Mick Schumacher was left ‘very happy’ after a perfect day at the Red Bull Ring that brought him his fourth consecutive FIA European Formula 3 Championship race victory, a further two pole positions and the championship lead.
The Prema Theodore Racing driver led from start to finish in race one on Saturday morning despite the Austrian venue being wet following heavy rain prior to the event, while the German was also forced to keep team-mate Robert Shwartzman behind him in the opening laps.
Once into a rhythm, Schumacher was able to control the race from the front, taking the win by 0.903 seconds, while Daniel Ticktum’s eighth place ensured the German moved to the top of the standings, eighteen points clear of his Red Bull-backed Motopark rival.
“At the start and on the first few laps, I had to defend my position from Robert,” said Schumacher. “At that time, the track was still quite slippery and I didn’t want to take too many risks. After that, I was able to pull clear a bit and tried to save my tyres as much as I could.
“I am very happy that things were going so well for me at the wet and drying track. And I am also happy to have taken the lead in the drivers’ standings.”
After the victory, Schumacher was back on track a few hours later and took the pole positions for the final two races of the weekend, but he remains cautious that he will be able to complete a second consecutive clean sweep of victories, like he did two weeks ago at the Nurburgring.
“I am very happy after this qualifying,” said the German. “At the moment, things are going really well. My car is like on rails, especially in the fast corners. Driving here is extremely enjoyable.
“Whether I can achieve a hattrick again, so three wins on one weekend, like at the Nürburgring, has to be seen. First of all, we have to wait and see what the weather conditions will be like. I need a good start and consistent lap times to have a chance of a similar success like in the Eifel.
“I will be concentrated as usual for the two races.”
