TOP-FIVE FINISH FOR DAMS IN GP3 AT JEREZ

DAMS scored a strong top-five at Jerez, with Dan Ticktum flying to fourth in only his second GP3 Series weekend.

Red Bull Junior Ticktum was also fighting for a podium in the Sprint Race, before being hit out in the closing stages.

Sauber F1 Development Driver Tatiana Calderon collected her second points finish in a row with eighth, while Brazilian Bruno Baptista was unable to add to his season’s tally.

Free Practice & Qualifying

After an excellent showing on his GP3 debut at Monza, Ticktum was quickly up to speed in Spain, going fifth fastest in practice, before improving to fourth in his first qualifying session.

Coming off the back off her strongest series result yet, Calderon also showed promising speed, posting the ninth fastest time in practice and qualifying a personal-best eighth.

Baptista went 10th fastest in practice to confirm DAMS’ strong pace at the Andalusian track, but was unable to match it in qualifying and could only manage 20th.

Dan Ticktum: “I still haven’t done a lot of laps in the car, so I was very pleased with the pace I showed early in the weekend. The set-up was good and I knew we could challenge the guys ahead in the race.”

Tatiana Calderon: “The car felt great in both practice and qualifying. It was my third top-10 in a row, which shows how much we’ve improved as the season’s progressed.”

Bruno Baptista: “Practice went well, but I made a couple of mistakes in qualifying on my fast laps and had to start at the back.”

Feature and Sprint Races

In the Feature Race, Ticktum matched the leaders’ pace and stormed to an emphatic fourth. The Brit made up a place from fifth in the opening stages of the sprint and was challenging for a podium when he was pushed off into the gravel, ending his weekend.

Calderon was hit in the first corner of race one and dropped outside the top 10 to finish 13th. In the Sprint Race, the Colombian made some good overtakes in the opening stages and was quickly up to 10th. She finished ninth, but was promoted to eighth after a penalty ahead.

Baptista improved from the back of the grid to 16th in the Feature Race, before making further gains on Sunday to finish 13th.

Dan Ticktum: “We showed a lot of pace in the races. We were as quick, if not quicker than the ART cars, so it’s disappointing to have been taken out of the sprint. The driver was penalised, and there are still plenty of positives to take.”

Tatiana Calderon: “I had a good start in race one, but was hit and dropped behind slower cars. I’m happy to be rewarded for our performance in race two though and I’d like to thank the team for their hard work this weekend.”

Bruno Baptista: “It’s difficult to overtake at this track, so I was unable to make the progress our pace deserved. The team have been very supportive and we are aiming to be back in the points at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.”

François Sicard, Managing Director: “This was an encouraging weekend for the team. Ticktum has done an incredible job. In his first qualifying session he was fourth and to be fighting for the podium in both races is very good. It’s a shame that he was taken out in the sprint but overall we can still be happy. Calderon confirmed our speed with another great qualifying performance and points finish. She didn’t get the results she deserved, but will be right in the mix at Abu Dhabi. Baptista is working hard, he showed good pace in the races and is always improving.”

The finale of the 2017 GP3 Series takes place at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (24-26 November).