Race Report

GP3 SERIES

Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps (B), Length 7,003 km, 24^th/25^th August 2013, Rounds 11 & 12
www.spa-francorchamps.be

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2013:
Samin Gomez (VEN), Patric Niederhauser (CH) and Alex Fontana (CH)

Top ten position for Niederhauser at Spa

The GP3 Series met up at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps (B) circuit, as ever racing as one of the support races for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. This was their sixth outing out of a total of eight supporting the 2013 Grand Prix Programme.

Race One Qualifying

Saturday, 27/07/13, 09.45 – 10.15, Weather: Overcast, 20°C

In free practice in bright sunshine on Friday Alex was 11^th, Patric was 12^th and Samin was 22^nd. The weather also stayed dry for the qualifying session on Saturday morning, although as forecast black clouds were coming nearer quite quickly. Alex managed several fast laps, and was 6^th at the end of the session. Patric was not able to improve towards the end and fell back to 17^th place. Samin drove well, but lost a little too much time in the middle sector and ended up in 21^st place on the grid. In technical scrutineering afterwards Alex’s car was found to be too low. As a penalty all his lap times were disallowed and he had to start right from the back of the grid in the first race. Other penalties were handed out and Patric and Samin moved up the order because of this.

GP3 Series

Race One (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 27/07/13, 17.20, Weather: Cloudy, 20°C

Surprisingly the rain did not arrive as forecast and the race started on a dry track. Despite this there was an accident which required the Safety Car to be deployed although it only took one lap to clear away Zonzini’s car. Webster was able to make it back on his own to the pitlane but at the restart new disaster struck, which involved us. Patric was in 13^th when Fong left his braking way too late and took both of them out of the race. Fong was later put back 10 places on the grid for the Sunday race for causing this collision but unfortunately this didn’t help Patric much. The two damaged cars were left in a dangerous position, and the Safety Car had to take over the field yet again. The restart on lap five was finally successful and at this point Alex was 17^th and Samin 19^th. Alex pulled off a fine overtaking manoeuvre to pass Williamson for 16^th place but a lap later he was back down to 18^th, just in front of Samin, and then he pulled into the pitlane complaining of a slow puncture, which had developed since a first lap incident. The wheel had to be changed. After an accident involving Sainz and Harvey, battling for 3^rd, the Safety Car was deployed for a third time. That allowed Alex to catch the field and to slot in in last place. At the restart, which took place a corner before the finishing line, overtaking was not permitted but Alex still overtook Vainio and crossed the finishing line in 20^th. He was handed a 20 second penalty afterwards and which put him back to 21^st. Samin managed all the starts and restarts without making any mistakes and had driven flawlessly. She took the chequered flag as best team driver in a very good 16^th place.

The grid for the second race of the weekend was set by reversing the order of the first eight finishers in the first race, with the rest of the places set according to finishing order in the first race.

GP3 Series

Race Two (30 Minutes)

Sunday, 28/07/13, 09.25, Weather: Cloudy, 16°C

The damp from the nightly rainfall was nearly gone on Sunday morning and everyone started on slick tyres. Patric managed an excellent start, and was able to make up several places immediately. He came back round in 14^th position at the end of lap one. Samin got sandwiched and lost a few places, which put her 19^th with Alex just behind her in 20^th place. Patric had a super race and made up places lap by lap. On lap three he set the fastest lap of the race, then overtook Fumanelli, Sa Silva, Venturini and towards the end Williamson in an especially impressive manoeuvre. Now he was 9^th and in the Top Ten, but time was running out and he couldn’t manage any more overtaking. Alex was making equally good progress and he too worked his way past Fumanelli and Sa Silva and then, in the closing stages, he made a beautiful overtaking move on Carlos Sainz, yesterday’s pole man, going through on the inside. Alex set a new fastest lap of the race on lap five and crossed the finish line in a good 12^th place. Samin was fighting courageously with Eriksson and Harvey, but soon had to drive back to the pitlane with a slow puncture. The tyre was changed and she continued with the race, but she was really unlucky, because two laps before the end she had to abandon the race with another puncture.
The next event will be part of the programme of the F1 GP at Monza, Italy, on the weekend of 8^th September 2013.

Championship standings after 12 out of 16 races:

1^st Facu Regalia (ARG), 115 points; 2^nd Conor Daly (USA), 101 points; 3^rd Tio Ellinas (CYP), 95 points; 4^th Kevin Korjus (EST), 93 points; 5^th Daniil Kvyat (RUS), 88 points; 6^th Aaro Vainio (FIN), 75 points; 13^th Patric Niederhauser (CH), 29 points; 16^th Alex Fontana (CH), 18 points

2013 GP3 Series

For more information:

• www.gp3series.com
• www.italiaracing.net