Jüri Vips took his fourth victory of 2018 on Saturday afternoon at the Hockenheimring, but Mick Schumacher’s runners-up spot ensured he became the FIA European Formula 3 champion.
Vips maintained the lead from pole position heading into turn one, and despite a first lap safety car, caused when Carlin duo Sacha Fenestraz and Julian Hanses crashing out at turn one after an incident that involved Hitech Bullfrog GP’s Enaam Ahmed, he was able to pull away from the field, and ultimate clinch victory by 3.472 seconds.
But with Vips comfortable up front, all eyes were on Schumacher behind, and despite a couple of wild moments at turn one that he got away with, the Prema Theodore Racing ace claimed second place and the title. The German has been the dominant driver in the second half of the season and has now claimed his first major championship in his fourth season of single-seater competition.
Ralf Aron claimed the final spot on the podium after an early opportunist move on both Robert Shwartzman and Alex Palou as the duo battled side-by-side into the Mercedes Arena section.
Shwartzman and Jehan Daruvala were both able to clear Palou to claim fourth and fifth for Prema Theodore Racing and Carlin respectively, while Motopark duo Fabio Scherer and Daniel Ticktum also got ahead of the Hitech Bullfrog GP driver who slipped to eighth at the chequered flag.
Ticktum had gone into the race hoping to maintain his championship challenge but had started on the back foot from fifteenth on the grid, but despite a number of impressive overtakes, he could only get to seventh, although he would have needed a retirement from Schumacher had he got into the top three to keep himself in with a chance.
Jonathan Aberdein claimed ninth for Motopark, while Nikita Troitskiy claimed the final point on offer for Carlin in tenth ahead of race one winner Guanyu Zhou and team-mate Ferdinand Habsburg.
Marcus Armstrong had another nightmare race, starting from the pit lane after failing to get away on time off the grid before retiring in the pits after contact with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Sophia Flörsch.
Hockenheimring Race 2 Result
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