PREMA Racing delivers outstanding 1-2 finish in wet race 3
PREMA Racing posted a 1-2 finish in damp conditions today at Hungaroring. Lining up for the final race of the FIA Formula 3 weekend at the Hungarian GP venue, Dennis Hauger and Arthur Leclerc put up a brilliant battle which eventually saw the Norweigian prevail, with the Monegasque trailing him in P2.
The 18-year-old Red Bull Junior driver started from the front row and got around the outside of his pole-sitting teammate on lap 9. Hauger then controlled the pace and secured his third win of the season.
Leclerc kept putting pressure on him as tyre management became crucial and the track got drier and drier in the final stages. By finishing second, the Ferrari Driver Academy man got his second podium of the year and dramatically improved his championship position.
Starting from P9, Olli Caldwell showed pace and persistency as he fought his way to the top-8 despite the challenges of a highly competitive midpack.
With this weekend’s results, PREMA Racing increased its lead at the top of the team championship, while Hauger gave additional steam to his title hopes. He now stands at the top of the driver classification with a 63-point margin.
#1 DENNIS HAUGER
#1 – Dennis Hauger
“We scored really good points and I’m really happy for the win. In the beginning, I tried to stay with Arthur and create a small gap to the other cars. We had a decent pace mid-race, and when it started to dry up, I found some good lines. I got around the outside in turn 2 and again tried to create a gap while keeping the tyres in their window, because it was drying really quickly by then. Overall it was a really good weekend and a great rhythm we have to keep going with.”
Qualifying: P2
Starting Grid Race 1: P11
Starting Grid Race 2: P8
Starting Grid Race 3: P2
Fastest lap: 1:33.253
Race 1: P5
Race 2: P5
Race 3: P1
#2 ARTHUR LECLERC
“It has been a difficult race as I’m still struggling to understand the wet tyres at the moment. I think Hauger and Doohan have much more experience in this aspect. The first part of the race was not bad, but after a few laps Dennis found some lines that I didn’t really explore, so he was able to overtake me in turn 2. While I was behind, I tried his lines immediately and we managed to be a bit faster, with really close lap times to him. It’s positive that, once we gain the experience we need, we can keep up the pace!”
Qualifying: P1
Starting Grid Race 1: P15
Starting Grid Race 2: P13
Starting Grid Race 3: P1
Fastest lap: 1’33″164
Race 1: P13
Race 2: P11
Race 3: P2
#3 OLLI CALDWELL
“Not the best race in the world, but overall we gained in the championship this weekend and that was the main goal. I can’t be unhappy about that. Now we will just reset over the summer break and come back stronger for the last three rounds.”
Qualifying: P9
Starting Grid Race 1: P4
Starting Grid Race 2: P11
Starting Grid Race 3: P9
Fastest lap: 1:33.704
Race 1: P2
Race 2: P29
Race 3: P8
Source | Photo: PREMA Racing