Race Report
GP3 SERIES
Circuit: Jerez (E), Length 4.428 km, 6th/8th October 2017, Rounds 13 & 14
www.circuitodejerez.com
JENZER MOTORSPORT 2017:
Alessio Lorandi (I), Juan Manuel Correa (USA) and Arjun Maini (IND)
Lorandi wins in Jerez!
The GP3 Series went to the well-known Jerez de la Frontera (E) circuit in southern Spain. There the seventh event of 2017 took place together with F2. The weather was still very summery and hot and everybody was keen to show their best pace.
Race One Qualifying
Friday, 06/10/17, 14.00 – 14.30, Weather: Sunny, 30°C
The free practice session was held on Friday morning. Our drivers were relatively inexperienced on this track and it showed somewhat. Arjun reached 12th place, Juan Manuel was 15th and Alessio was 18th.
The qualifying session was held a mere three hours after the end of free practice and in the afternoon heat it proved quite demanding. Alessio managed to improve significantly and reached an excellent 6th place on the grid. Juan Manuel was placed in 18th and Arjun found himself immediately behind Juan Manuel in 19th place.
After the session Alessio was given a penalty for hindering Pulcini when Pulcini was on his fastest lap and this costs him three grid places.
Race One Grid | |||
---|---|---|---|
1st | Nirei Fukuzumi (JPN) | ART | 1:30.678 |
2nd | Jack Aitken (GB) | ART | 1:30.847 |
3rd | George Russell (GB) | ART | 1:30.889 |
9th | Alessio Lorandi (I) | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:31.334 |
18th | Juan Manuel Correa (USA) | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:32.019 |
19th | Arjun Maini (IND) | Jenzer Motorsport | 1:32.139 |
GP3 Series
Race One (40 Minutes)
Saaturday, 07/10/17, 11.00, Weather: Sunny, 30°C
The race started shortly before midday, in the main heat of the day. There were some changes of position initially before the order was established. Alessio had moved up into 8th, Juan Manuel was 16th and Arjun had moved forward to 18th. All this proved that it’s not very easy to overtake on this circuit. Despite the use of DRS there were not many opportunities for advancement although Juan Manuel managed to attack and improve to 15th. Arjun also gained a place to finish the race in 17th place. Alessio managed to endure the pressure from Alesi for 22 laps, but on the 23rd and final lap he left the door open just a tad, which was enough for Alesi, who didn’t need a second invitation to get past! That meant Alessio finished 9th and had lost the much hoped for possibility of starting the second race from the reverse grid pole position!
However, after the race Alesi was penalised for pushing Alessio when he passed him. The penalty was to lose the place he had gained, meaning that Alessio finally got to start from pole position in the second race!
Results Race One | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Nirei Fukuzumi (JPN) | ART | 35:57.969 | |
2nd | George Russell (GB) | ART | Gap | 1.559 |
3rd | Jack Aitken (GB) | ART | Gap | 3.128 |
8th | Alessio Lorandi (I) | Jenzer Motorsport | ||
15th | Juan Manuel Correa (USA) | Jenzer Motorsport | ||
17th | Arjun Maini (IND) | Jenzer Motorsport | ||
Fastest lap: Raoul Hyman (RSA) in 1:33.073 |
Race Two Grid | |||
---|---|---|---|
1st | Alessio Lorandi (I) | Jenzer Motorsport | |
2nd | Dorian Boccolacci (F) | Trident | |
3rd | Niko Kari (FIN) | Arden | |
15th | Juan Manuel Correa (USA) | Jenzer Motorsport | |
17th | Arjun Maini (IND) | Jenzer Motorsport |
GP3 Series
Race Two (30 Minutes)
Sunday, 08/10/17, 11.00, Weather: Sunny, 27°C
Alessio made a brilliant start and immediately took the lead and although Boccolacci was close on his tail, and several times attempted an attack with the aid of DRS, he was never really close enough to endanger Alessio’s lead. Alessio drove an absolutely flawless race, which he controlled perfectly. Arjun had made up several places on the first lap and was driving well in 14th place. Juan Manuel fell back at the start and then settled into 17th place. However, just before the end of the race Ticktum attacked Kari and they touched. Ticktum flew off into the gravel and the Safety Car had to be deployed. After the restart there was just one race lap remaining. Alessio held his nerve and came home to his first category win in very convincing style. Kari was handed a 10 second penalty because of the accident with Ticktum and that cost him his third place. In the final results Arjun was listed in 12th and Juan Manuel in 16th.
The last race of the 2017 season traditionally takes place together with F1 at Abu Dhabi (UAE), on the weekend of 26th November 2017.
Results Race Two | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Alessio Lorandi (I) | Jenzer Motorsport | 28:05.939 | |
2nd | Dorian Boccolacci (F) | Trident | Gap | 0.743 |
3rd | Anthoine Hubert (F) | ART | Gap | 1.696 |
12th | Arjun Maini (IND) | Jenzer Motorsport | ||
16th | Juan Manuel Correa (USA) | Jenzer Motorsport | ||
Fastest lap: George Russell (GB) in 1:32.279 |
Championship standings after 14 out of 16 races:
1st George Russell (GB), 190 points; 2nd Jack Aitken (GB), 140 points; 3rd Nirei Fukuzumi (JPN), 134 points; 4th Anthoine Hubert (F), 117 points; 5th Giuliano Alesi (F), 100 points; 6th Alessio Lorandi (I), 82 points; 9th Arjun Maini (IND), 53 points
2017 GP3 Series
11th/14th May | 2017 Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espana | Catalunya (E) |
6th/9th July | 2017 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix | RedBull Ring (A) |
13th/16th July | 2017 Formula 1 British Grand Prix | Silverstone (GB) |
27th/30th July | 2017 Formula 1 Ing Magyar Nagydij | Hungaroring (HU) |
24th/27th August | 2017 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps (B) |
31st Aug/3rd September | 2017 Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia | Monza (I) |
5th/8th October | Stand alone event with FIA F2 | Jerez de la Frontera (E) |
23rd/26th November | 2017 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Abu Dhabi (UEA) |
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