Race Report

GP3 SERIES

Circuit: Hungaroring (HU), Length 4,381 km, 27^th/28^th July 2013, Rounds 9 & 10
www.hungaroring.hu

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

Top ten place for Fontana

The GP3 Series met up for their fifth race event on the fluid and demanding Hungaroring Circuit near Budapest, racing as one of the support races for the Formula 1 ING Magyar Nagydij 2013.

Race One Qualifying

Saturday, 27/07/13, 09.45 – 10.15, Weather: Sunny, 31°C

In free practice on Friday Alex was 10^th, Patric was 20^th and Samin was 23^rd. All our drivers had used one set less of new tyres than two thirds of the field, and were planning to have an advantage in qualifying by having an additional set of new tyres available. At first the plan seemed to work, but with their last sets of new tyres our drivers didn’t manage enough of an improvement. That left Patric 13^th just ahead of Alex, and Samin was in 24^th on the grid for race one.

GP3 Series

Race One (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 27/07/13, 17.20, Weather: Sunny, 29°C

The start went well with no big incidents and Patric overtook Venturini for 12^th. Alex held his place and Samin was 23^rd at the end of the first lap. Patric was right behind Ellinas and soon managed to overtake him. Then he closed the gap to Williamson and was soon right on his gearbox. Meanwhile McKee attacked Visoiu for 8th place, it went wrong and McKee lost a few places, handing Patric 10^th place. Alex started from 14^th and moved up to 11^th in the course of the race. Samin drove very well and overtook Lichtenstein, then closed in on Fong and was able to pressure him into a mistake. That moved her up behind Sa Silva. However Zonzini closed in on her and managed to overtake her, and shortly after Zonzini and Sa Silva clashed in front of her. Samin was happy to get away with minor contact damage. However Lichtenstein was able to benefit from the situation and was able to get ahead of Samin once again. The Safety Car had to be deployed until the two cars had been cleared away, and at the restart there were only two racing laps left. Williamson attacked Visoiu for 8^th, Visoiu blocked him, and Patric, who was close behind them, couldn’t avoid pushing Williamson off. Williamson spun out of the race, Patric crossed the finish line in 9^th, Alex was 11^th and Samin 20^th. After the race Patric was deemed to be responsible for the accident with Williamson and was handed a 20-second penalty, which pushed him back to 25^th in the results, and thus also on the grid for Sunday’s race. That moved Alex and Samin up a place each, which meant that Alex scored the final point for 10^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: Sunny, 32°C

It was already hot in the morning. Alex bogged down at the start, then outbraked himself and spun off. It was a long time after the pack had passed that he was able to get going again. That put an end to his chances of another top ten position. Samin and Patric were 16^th and 17^th respectively at the end of the first lap. Then Williamson got in between them, though it took him another 8 laps to overtake Samin. After that Samin tailed Williamson closely and was followed equally closely by Patric. Williamson attacked Zamparelli, and Zamparelli went off as a result. A few laps later Williamson attacked McKee, and both cars crashed out of the race. This time the Safety Car had to be deployed until the cars were cleaned away. At the restart once again only two laps remained. Alex was able to catch up with the field during the Safety Car phase and was thus able to overtake several drivers in the remaining time, finished the race in 19^th place. Samin drove well and defended her position until the end of the race, crossing the finish line in 14^th place, and Patric, who couldn’t find a way past her, finished right behind her in 15^th place.
The next event will be part of the program of the F1 GP at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, on the weekend of 25^th August 2013.

Championship standings after 10 out of 16 races:

1^st Tio Ellinas (CYP), 91 points; 2^nd Facu Regalia (ARG), 90 points; 3^rd Aaro Vainio (FIN), 75 points; 4^th Jack Harvey (GB), 75 points; 5^th Kevin Korjus (EST), 75 points; 6^th Conor Daly(USA), 71 points; ^th Patric Niederhauser (CH), 29 points; 15^th Alex Fontana (CH), 18 points

2013 GP3 Series

For more information:

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