Following the cancellation of race two due to freak weather and related delays and amendments in the timetable, eleven drivers contesting the ATS Formula 3 Cup started into the 30-minute race 3 in the afternoon. The championship leader, Neckarsulm-based Markus Pommer from Team Lotus, put in another dominant performance and secured the victory from pole position. Malaysian Nabil Jeffri from Team Motopark grabbed the second place on a drying track. Briton Sam MacLeod from Van Amersfoort Racing is back on the podium after driving across the finish line third. This brings the sixth of eight racing weekends to a close. This round took place in the support programme of the DTM on the 3.478-km track at Lausritzring.
The entire grid had a good start. Then, Dutchman Indy Dontje (Lotus / Dallara F311 Volkswagen) and Malaysian Weiron Tan (Van Amersfoort Racing / Dallara F311 Volkswagen) touched in the first turn. Both spun. Dontje lost crucial positions, Tan was forced to retire. Pole-sitter Markus Pommer from Neckarsulm (Lotus / Dallara F311 Volkswagen) led the grid, with his pursuer, Nabil Jeffri from Kuala Lumpur (Motopark / Dallara F311 Volkswagen), initially on his tail. Maximilian Hackl from Ruderting (Amkon Motorsport / Dallara F311 OPC) defended a very good fourth place but dropped down the order to ninth after spinning. Consequently Russian Nikita Zlobin (SMP Racing by ADM Motorsport / Dallara F311 Volkswagen) was in fourth just like in the race in the morning. Ahead of him, Briton Sam MacLeod was third (Van Amersfoort Racing / Dallara F311 Volkswagen). Dontje drove with the knife between the teeth and put Dane Nicolai Sylvest (JBR Motorsport & Engineering / Dallara F311 Volkswagen) under pressure. However, in the end he had to settle for the sixth place.
Markus Pommer celebrated a double victory today at Lausitzring, scoring his eleventh win in the current ATS Formula 3 Cup season. The 23-year old is definitely on course for winning the championship title. Nabil Jeffri took the chequered flag in second place. Sam MacLeod is back on the podium after a barren spell, claiming the third place.
Markus Pommer: “This was the best weekend of my career. I won everything, the free practice session, the qualifying and both races and I clocked both fastest laps. I have never achieved that before, especially in a wet race. It was quite challenging here, considering the rubber left on the track by the DTM vehicles. I’m very happy.”
Nabil Jeffri: “The start was pretty hard, but then everything worked fine. I did not want to be too hard on my tyres, but I gave my best. Markus was simply too fast. But I am very pleased with my second place.”
Sam MacLeod: “I had a bad qualifying session. That’s too bad because we were really good in the free practice session. The pace was not so good in the race. I did not manage to put more pressure on Nabil. Third place is okay but I’m not really happy.”
2014 ATS Formula 3 Cup rookie ranking
Indy Dontje continues to lead the rookie ranking. The Dutchman leads with 281 points to the 252 of Sam MacLeod. Nicolai Sylvest remains in third place (219 points).
2014 ATS Formula 3 Cup team ranking
Team Lotus holds a dominant lead in the team ranking, having scored 325 points. Motopark moves up one place. Having scored 223 points the team is now second ahead of Dutch team Van Amersfoort Racing (218 points).
Points scored in the 2014 ATS Formula 3 Cup season so far (top ten):
1. Markus Pommer / GER 335
2. Nabil Jeffri / MYS 228
3. Indy Dontje / NDL 190
4. Sam MacLeod / GBR 182
5. Nicolai Sylvest / DNK 140
6. Weiron Tan / MYS 94
7. Nikita Zlobin / RUS 87
8. Andrés Méndez / COL 87
9. Maximilian Hackl / DEU 45
10. Santino Ferrucci / USA 33
Off the track
Thanks to a good collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport the young drivers contesting the ATS Formula 3 Cup had the opportunity to get tips from a professional again. DTM driver Christian Vietoris welcomed them in the taxi garage and answered their questions. The 25-year old driver form Gerolstein contested the ATS Formula 3 Cup in 2007 and claimed victories at Nürburgring and Sachsenring. He finished the season seventh in the overall ranking before switching to the Formula 3 Euro Series and continued his career in the GP2 in 2011 and now in the DTM. Vietoris took the second place at Lausitzring today. Congratulations from the entire team of the German Formula 3. In 2013, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport offered a ‘meet & greet’ with Gary Paffett, who won the DTM race at the very same weekend. The ATS Formula 3 Cup drivers seem to be true lucky charms.
The Formula 3 drivers themselves were also in the spotlight. Fans had a chance to get close to all drivers and ask questions during an autograph session at the ‘ARD Show Stage’. The fans gladly accepted this offer.
The race drivers will continue contesting the ATS Formula 3 Cup next weekend, in the support programme of the ADAC GT Masters round at Sachsenring. The season finale will follow at Hockenheim at the first weekend of October, again in the support programme of the Super Sports Car League.