INDIA in F1

Tag: European Formula 3

  • New FIA Formula 3 European Champion crowned: Mick Schumacher has done it!

    New FIA Formula 3 European Champion crowned: Mick Schumacher has done it!

    Mick Schumacher in action. A Mercedes AMG Motorsport image

    Mick Schumacher secures the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship title on the final weekend at Hockenheim

    • On the way to winning the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Mick registered 7 pole positions, 8 wins and 13 podiums
    • At Spielberg, Mick secured the 500th victory for a car powered by a Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine
    • Mick Schumacher: “It’s a slightly unreal feeling – I’m absolutely delighted.”
    • Toto Wolff: “Congratulations to Mick on winning the FIA Formula 3 European Championship title. Attention was focused on the youngster right from the start, and he was under a lot of pressure.”

    Hockenheim: We now know the destination of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship winner’s trophy for 2018. Second place in the second race on the final weekend of the campaign at Hockenheim was enough for Mick Schumacher to claim his first title in a junior formula series. At the end of his second season as a member of the PREMA Theodore Racing squad, driving a car powered by a Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine, the 19-year-old German became the new champion with a points tally of 347.

    “It’s a slightly unreal feeling – I’m absolutely delighted,” said Mick. “I still can’t quite believe it. All I can say is thank you to everyone in the team for your support during this incredible season.”

    Mick was undoubtedly the standout driver of the second half of the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship. His first win of the campaign came as late as the 15th round contested on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps rollercoaster in the Belgian Ardennes, a circuit on which he had driven a demo lap in the 1994 Benetton B194 Formula 1 championship-winning car the year before.

    After his maiden victory in the racing series at Spa, he then went on to win at least one race on each of the subsequent weekends, including Silverstone, Misano, the Nürburgring and Spielberg. The impressive statistics behind this late surge to the top are eight wins in twelve races, five of them in a row. In the context of the race weekend at the Nürburgring, Mick also put in a number of demo laps at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM race taxi.

    “Congratulations to Mick on winning the FIA Formula 3 European Championship title,” said Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff. “Attention was focused on the youngster right from the start, and he was under a lot of pressure. It’s not easy coping with all that, especially if the season does not get off to the best of starts, as in this case. His performance in the second half of the season was therefore all the more impressive. He has shown that he has what it takes and that he can become one of the greats in our sport. We are also obviously delighted that he registered a 500th race win for Mercedes in F3 and that he secured the title in a Mercedes-powered car.”

    There was another small milestone for Mercedes power in the Saturday race on the penultimate race weekend at Spielberg when Mick secured victory number 500 for the brand. This grand total includes wins in the German, British and Australian championships, the EuroSeries, the FIA European Championship, the Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau and the F3 Masters in Zandvoort.

    The first Formula 3 engine (M271) from Mercedes-AMG was developed from the production engine of the C-class and E-class. It made its race debut on the inaugural weekend of the German Formula 3 Championship in 2002 at Hockenheim. The M271 was replaced at the start of the 2014 season by its successor, the F3 414 with four cylinders, a maximum two litres of displacement and direct fuel injection.

    This title win puts Mick in among a select band of racers. Previous winners of the F3 title in cars powered by a Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine include Lewis Hamilton, Esteban Ocon, Paul Di Resta and Daniel Juncadella.

    European Formula 3 champions powered by Mercedes 

    Season Series Driver
    2004 F3ES Jamie Green
    2005 F3ES Lewis Hamilton
    2006 F3ES Paul Di Resta
    2007 F3ES Romain Grosjean
    2008 F3ES Nico Hülkenberg
    2009 F3ES Jules Bianchi
    2011 F3ES Roberto Merhi
    2012 F3ES Daniel Juncadella
    2013 F3EC Raffaele Marciello
    2014 F3EC Esteban Ocon
    2015 F3EC Felix Rosenqvist
    2016 F3EC Lance Stroll
    2018 F3EC Mick Schumacher

    Below are ten interesting facts, figures and milestones about Mercedes power in Formula 3:

    • 1st victory: Markus Winkelhock at the Nürburgring in the 2002 German Formula 3 Championship
    • 7 Macau victories: On seven occasions (2004 – 2006, 2011, 2013 – 2015), victory in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix on the Guia street circuit has gone to the driver of a Mercedes-powered car.
    • 14 of the Mercedes-powered winners subsequently switched to the DTM.
    • 25 of the Mercedes-powered winners later made the step up to Formula 1.
    • 29 winning teams: That’s the number of teams who won at least one race with a Formula 3 engine supplied by Mercedes-AMG.
    • 33 wins: Felix Rosenqvist is the driver who has prevailed on most occasions in a car powered by a Mercedes-AMG Formula 3 engine. He is followed by James Winslow (23), Raffaele Marciello (21) and Lewis Hamilton (18).
    • 100th victory: Nico Hülkenberg in the Formula 3 Euro Series at the Norisring in 2007.
    • 122 different winners: That’s the number of drivers who have won at least one Formula 3 race with Mercedes power.
    • 132 wins: Prema Theodore Racing were responsible for more of the 500 Formula 3 wins than any other team. ASM are second on 86 and Mücke Motorsport third on 52.
    • 250th victory: Mitch Evans in the Australian Formula 3 at Wakefield in 2010.
  • Mick Schumacher puts the Italian team on Victory mode at Misano

    Mick Schumacher puts the Italian team on Victory mode at Misano

    Mick Schumacher on way to his victory at Misano on Saturday. An FIA image

    Event: 07 Misano
    Session: Race 1
    Track: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli / I
    Pole position: Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing)
    Race winner: Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing)
    Weather: overcast, 31.4 °C

    After his victories at Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone, Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing) also confirmed his current good shape at the 4.226 kilometres long Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. The German, who is racing for the only Italian team in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, won the 19th race of the season from the two rookie drivers Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Theodore Racing) and Robert Shvartzman (PREMA Theodore Racing). In the drivers’ standings, Daniel Ticktum (Motopark) remains in the lead, the Brit took the chequered flag at Misano in sixth place.

    Once the red lights on the start line gantry went out, Mick Schumacher took the lead. Marcus Armstrong claimed second place from Robert Shvartzman and Guanyu Zhou (PREMA Theodore Racing), who had to defend his position from a charging Daniel Ticktum in the first corners. Soon after that, Zhou had pulled a slight gap and went on to put Shvartman under pressure in the battle for third. However, the young Russian successfully defended his position from the experienced Russian.

    Out in front, Schumacher maintained his margin at around 1.5 seconds throughout the race and eventually crossed the finish line as the winner, just over two seconds ahead of his teammate Armstrong. Shvartzman secured the final podium slot. Thus, drivers of the PREMA Theodore Racing team locked out the podium in the squad’s home race.

    Having overtaken his teammate Daniel Ticktum around the halfway point of the race, Jüri Vips (Motopark) finished fifth. The Brit brought sixth place home, just ahead of Ralf Aron (PREMA Theodore Racing) and Alex Palou (Hitech Bullfrog GP). Jehan Daruvala (Carlin) and Jonathan Aberdein (Motopark) rounded out the top ten.

    Mick Schumacher (PREMA Theodore Racing): “The potential has always been there, but initially, we weren’t able to make full use of it. Since Spa-Francorchamps, however, things have been going pretty well and I am happy that I am now also able to show what I can achieve in the races. Today, I was able to pull a gap at the start and on the first lap and then I tried to manage it.”

    Marcus Armstrong (PREMA Theodore Racing): “Mick was really good on the opening lap and was able to pull a gap straight away. After that, I was no longer in a position to still put him under pressure, although I had actually planned it. I think that the PREMA Theodore Racing team is so strong here at Misano as both the team and we as the drivers have a lot of experience at this track.”

    Robert Shvartzman (PREMA Theodore Racing): “I had a close fight with my teammate Guanyu Zhou, we were certainly fighting side by side for five laps. It was a nice and a fair battle, in which I finally got a little more room to breathe after he had made a mistake.”

  • Jehan Daruvala opens European Formula 3 season with podium at Pau

    Jehan Daruvala opens European Formula 3 season with podium at Pau

    Photo courtesy Jehan’s twitter handle @DaruvalaJehan

    Pau (France) 14 May 2018: Sahara Force India Academy racer Jehan Daruvala began his 2018 campaign in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with a podium in Race 3 of the season opener. Jehan created history last year, when he became the first Indian ever to win a race in the FIA F3 European Championship when he dominated and won at Nuremburg in Germany.

    The first round of the 2018 season was held on the famous street circuit of Pau in southern France. Jehan, the 19-year old from Mumbai and driving for Carlin team, qualified just 0.29 seconds off the quickest, but the extremely competitive grid meant that he would start seventh.

    In the next qualifying session, Jehan was supremely quick. He was all set to bag pole position, but a slower car in front of him meant Jehan was blocked and he qualified down in seventh and fifth for the remaining races.

    The highlight of Jehan’s weekend was when he made a brilliant start from fifth on a completely wet circuit in Race 3. The Indian teenager climbed two places before corner 1 and thereafter made no mistakes in the treacherous conditions around the tight street circuit.

    Jehan was comfortable in third, when the race was stopped 13 minutes before schedule due to the un-driveable wet conditions, sealing Jehan’s podium.

    Jehan Daruvala (Carlin) in action at Pau, France

    Jehan said: “At the start, I was able to move up from fifth to third place. Initially, the two drivers in front of me were faster and were able to pull a gap. Later on, I made a mistake: I hit a kerb and from then on, I was afraid that my suspension could break. That had happened to me in the first race already and it was always in the back of my mind. Therefore, perhaps it was good for me that the race was stopped, because nobody was able to take third place away from me.”

    Earlier in the weekend, Jehan had a poor start for Race 1 and lost a couple of places before climbing up to seventh. A mechanical failure with the suspension due to no fault of his own saw Jehan retire from the race. In Race 2, Jehan started seventh and ultimately finished sixth after another racer crashed.

    Jehan’s podium in Race 3, popularly known as the Pau Grand Prix, was the highlight of his weekend which was otherwise compromised due to situations beyond his control. His pace has been right up there in the series which is arguably one of the most important steps to Formula 1 and certainly one of the most competitive.

    “I made a mistake in the first qualifying which cost me pole. In the second qualifying, I was unfortunately held up which again cost me pole position. I am very happy with my pace, especially in the wet. I am now much more confident and up there. After all the things that went wrong, I am relieved with the podium this weekend. It’s time to put this behind me and continue working hard for the rest of the season,” said Jehan.

    The second of the 10-round championship will be held at the Hungaroring F1 circuit in Hungary on June 2-3.