Qualifying
- Tuukka made good use of the car and capitalized on the strong performance from March testing to break into the top 6.
- Traffic in the final seconds prevented James (24th) and Laurens (26th) from doing the same, costing them several positions.
Sprint Race
- Starting 7th on the grid, Tuukka gained positions throughout the 20-lap race to secure his first F3 podium.
- James (13th) and Laurens (16th) both climbed up the order but narrowly missed out on scoring their first points of the season.
Feature Race
- Tuukka followed up his strong Sprint Race with another impressive drive, gaining more places. The podium slipped away in the final laps, and he finished 4th.
- Laurens put in a strong comeback and fought hard in several battles, finishing just outside the points. James was caught up in a first-lap incident that dropped him to the back of the field.
Sébastien Philippe:
“Congratulations to the team for the progress made since Melbourne, to Tuukka for his control, speed, and two fantastic races, and also to Laurens and James, who, despite a difficult start to the weekend that impacted their races, were combative and made up many positions.
We’re on the right track and have a lot of data to analyze before Imola, where our goal will be to get all three cars into the top 10 in qualifying.”
Tuukka Taponen:
“Sixth in qualifying is a big step forward from Melbourne, and the team can be proud of how we turned things around. Starting 7th in the Sprint and taking our first podium is definitely a positive, though there’s a bit of regret as the win might have been possible before the final safety car.
In the Feature Race, we narrowly missed out on the podium despite a good strategy, but scoring points with 4th place is a strong way to end a great weekend. I hope we can keep this momentum going into Imola.”
Copyright: Dutch Photo Agency
