and PREMA will hope to further cement their impressive title charge.
    FIA Formula 3 Round 6 – Race 2 provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    2
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    3
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    4
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    5
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    6
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    7
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    8
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    9
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    10
    Felipe Drugovich
    Hitech Grand Prix
    11
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    12
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    13
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    14
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    15
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    16
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    17
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    18
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    19
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    20
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    21
    Juri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    22
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    Giorgio Carrara
    Jenzer Motorsport
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Racing) – 2:08.535 on Lap 2
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Racing) – 2:08.535 on Lap 2

  • F1, F2, F3 extend deepest condolences: #RIPAnthoineHubert

    STATEMENT
    Formula 1, Formula 2, and Formula 3 are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthoine Hubert following a horrific crash at today’s Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, involving three other drivers.
    We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Anthoine’s family, loved ones, and friends. We would also like to send our heartfelt sympathies to the entire Arden team.
    Anthoine has been part of our paddock since 2017. He was a fantastic driver who had a bright future ahead of him. He became GP3 Series Champion last year, and this season, he won twice in Formula 2, taking victories in Monaco, and at his home race in Le Castellet.
    He was kind to everyone, always smiling, and his positive attitude was infectious.
    He will be dearly missed.
    Out of respect, Sunday’s F2 race has been cancelled.
  • Jehan Daruvala takes his sixth podium; Piquet wins Race 1

    Jehan Daruvala takes his sixth podium; Piquet wins Race 1

    Jehan Daruvala takes the sixth podium on Saturday in Race 1. Photo Prema Racing

    Spa Francorchamps, 31 August 2019: Indian racing star Jehan Daruvala finished on the podium taking a well-deserved third in the first race of the FIA F3 Championship, part of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix weekend. This is Jehan’s sixth podium and along with two wins, he is currently second in the championship behind the Russian.

    Pedro Piquet claimed his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory thanks to an immense start at Spa-Francorchamps, in Race 1. The Trident man immersed himself in battle with polesitter Jehan Daruvala off the line, making his move on the PREMA ace midway through the first lap, before pushing for a gap. Daruvala eventually finished in 3rd behind teammate Robert Shwartzman, who gained vital points in his race for the Drivers’ title.

    Jehan Darulava, right, takes third in Race 1 on Saturday. An FIA image

    There was action throughout the 30-strong grid when the lights went out at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, as Piquet attempted an overtake on Daruvala who managed to cling on to the position at the first corner. Shwartzman – starting 4th – made the same move on Yuki Tsunoda for 3rd, but the Jenzer man also managed to claw the place back.

    Jake Hughes was flung off track when Logan Sargeant nicked the back of his HWA RACELAB machine, while Devlin DeFrancesco collided with Campos’ Alexander Peroni, who ended up rammed into the barriers.
    Piquet had emerged ahead of Daruvala when a Virtual Safety Car was issued, but it was Leonardo Pulcini who made the greatest ground, claiming a remarkable six spots on his way to P2. Tsunoda made the most of his opportunities at the end of the VSC period, lunging ahead of Pulcini for 2nd. The duo was still within sight of former leader Daruvala, who climbed back ahead of them both shortly after to retake his place behind Piquet.
    The gap between them was much bigger now though – the Brazilian had taken advantage of the four-way tussle behind him to build a 4s strong gap and put air between them. This enabled him to ease off and avoid the risk of burning out his rubber.
    Further back, Marcus Armstrong was eyeing a repeat of his success in Budapest, when the Kiwi started 13th and rose to reverse grid pole, before earning his first F3 win in Race 2. It would be a more difficult proposition this time around, starting from P19, but by lap 6, he was already in 11th.
    The battle for the podium was ongoing, as Jüri Vips and Tsunoda went back and forth for 5th, while Shwartzman managed to leap ahead of Pulcini. Daruvala had been unable to bridge the gap between himself and the back of Piquet’s Trident, with his team urging him to push harder. He struggled to garner the extra pace though and shortly after, his teammate soared past him.
    The PREMA duo in 2nd and 3rd managed to claw their way out of the four-way tussle they were previously engulfed in, leaving Christian Lundgaard, Vips, Tsunoda and Pulcini to fight it out for P4. Initially, it was Vips who came out on top, but the Dane managed to send it down the side of the Estonian title contender at the final corner.
    Uncontested, Piquet crossed the finish line for his first win in the championship, followed by Shwartzman, Daruvala and Lundgaard. Vips was followed by Tsunoda – who claimed his joint-best finish – and Pulcini. Armstrong completed a remarkable drive to seal reverse grid pole, ahead of Max Fewtrell and David Beckman.
    Daruvala’s P3 finish takes him back ahead of Vips in the race for the title, but Shwartzman still leads the Championship by 19 points. Armstrong is 4th with 102, while Lundgaard sits 5th on 85. In the Teams’ Championship, PREMA lead by 367 points, ahead of Hitech Grand Prix on 181, ART Grand Prix on 162, Trident on 85 and HWA RACELAB on 66.
    Armstrong will start from reverse pole for the second round in a row tomorrow in Race 2 at 9.45am local time, when he will be looking for his second win in as many rounds.
    FIA Formula 3 Round 6 – Race 1 provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    2
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    3
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    4
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    5
    Juri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    6
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    7
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    8
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    9
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    10
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    11
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    12
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    13
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    14
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    15
    Ye Yifei
    Hitech Grand Prix
    16
    Giorgio Carrara
    Jenzer Motorsport
    17
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    18
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    19
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    20
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    21
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    22
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    23
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    24
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    25
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    26
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    27
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    28
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    29
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Pedro Piquet (Trident) – 2:08.911 on Lap 4
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Pedro Piquet (Trident) – 2:08.911 on Lap 4

    About Jehan Daruvala: The 20-year-old Jehan began his career in Karting at the age of 10. Since then he has won the Indian National Karting Championship, the Malaysian Junior Yamaha Karting Championship, the FIA CIK Asia Pacific KF3 Championship, and the British SuperOne National Karting Championship. Jehan remains the only Indian on the podium of any FIA World Championship when he was second runner up of the FIA CIK World Karting Championship. Jehan also remains the only Indian to win a Grand Prix, when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix and later went on to become the only Indian to win a race in the erstwhile FIA F3 European Championship, which used slower cars. Earlier this year Jehan was selected by Prema Racing, one of the world’s most successful Junior Racing teams’ to drive for them in this year’s new, FIA F3 Championship. Currently, he has two wins and six podiums, with this third, and is currently second in the F3 leaderboard.

  • Happy I finally got the pole a few extra points is always good, says Jehan Daruvala

    Happy I finally got the pole a few extra points is always good, says Jehan Daruvala

    Jehan Daruvala (centre) at the FIA post-qualifying press meet on Friday. An F3 image

    FIA Formula 3: Hello and welcome to today’s FIA Formula 3 press conference following qualifying here at Spa. We are joined by the top three qualifiers for tomorrow’s opening race. On pole position Jehan Daruvala of PREMA Racing, in second place Pedro Piquet from Trident and in third place Yuki Tsunoda from Jenzer Motorsport. Jehan, you’ve had two wins already this season but finally your first pole position in Formula 3. How does it feel?

    Jehan Daruvala: I’m very happy. I’ve always been in the fight for pole the whole season and to finally get it feels good because I’ve missed out and been really close a couple of times. It’s a few extra points which is also good. More than that it’s a big thanks to the team and the best way to bounce back after a disappointing weekend in Budapest.

    FIA Formula 3: Could you talk us through your qualifying and your final lap that led to pole position? Traffic seemed to be a real challenge for everybody out there today.

    Jehan: It was quite a complicated qualifying session. On the first run, I was about six or seven-tenths off but the majority of that was in Sector 1. I was thinking that the best way to fight for the pole was to get behind a fast car. I got into a good place and there was a big fight. It was almost like a race to get into a good position. I managed to get behind [Devlin] DeFrancesco who was fast on the first set and that was perfect for me. The lap was good and I’m happy to be on pole.

    FIA Formula 3: Congratulations. Pedro moving on to you now. You pulled out a stunning early lap in qualifying and sat on provisional pole for quite a while. To then end up P2 is it a case of mixed feelings, or are you happy to be on the front row?

    Pedro Piquet: Of course here in Spa, second or third, it’s a bit of a gamble in the first lap because of the long straight. The first lap was really good. It was a good warm-up with no confusion, no traffic, so that came out okay. Unfortunately for the second run, everyone was looking for a tow and everyone was backing off. The warm-up for myself was not the best. The lap, in the end, was okay for P2. I even got a guy with a flat tyre! Because of the people backing off I got a guy in Turn 5 and I had to avoid a bit. But yeah, it was good. I think for tomorrow it’s a big run to Turn 5 so a lot of things can happen, even from behind.

    FIA Formula 3: As Jehan touched on, when you were going through that traffic did it feel a little bit like a race, sort of preparing for tomorrow even?

    Pedro: Not really like a race because some people were backing off as well, letting you past, and before my second set I just wanted a clean lap for myself. I got one, almost, but it was quite confusing.

    FIA Formula 3: Well done today. Yuki, welcome to your first FIA Formula 3 press conference. A really strong result today to finish third. How did your qualifying go?

    Yuki Tsunoda: Yeah this is my first time in the top three and I am very happy. Qualifying was quite crazy. On the first push on the second set there were a lot of people to make the gap or make the position. I was at the back of the group and I felt that it would be impossible to make a lap like that in that group. I tried to overtake everybody and tried to drive by myself and that was good. The plan was really good and the car was also so good from free practice.

    FIA Formula 3: Going into this weekend your best qualifying result was only ninth so to make this big jump up, does that really show the progress that both you and Jenzer have been making this season?

    Yuki: At the beginning of the season I was qualifying in places like P27 or something like that, and it was not good for everybody in the team or myself. I’ve improved when it comes to warming up the tyres and that’s showed in today’s result. I think tomorrow will be quite different starting near the front so I’m really looking forward to that.

    FIA Formula 3: Well done today. Jehan moving back to you now. You’ve got good history here at Spa. You won here from pole last year, you know what it takes. Does that give any extra confidence going into tomorrow’s race?

    Jehan: I think everyone knows it can be pretty tricky here from pole but my main focus is to get a good start and see what happens. You can’t really work out what’s going to happen tomorrow, I’ve just got to see what happens and even if I fall back one or two positions I’m quite confident that the car is good enough to win. That’s the main goal.

  • Daruvala back on form with pole in Spa-Francorchamps: F3

    Daruvala back on form with pole in Spa-Francorchamps: F3

    PREMA Racer qualifies ahead of Piquet and Tsunoda
    Jehan Daruvala (IND) of PREMA Racing, celebrates after taking pole position at Spa on Friday, 30 Aug 2019. An FIA F3 image

    Spa Francorchamps, 30 August 2019: Indian racing sensation Jehan Daruvala scored his first pole position of the season with a scintillating late tour of Spa-Francorchamps in Friday’s FIA Formula 3 Qualifying. The Prema Racing ace was the best of a late sprint to pole, beating out Trident’s Pedro Piquet and Jenzer Motorsport’s Yuki Tsunoda.

    Crucially for the Indian, it adds four points to his tally, as he chases Russian Robert Schwartzman & Juri Vips from Estonia, in the championship battle.

     The ultra-competitive nature of the FIA F3 championship has seen a wide range of drivers performing through the season and Jehan was sixth different pole sitter in the six rounds of the season so far.

    The moment qualifying started, almost all cars were on track jostling for position and after the first set of laps, it was former Brazilian F3 champion Pedro Piquet who was on provisional pole. Jehan’s quick laps were only good enough for seventh. Jehan was the slowest of the top eleven on the straights at that time and when he pulled into the pits, the team altered setup reducing Jehan’s downforce.

    All drivers had changed tyres and were back on track. The changes to his car suited Jehan when he returned to track and he immediately put in his personal fastest in sector 1. Sector 2 was where Jehan was sensational, posting a time faster than everyone else. A quick sector 3 sealed pole for Jehan with a lap time of 2:05.125. Such was Jehan’s pace that he managed to have the highest lap time margin for pole the entire season!

     “Finally pole position! I have been thereabouts all season, fighting for pole, and then I got it so I’m very very happy for myself and the team. It’s great to bounce back after a bad weekend at Budapest. It was a chaotic session, but I managed to stay out of trouble. The car was great. After the first set of laps, I knew I didn’t put it together so I just wanted to focus on the driving and get a good lap. We tweaked something in the middle of the session which also helped. To be on pole at Spa is amazing, hopefully, I can turn it into a win.” said Jehan.

     Piquet was second followed immediately by Tsunoda & Championship leader Shwartzman, Jehan will start on pole for Race 1 today while top 8 in Race 1 will be reversed for the start of Race 2. Jehan sits 3rd currently in the championship, 16 points behind Shwartzman and 4 points behind Vips.

    Earlier, Christian Lundgaard led the cars out into the 35-degree track temperature, but it was Piquet who was hottest in the early stages, beating out both the Dane and Leonardo Pulcini for provisional pole. The Brazilian racer was swiftly backed up by his Trident teammate Devlin DeFrancesco, who looked much improved in Round 6 and was eyeing his best Qualifying of the season.
    The two held their positions as the cars ducked into the pits for fresh boots and were the first back out on track for the final fifteen minutes of the afternoon. Armed with fresh tyres, the times started to tumble and the duo’s positions were under threat. Jüri Vips – hopeful of taking the title lead this weekend – was the first to steal provisional pole, with a time of 2.05.625.
    The Estonian’s time on top was short lived as Piquet, Tsunoda and Robert Shwartzman leapt ahead of him in quick succession. With less than five minutes remaining and one shot at pole, Daruvala managed the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps two tenths quicker than them all and claimed his position in P1.
    In the third PREMA, Marcus Armstrong was hoping to follow up his first win of the season in Budapest, with another strong weekend. The Kiwi complained of traffic on track and eased off in the hope of finding space, but it never came and he was left to settle for 19th.
    When the chequered flag was waved, Daruvala was followed by Piquet, while Tsunoda secured his best Qualifying position of the season in 3rd. Shwartzman and Jake Hughes completed the front five ahead of Vips, DeFrancesco, Pulcini, Logan Sargeant and Liam Lawson.
    Daruvala will be hunting down his first win since Round 2 when Race 1 gets underway at 2.05pm IST (10.35am local time) on Saturday morning.
    About Jehan Daruvala: The 20-year-old Jehan began his career in Karting at the age of 10. Since then he has won the Indian National Karting Championship, the Malaysian Junior Yamaha Karting Championship, the FIA CIK Asia Pacific KF3 Championship, and the British SuperOne National Karting Championship. Jehan remains the only Indian on the podium of any FIA World Championship when he was second runner up of the FIA CIK World Karting Championship. Jehan also remains the only Indian to win a Grand Prix, when he won the New Zealand Grand Prix and later went on to become the only Indian to win a race in the erstwhile FIA F3 European Championship, which used slower cars. Earlier this year Jehan was selected by Prema Racing, one of the world’s most successful Junior Racing teams’ to drive for them in this year’s new, FIA F3 Championship. He already has two wins and five podiums and is currently third in the F3 leaderboard.
    FIA Formula 3 Round 6 – Qualifying provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    LAPTIME
    LAPS
    1
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    2:05.125
    11
    2
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    2:05.356
    10
    3
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2:05.540
    10
    4
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    2:05.605
    11
    5
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    2:05.614
    10
    6
    Jüri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    2:05.625
    11
    7
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    2:05.640
    11
    8
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    2:05.701
    11
    9
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    2:05.709
    11
    10
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    2:06.060
    11
    11
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    2:06.187
    10
    12
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    2:06.207
    11
    13
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    2:06.255
    11
    14
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    2:06.270
    11
    15
    Ye Yifei
    Hitech Grand Prix
    2:06.274
    11
    16
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    2:06.289
    10
    17
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    2:06.333
    10
    18
    Giorgio Carrara
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2:06.396
    11
    19
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    2:06.400
    10
    20
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    2:06.420
    10
    21
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    2:06.475
    11
    22
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    2:06.537
    10
    23
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    2:06.606
    10
    24
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:06.614
    10
    25
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    2:07.251
    10
    26
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2:07.475
    10
    27
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    2:07.503
    10
    28
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:08.014
    10
    29
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:08.076
    9
    30
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    2:08.898
    10
  • Hughes fastest in Spa-Francorchamps Free Practice; Jehan Daruvala 15th: F3

    Hughes fastest in Spa-Francorchamps Free Practice; Jehan Daruvala 15th: F3

    Jake Hughes (GBR) HWA RACELAB. An FIA F3 image

    Spa-Francorchamps, 30 August 2019: Jake Hughes showed no signs of a summer break hangover, carrying on his good form from Round 5 and topping today’s Free Practice in Spa-Francorchamps. The HWA RACELAB man was electric on his penultimate tour of the Belgian circuit to finish ahead of Trident’s Niko Kari and Campos Racing’s Alex Peroni in a new look top 10.

    Around half of the grid set out onto the track when the session got underway and it was Lirim Zendeli who put in the first lap, before Devlin DeFrancesco set the standard at 2:11.153. Giorgio  Carrara – in just his third FIA Formula 3 outing – then took the time to under 2m 10s, as the rest of the field began to filter out onto the track.
    From then on, Pedro Piquet began to dominate the session, initially taking the lead on his first flying lap, before beating his own time to secure first at the halfway point. The order beneath him remained in a constant state of evolution – Logan Sargeant, Ye Yifei and Leonardo Pulcini were amongst the drivers to prop up the Brazilian and sit in second place.
    Round 5’s top performers, ART Grand Prix, began to get their bearings in the second half of Free Practice and Christian Lundgaard leapt to first, followed closely by teammate David Beckmann.
    With less than 15 minutes to go, the teams dived in the pits for a freshen-up. Most returned with seven minutes on the clock, but Lundgaard’s departure from the pits was stalled as he required a new steering wheel.
    Upon the Dane’s return, Fabio Scherer had climbed a mammoth 27 places to steal his place at the top of the standings with a laptime of 2:06.912. This was short lived as Liam Lawson, Yifei and Peroni all took turns in first place.
    Looking to make a statement, Hughes set a purple Sector 2 and sailed around the track with less than five minutes on the clock in search of P1. The Brit fought off traffic on a crowded track to set the quickest time of the morning.
    With time left for just one more lap, no one was able to topple the HWA RACELAB driver’s time of 2:05.929, as Kari and Peroni settled for places in the top three. Yifei, Richard Verschoor and Lawson completed the top five, followed by Bent Viscaal, Scherer, Raoul Hyman and Andreas Estner.
    Action will resume for Qualifying at 5.50pm local time and the new look top ten will hope to carry their positive starts into the all-important race for pole.
    FIA Formula 3 Round 6 – Qualifying provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    LAPTIME
    LAPS
    1
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    2:05.929
    13
    2
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    2:06.462
    15
    3
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    2:06.479
    15
    4
    Ye Yifei
    Hitech Grand Prix
    2:06.512
    16
    5
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    2:06.544
    17
    6
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    2:06.629
    15
    7
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    2:06.895
    14
    8
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:06.912
    17
    9
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:06.915
    15
    10
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2:06.968
    17
    11
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    2:07.013
    12
    12
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    2:07.023
    16
    13
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    2:07.033
    16
    14
    Giorgio Carrara
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2:07.158
    16
    15
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    2:07.742
    15
    16
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    2:07.797
    12
    17
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    2:07.897
    14
    18
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    2:07.913
    14
    19
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    2:07.930
    15
    20
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    2:07.981
    15
    21
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    2:07.982
    13
    22
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    2:08.121
    14
    23
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    2:08.167
    15
    24
    Juri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    2:08.283
    14
    25
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    2:08.331
    16
    26
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    2:08.826
    13
    27
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    2:08.857
    14
    28
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    2:08.913
    13
    29
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    2:10.457
    14
    30
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    2:10.734
    14

  • Armstrong leads from lights-to-flag for first win; Jehan Daruvala finishes P7

    Budapest, 4 August 2019: Marcus Armstrong ruled Race 2 in Budapest with a lights-to-flag finish that saw him cross the line a massive 12s ahead of Leonardo Pulcini for his first ever FIA Formula 3 win.
    The PREMA man had spent a mammoth 97 Laps inside of the top three ahead of Round 5, but was yet to have a victory to show for it. He set the record straight on Sunday with a dominant drive around the Hungaroring, ahead of Hitech Grand Prix racer Pulcini and HWA RACELAB’s Jake Hughes
    The Kiwi brushed off an attack at the start from the Italian, who attempted to pass him on the second turn. The duo kissed tyres, which forced Pulcini to ease off and allowed Armstrong to scuttle on ahead.
    There was little movement in behind, with most of the top ten clinging onto their original positions. Felipe Drugovich in particular was hanging onto 3rd by a thread. He was being hounded and harried by the dazzling red PREMA of Robert Shwartzman, but just about survived the opening few laps.
    The battle continued as the lap tally hit double figures and still Drugovich would not falter. PREMA urged Shwartzman to overtake, but he was struggling to find the speed or the space. Eventually he gathered enough power to pull side-by-side with the Carlin Buzz racer, who remained just millimetres in front.
    Just as Drugovich thought he had held on, his tyre was struck by the front-wing of Shwartzman, which tore into his rubber and caused a puncture. He quickly dropped back and would eventually retire from the pits. Shwartzman was momentarily in 3rd, but his front-wing was battered and his bruised PREMA couldn’t sustain the pace and he too dropped back, before also retiring from the pits. Stewards swiftly deemed the collision a racing incident that required no further investigation.
    This handed Jüri Vips the podium place he came so close to clinching in Race 1. Initially, it was Max Fewrtell in behind, but the Briton slowed and fell out of contention. This allowed Hughes into 4th and a chance at a second podium place. Race 1 repeated itself as the HWA racer bombed down the side of the Estonian on the straight and into the first corner for 3rd.
    The chaos going on behind had allowed Pulcini to put 18s between himself and 3rd place, while Armstrong topped the pack by 12s, meaning the duo crossed the line unchallenged. In 3rd remained Hughes, with his second podium of the weekend, as Vips and Christian Lundgaard completed the top five. Yuki Tsunoda finished 6th, ahead of Jehan Daruvala, who had managed to climb into the points for the first time this weekend. Logan Sargeant, Liam Lawson and Bent Viscaal completed the top ten.
    Having missed out on the points in Race 2, Shwartzman’s lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship has been slashed to just 12, ahead of Vips, who is on 112. Jehan Daruvala is only eight behind, while Armstrong has 98. Lundgaard completes the top five with 73. In the Teams’ Championship, PREMA retain their stranglehold with 326, ahead of Hitech Grand Prix on 165 and ART Grand Prix on 147. HWA RACELAB are fourth with 66 and Trident 5th with 58.
    With the title chase closer than ever and just 20 points separating the top three in the Championship, the next round in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium will be unmissable, when racing returns at the end of August.
    2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship – Race 2 provisional classification
    DRIVER
    TEAM
    1
    Marcus Armstrong
    PREMA Racing
    2
    Leonardo Pulcini
    Hitech Grand Prix
    3
    Jake Hughes
    HWA RACELAB
    4
    Juri Vips
    Hitech Grand Prix
    5
    Christian Lundgaard
    ART Grand Prix
    6
    Yuki Tsunoda
    Jenzer Motorsport
    7
    Jehan Daruvala
    PREMA Racing
    8
    Logan Sargeant
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    9
    Liam Lawson
    MP Motorsport
    10
    Bent Viscaal
    HWA RACELAB
    11
    Devlin DeFrancesco
    Trident
    12
    Niko Kari
    Trident
    13
    Fabio Scherer
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    14
    Keyvan Andres
    HWA RACELAB
    15
    Andreas Estner
    Jenzer Motorsport
    16
    Alex Peroni
    Campos Racing
    17
    Richard Verschoor
    MP Motorsport
    18
    Simo Laaksonen
    MP Motorsport
    19
    David Beckmann
    ART Grand Prix
    20
    Lirim Zendeli
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    21
    Giorgio Carrara
    Jenzer Motorsport
    22
    Ye Yifei
    Hitech Grand Prix
    23
    Sebastian Fernandez
    Campos Racing
    24
    Max Fewtrell
    ART Grand Prix
    25
    Raoul Hyman
    Sauber Junior Team by Charouz
    26
    Alessio Deledda
    Campos Racing
    27
    Pedro Piquet
    Trident
    NOT CLASSIFIED
    Robert Shwartzman
    PREMA Racing
    Felipe Drugovich
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    Teppei Natori
    Carlin Buzz Racing
    OVERALL FASTEST LAP
    Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Racing) – 1:35.307 on Lap 4
    FASTEST LAP ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
    Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Racing)