Max chases vice-championship Formula 3

Published on 15 October 2014 by Niels Hendrix

This weekend, the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is going to contest the final race meeting of its 2014 season. At the 4.574-kilometre Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the spectators will witness the decision in both the battles for the vice-championship and the team title. Max Verstappen (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin) are the two drivers who will battle it out for the runner-up position in the championship, with Lucas Auer (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) also still having a chance of finishing the season as vice-champion.

In the team standings, Prema Powerteam currently holds the lead, followed by Jagonya Ayam with Carlin. Kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport is third, ahead of Van Amersfoort Racing. Meanwhile, the fight for the drivers title came to an early end, with 18-year old Lotus Formula 1 Junior Esteban Ocon (Prema Powerteam) prevailing on the penultimate race weekend, held in Imola. During the course of the three races at the Italian circuit he extended his lead to an extent that none of his rivals will have a chance on closing the gap, at Hockenheim. And in the rookie ranking, the Frenchman also already has secured the title.

With 30 out of 33 FIA Formula 3 European Championship races contested, the lead of Scuderia Toro Rosso protégé Max over Blomqvist amounts to just three points. At Imola, a week prior to the season finale, they both succeeded in celebrating a race win. Altogether, 20-year old Blomqvist secured five races, this season, while his three years younger opponent Verstappen even has got nine race wins under his belt. With a 63-point gap to Verstappen, 20-year old Auer also still has got theoretical chances of finishing the season as voice-champion as there still are 75 points to be awarded.

Max: “There is an important goal I want to realise at Hockenheim: I absolutely want to finish second in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. I will give my very best to achieve this goal – just as I previously did in the battle for the title. Our pace was really good at Imola and I hope that we will be just as fast at Hockenheim. Should this be the case, I should have a chance of winning all the three races there.”