The ATS Formula 3 Cup finally kicked off its new season with the first race in the support programme of the ADAC GT Masters, which took place in perfect weather conditions. Ten drivers from eleven countries battled for the victory on the 3.696-km track at etropolis Motorsportarena Oschersleben. Markus Pommer led from start to finish winning the race. His pursuer, Nabil Jeffri, charged up the field from the rear after a jump start. He finished sixth after scoring a new lap record.
Markus Pommer (Lotus) had a good start from the pole position and defended his lead. Joining the driver from Neckarsulm in the first row, Nabil Jeffri (Motopark) from Kuala Lumpur made a jump start. Dutchman Indy Dontje (Lotus) and Nikita Zlobin (SMP Racing by ADM Motorsport) from Moscow used their chance to pass him. The Russian went off into the gravel which resulted in his early retirement. Briton Sam MacLeod (Van Amersfoort Racing) pushed forward into third.
Behind him, Dane Nicolai Sylvest (JBR Motorsport & Engineering), Andrés Méndez (Lotus) from Colombia, Russian Sergey Trofimov (SMP Racing by ADM Motorsport), Malay Weiron Tan (Van Amersfoort Racing / all in Dallara F311 Volkswagen) and Maximilian Hackl (Amkon Motorsport / Dallara F311 OPC) from Ruderting fought for valuable seconds. Jeffri tried hard to move up in the grid after his drive-through penalty. Hackl let the 20-year old pass who also overtook the Colombian shortly before the end. As a result, the Malay finished the first race of his second ATS Formula 3 Cup sixth. A clear proof of his catch-up race: Setting a fastest lap of 1:20.460, Nabil Jeffri beat the lap record of the ATS Formula 3 Cup champion Marvin Kirchhöfer from 2013.
Markus Pommer scored another 25 points after his impressive win. Behind him, Dontje drove across the finish line second. Sam MacLeod finished third.
The first eight will start into the second race at 4.30 this afternoon in reverse-grid formation. Nabil Jeffri will have another chance to prove himself in the third race tomorrow morning, at 10.30. He will be the pole-sitter, with Markus Pommer starting from second place.
Markus Pommer: “The weekend has been perfect so far. I started from P1 and made no mistake. However, it was definitely not boring, since I had Indy in my rear-view mirror the whole time. The car runs well and the team is doing everything right. We just need to continue like that.”
Indy Dontje: “I had a good start even if I was a little bit nervous. The whole thing is more difficult compared to the Formel ADAC. But I pushed forward to P2 right away and could follow the pace of Markus. As I had no problems during the race, I am really happy with the result.”
Sam MacLeod: “We benefited a little from the misfortune of others. But we drove a very similar pace in the top 3. So I could not really catch up with the guys in front, but we held our own. So you cannot be too disappointed with third in the first race.”