The German Team kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport scored triple at the Formula 3 European Championship
Berlin can do the triple as well: What the FC Bayern Munich accomplished in soccer is almost like what the German Team kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport did this weekend (1st/2nd of June) at the Formula 3 European Championship on the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (Austria). Being the first driver in the European Championship at all to achieve that, the Swede Felix Rosenqvist dominated all three races and won at the fifth season event with the races 13 to 15 on the 4.326 km long track through mountains and valleys. The 21 year old, who scored his season wins three, four and five, is now close to the Italian leader Raffaele Marciello (both Dallara Mercedes) in the rankings at the end of the first season half of the Formula 3 European Championship. Marciello has not been on the podium in Spielberg and now has only 27.5 more points than the Mücke pilot.
„Felix did everything right and achieved a great result. 75 points out of three races is the optimum“, team principal Peter Mücke said on Sunday. „He now has a great basic position to fight for the title at the second half of the season.“ Felix Rosenqvist, who wrote history with his three wins in a row with the Mücke team at the Formula 3 European Championship, was very happy. „According to the points this weekend has just been perfect. I could shorten the gap to Raffaele extensively“, the Swede said. „A big thank you to the team that gave and secured a fantastic car to drive for me the whole weekend.“
Rosenqvist started in his Dallara Mercedes from starting positions two, three and three, got the fastest lap time in all races and finished first ahead the Russian guest driver Daniil Kvyat (Dallara Volkswagen), who is not able to gather points for the European Championship. Mücke pilot Michael Lewis, who is behind the wheel for the racing stable from the German capital city since the racing weekend in Silverstone, got his first points this season. The US American finished on position nine and ten on Saturday, but got the points for the positions eight and nine because of the guest driver on position two. On Sunday he finished on position 15.
The Mücke rookie Roy Nissany (Israel) got one point as well on position eleven in the morning race on Saturday and on Sunday he finished on position ten. He finished 15th on Saturday afternoon. The Australian rookie Mitchell Gilbert (all Dallara Mercedes), who finished on position 25 because of bad luck at the first lap in the morning race on Saturday and discarded on Sunday, finished on position 14 on Saturday afternoon ahead Nissany. The race was cancelled three laps before the end because of an accident.
Felix Rosenqvist showed his well-known super-starts in all races again and took in the first race the lead and kept it until the end with a big gap to the followers. This time the conditions were better, at the Qualifying on Friday (31st of May) it rained heavily. And in the other races, after a few turns, you didn’t have to wait too long to see him on the leading position. And he was able to develop his lead and the gap to his combatants extensively. Even a Safety Car phase on Sunday after the second lap and the Re-Start in lap eight couldn’t stop him at all. So with his three wins the Swede obviously finished his business from last year now on the Red Bull Ring. Last year he started on pole position, but he didn’t finish on the podium in the races. Now the pleasure is even bigger for the European Championship third of last year. „That is just amazing.“
Peter Mücke was very happy about the results of his other drivers as well. „They did well too in this very strong field – for example Michael Lewis with his first two top ten placings this year. And Roy Nissany was able to get points two times. It was very bad luck and sad for Mitchell Gilbert, whose car was damaged right after the start because of accidents in two races.“ The second season half of the Formula 3 European Championship is scheduled from 12th to 14th of July on the Norisring in Nürnberg with the races 16 to 18.
(Attached to this mail photos of Felix Rosenqvist, Roy Nissany and Michael Lewis on the Red Bull Ring: © Alexander Trienitz)
