PREMA delivers double podium finish in Imola Sprint Race
PREMA Racing secured a double podium finish in the opening race of the FIA Formula 3 Championship weekend at Imola today, with Jehan Daruvala scoring second place and Dennis Hauger finishing third at the end of an extremely consistent run.
Starting from P3 and P8 respectively, the Red Bull Junior pairing had a sensational start on a dry track, moving up to P2 and P3 at the start. They then continued to push throughout the whole run although they were eventually unable to go for the lead. For the Indian, it is the third podium of a really solid year so far, while the Norwegian achieved his maiden top-3 result since his Sakhir debut. Hauger continued to climb his rookie learning curve in the series and to gain additional confidence.
After a tricky initial part, the race turned out smoothly with only one early safety car and a VSC.
#1 DENNIS HAUGER
“We made a big step, and I’m definitely feeling more at ease with the car. We had the pace to fight at the top. It was a bit tricky at the beginning, and my rear started to lose a bit before coming back at the end. We know what we have to improve tomorrow, also for the driving, as it was the first time on the dry for everyone. Hopefully we can get a few more steps up tomorrow to fight for that win.”
Qualifying: P5
Starting position Race 1: P6
Fastest Lap: 1’40″572
Race 1: P3
#2 JEHAN DARUVALA
“Decent start to the weekend with P2 and P3 for the team. The race went well as I had quite a good start, better than the two drivers on the front row, although I got a bit boxed in. After that, it was relatively straightforward. I tried to attack quite a lot, but I couldn’t really get through. In the end, P2 and P3 is really strong. Hopefully, tomorrow we can have another clean race and move as far forward as possible.”
Qualifying: P8
Starting position Race 1: P3
Fastest Lap: 1’40″886
Race 1: P2
Source | Photo: PREMA Racing