Esteban Ocon took his third win of a dominant FIA European Formula 3 Championship weekend at the Moscow Raceway as the Frenchman held off the challenge of Dutchman Max Verstappen on the final lap of a race punctuated twice by the introduction of the safety car.
The second safety car, to clear up the accident of Jordan King and Lucas Auer at turn two on lap sixteen, saw the field bunch up behind Ocon, and the green flag was shown with only one lap left with time running out. Van Amersfoort Racing’s Verstappen got a run at Prema Powerteam’s Ocon and managed to get past to take the lead, but ran wide allowing Ocon back alongside. The two drivers banged wheels on the run down to the first corner, and Ocon doggedly retook the lead and held on until the chequered flag.
Verstappen wide on the exit of turn one, and came under attack himself from Ocon’s Prema Powerteam team-mate Antonio Fuoco but held on for second. Jake Dennis was fourth for Carlin ahead of Felix Rosenqvist of Mücke Motorsport, who overtook Dennis van de Laar of Prema Powerteam on the final lap.
Tom Blomqvist took seventh on the final lap away from Tatiana Calderon, as the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin driver recovered from a drive through penalty for a jump start. Calderon held onto eighth place for Jo Zeller Racing for her third points finish in as many weekends, while Hector Hurst was ninth for Team West-Tec F3. Antonio Giovinazzi scored the final point in tenth after a difficult weekend for the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin driver.
The first safety car period was caused by a clash between Felix Serralles of Team West-Tec F3, Roy Nissany of Mücke Motorsport, and Jules Szymkowiak of Van Amersfoort Racing. Szymkowiak spun, which caused Nissany to slow in avoidance, but Serralles hit the back of the Mücke Motorsport driver and retired on the spot. Nissany was able to get back to the pits for a new rear wing and rejoined the race, while Szymkowiak was able to finish thirteenth.
Canadian Nicholas Latifi was on course for points but was caught out in the chaos at the final restart and was forced to park his Prema Powerteam car on the exit of the final corner with damage.
As well as Blomqvist, both Santino Ferrucci of EuroInternational and Sean Galael of Jagonya Ayam with Carlin were adjudged to have jumped the start, while Michele Beretta of EuroInternational and Gustavo Menezes of Van Amersfoort Racing were also handed drive through penalties for exceeding track limits.
Moscow Raceway Race 3 Result
POS | DRIVER | NAT | TEAM | TIME/Laps |
1 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Prema Powerteam | 36m08.124s |
2 | Max Verstappen | NED | Van Amersfoort Racing | +0.691s |
3 | Antonio Fuoco | ITA | Prema Powerteam | +1.202s |
4 | Jake Dennis | GBR | Carlin | +1.918s |
5 | Felix Rosenqvist | SWE | Mücke Motorsport | +2.371s |
6 | Dennis van de Laar | NED | Prema Powerteam | +2.824s |
7 | Tom Blomqvist | GBR | Jagonya Ayam with Carlin | +3.502s |
8 | Tatiana Calderon | COL | Jo Zeller Racing | +4.094s |
9 | Hector Hurst | GBR | Team West-Tec F3 | +5.525s |
10 | Antonio Giovinazzi | ITA | Jagonya Ayam with Carlin | +6.230s |
11 | Sean Galael | INO | Jagonya Ayam with Carlin | +6.991s |
12 | Gustavo Menezes | USA | Van Amersfoort Racing | +8.582s |
13 | Jules Szymkowiak | NED | Van Amersfoort Racing | +8.776s |
14 | Santino Ferrucci | USA | EuroInternational | +9.175s |
15 | Michele Beretta | ITA | EuroInternational | +9.665s |
16 | Roy Nissany | ISR | Mücke Motorsport | +1 Lap |
17/RET | Nicholas Latifi | CAN | Prema Powerteam | +2 Laps |
18/RET | Lucas Auer | AUT | Mücke Motorsport | +5 Laps |
19/RET | Jordan King | GBR | Carlin | +5 Laps |
RET | Felix Serralles | PUE | Team West-Tec F3 | 0 Laps |