The final European round of the World Series Formula V8 3.5 season ended up with another double podium finish for AVF at the Nürburgring. Due to the rain that hit the German venue before the start, race control decided to make the drivers take-off behind the safety-car. At the end of the day SMP Racing, relying on technical assistance from AVF, secured a double podium finish with Russians Matevos Isaakyan and Egor Orudzhev finishing in second and third place respectively. Isaakyan, who had inherited the lead after moving from rain to slick tires at the mandatory stop, made a mistake that cost him his second win of the weekend but is still leaving Germany as the championship leader with 163 points. Orudzhev also gained valuable ground in third (155 points) as the series now heads for its inter-continental stint. This weekend, SMP Racing by AVF also secured the lead in the team standings.
Matevos Isaakyan (SMP Racing by AVF)
“To be honest I just have the regret for the mistake I made and that cost me the lead of the race. The team did a great job in the pit-stop, switching to slick tyres, and the time for the call was just perfect. Let’s see how the next three rounds will go, as the standings are really tight, but it’s nice to look down from the top.”
Egor Orudzhev (SMP Racing by AVF)
“I struggled a lot during this week-end, but two podiums are a good result at least. The team did a great job in the pit-stop, and I tried to do my best on-track to gain some positions. Let’s see how we can improve in the final three rounds of the season.”