Pascal Wehrlein, in his third year for Berlin Team Mücke Motorsport, returns home from the third station of the Formula 3 Euro Series, which is also the fourth event of the new FIA Formula 3 European Championships, in the Austrian Spielberg, with an additional 34 points on his books. The Worndorf driver, sponsored by the ADAC Sports Foundation and the Deutsche Post Speed Academy, barely missed a podium place in Sunday’s race nine, finishing as fourth. The start into the weekend saw the rookie in second place, putting him on the steps for the second time this season (previously third in Brands Hatch). This brings the total of Formula 3 Euro Series 2012 podium places for the German Capital’s racing team up to five. He came in sixth on Saturday afternoon.
His Swedish Mücke Team collegue Felix Rosenqvist (both Dallara Mercedes), after securing his first pole position ever in Friday’s qualifying (1st June), had initially defended his starting place in Sunday’s race, but shortly after had to complete a drive through penalty due to a false start, finishing up as eleventh. Nevertheless, he had achieved the second best lap time. The previous day saw him crossing the finishing line as ninth in the morning (despite a spin and drive through penalty) and an elimination in the second lap after a collision, in which he was faultless, in the afternoon. These results caused him to fall back to eighth place in the overall ratings, while Pascal Wehrlein, last year’s ADAC Formula Masters Champion, improved to fifth rang and top of the Rookie table.
„The races in Spielberg proved that we are competing right there at the top with both cars and drivers’ speed and performance” says team manager Peter Mücke. “It was a pity that Felix was so unlucky this time round, but that’s just the way it is in racing sports. Pascal was able to bank a podium place and lots of points in Austria – that should motivate him even further.” Victories in Spielberg were had by Italian Raffaele Marciello (Dallara Mercedes) on Saturday morning, Brit William Buller (Dallara Volkswagen) in the afternoon and Spaniard Daniel Juncadella (Dallara Mercedes), currently top of the table, on Sunday. The next races of teh Formula 3 Euro Series and European Championships are scheduled to take place in four weeks’ time (29th June to 1st July) on Nurnberg’s Norisring.