Markus Pommer made a storming start and then survived three safety car periods to take his maiden European Formula 3 Championship victory in race three at Zandvoort on Sunday morning.
The German driver made a tremendous getaway to leap ahead of pole sitter Antonio Giovinazzi, and then controlled the race from the front to claim his first victory of the season and his Motopark team’s first win since their return to the premier Formula 3 series.
Giovinazzi was never far away from Pommer, eventually finishing 0.544s behind at the chequered flag, with the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin driver assuming the championship lead as a result of his runners-up spot, due mainly to a disappointing weekend for Charles Leclerc.
Felix Rosenqvist completed the podium for Prema Powerteam, and was on the tail of Giovinazzi at the conclusion of the race, but was never in a position to challenge.
Fellow Prema Powerteam drivers Jake Dennis and Lance Stroll finished fourth and fifth, ahead of Carlin’s George Russell, while Sergio Sette Camara secured his second points finish of the weekend in seventh for Motopark.
Alexander Albon took eighth for Signature ahead of Santino Ferrucci of Mücke Motorsport, while Leclerc could only finish tenth for Van Amersfoort Racing, only inheriting the spot with a couple of laps remaining when Ryan Tveter ran through the gravel trap at the Arie Luyendijkbocht corner that leads onto the front straight.
The first safety car was deployed on lap four when Matt Solomon went off in his Double R Racing machine, while on the restart, Mikkel Jensen crashed his Mücke Motorsport machine in a clash with Jagonya Ayam with Carlin’s Gustavo Menezes, resulting in the second appearance of the safety car.
The third safety car also involved Menezes, when the American driver clashing with the second Double R Racing machine of Nicolas Pohler at the kink just after Tarzan corner.
Zandvoort Race 3 Result
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