Renn Report

2012 Formula 1 Ing Magyar Nagydij
GP3 SERIES

Circuit: Hungaroring (HU), Length 4,381 km, 28^th/29^th July 2012, Rounds 11 & 12
www.hungaroring.hu

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2012:
Robert Visoiu (ROM), Patric Niederhauser (CH) and Alex Fontana

2^nd place for Niederhauser in Budapest

The GP3 Series met up for their sixth race event on the narrow and demanding Hungaroring Circuit near Budapest, racing as one of the support races for the Formula 1 Ing Magyar Nagydij 2012.

Race One Qualifying

Saturday, 28/07/12, 09.45 – 10.15, Weather: Sunny, 27°C

In the middle of the morning air and track temperatures were already very high, and with some slower cars getting in their way during the critical final minutes of the session, our boys were unable to put together the optimal lap. Despite that they were 10^th and 11^th on the grid which was an improvement over previous outings. New boy Alex ended up 18th on the grid for race one.

GP3 Series

Race One (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 28/07/12, 17.20, Weather: Sunny, 32°C

The race started in bright sunshine with high temperatures. However Patric stalled and only got away after the rest of the field had set off. He was very fortunate that the drivers behind him all reacted quickly and a start line accident was averted. After the first lap he was up to 20^th and was determined to make up as many places as possible. Of course on such a fast, flowing track every attack must be carefully calculated; he was soon right behind Alex, who had maintained his position at the start. It took more than a handful of laps for Patric to get past and catch up with Regalia, and then it took some time to pass him too. Alex was able to follow suit a lap later, which meant the pair of them were now 16^th and 17^th and time was running out. Patric was able to reduce the gap to Brundle considerably, but there was no time left for another attack. Patric and Alex crossed the finish line nose to tail. Robert got boxed in at the start and lost a number of places, but soon managed to make up the places, spending a lot of the race in 12^th. Despite setting the fastest lap time of the race and getting very close to Venturini, he couldn’t quite find a way through. Robert took the chequered flag in 12^th.

The grid for the second race of the weekend is 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, 29/07/12, 09.25, Weather: Cloudy, 25°C

It rained during the morning and the track was still wet at the start but a handful of drivers including Patric opted to run on slicks from the start. Alex and Robert chose wet weather tyres, but even so Robert spun on the formation lap and had to head for the pits, where the damaged front wing had to be changed. This took time, as there was quite a lot of damage, so while he was in the team changed his tyres as well. By the time he rejoined he was a lap behind the pack and he ended the race back in 22^nd despite setting some of the fastest laps of the race. Initially the track was very slippery and some of the front runners spun off as a result. On lap 7, just before the halfway mark, the lap times from drivers on slicks and drivers on wets began to equalise and so more and more drivers headed for the pits to change to slicks. That shook up the order considerably. Alex was 6^th on lap 12, but soon found he was unable to hold off those drivers who were on slicks, as they were now 10 seconds a lap faster, and he was bundled back to 15^th. Patric had to wait a long time until the decision to start on slicks took effect, and he was then able to move steadily up the order. On lap 12 he was 11^th, then 8^th, 7^th, 5^th and finally 2^nd! With the track drying rapidly now, Laine, who had led the race until lap 14 of 16, and was the best driver on wets, fell back to 7^th. Patric started from 16^th and finished the race 2^nd, again demonstrating his ability behind the wheel and reaping the rewards for it. Robert’s formation lap accident was a real shame! Alex, who had not been in a GP3 car for some time, played safe with wet weather tyres, and until almost the end of the race it looked as if his strategy might pay off. After the race, local hero Pal Kiss, who finished 3^rd, was hit with a 20 second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit which promoted Brundle to 3^rd.

Championship standings after 12 out of 16 races:

1^st Mitch Evans (NZ), 136 points; 2^nd Aaro Vainio (FIN), 118 points; 3^rd Antonio Felix da Costa (POR), 102 points; 4^th Daniel Abt (D), 94 points; 5^th Patric Niederhauser (CH), 87 points; 6^th Conor Daly (USA), 81 points; 13^th Robert Visoiu (ROM), 22 points

2012 GP3 Series

For more information:

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