ISR Racing’s Jazeman Jaafar finished on the podium around the streets of Monte Carlo for the second consecutive season, with the Malaysian adding a third place in 2014 to the third he also earned in 2013 while driving for the Carlin team.
The 21-year-old from Kuala Lumpur had strong pace all weekend, and was second fastest in his group in qualifying that would have seen him start from third on the grid due to him being in the fastest of the two qualifying sessions. However a two-place grid-drop penalty to Carlos Sainz Jr for blocking Pierre Gasly promoted Jaafar up to the front row alongside pole sitter Norman Nato.
He lost out to the fast starting Dane Marco Sorensen in the sole Tech 1 Racing machine in a good fight into the first corner, but held off the challenge of Sainz throughout the race to finish third. With the Monaco circuit extremely difficult to overtake on, Jaafar did not make any mistake, and Sainz was forced to maintain station in fourth.
“It’s been a great Monaco and I’m very happy to have achieved my first podium of my season,” said Jaafar after the race. “Racing in front of the F1 crowds adds another dimension to the occasion and in addition to all the fans, I was very proud to have raced well with a large contingent from PETRONAS attending, including Tan Sri Dato’ Shamsul Azhar Abbas, President and Group CEO of PETRONAS.
“It was particularly special to see the Malaysian flag flying for the podium celebration.”
Jaafar will be hoping to build on his podium when the season continues this weekend in Belgium at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
