Jüri Vips had a breakthrough weekend in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship at the Norisring as the Estonian added his name to the list of winners as he took the chequered flag first in Sunday morning’s second race.
Vips, the reigning ADAC Formula 4 champion, was made to work hard for his victory as Enaam Ahmed made it difficult for him to get ahead with some robust defending around the Nuremberg venue, but once ahead he was able to control the pace to come home 2.089 seconds ahead of the British racer.
“I am really happy with this victory, especially as I first had to make it to the front,” said Vips on FiaF3Europe.com. “Especially the duel with Enaam for the lead was great fun.
“The Norisring is a track at which you can fight for positions like this, something I enjoyed. The interruption was no problem for me. Together with my team, I prepared for the start behind the safety car.”
The Motopark driver became the seventh different winner in just nine 2018 races, and almost made it a double victory in Sunday’s final race of the weekend as he finished alongside team-mate Daniel Ticktum and missing out on the win by just 0.057 seconds to the Red Bull-backed Briton.
“At the start, I almost stalled, but then, it went pretty well,” said the Estonian. “Had the race been one or two laps longer, perhaps I would have overtaken Daniel as well.
“Nevertheless, I am very happy with my weekend. The last laps were great fun.”
The results at the Norisring, which also included a seventh place in race one, moves Vips up to sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship, thirty-one points behind new leader Marcus Armstrong.
