David Beckmann has pulled out from racing in the final round of the 2019 FIA Formula 3 Championship for ART Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom.
The German had posted on Instagram on Thursday that his father had been taken to hospital after being involved in a serious car accident two days before. As a result, Beckmann has returned home to support him and will not compete in Russia this weekend.
The three-time race winner in the GP3 Series last year includes his phenomenal drive to victory in the Sprint Race in Sochi by overtaking Joey Mawson on the final lap.
Beckmann though has struggled to shine in the new era of FIA Formula 3 in 2019. A fourth place finish in the opening race in Barcelona is the best result he has achieved all year, scoring only eight points since then. The former Trident pilot has also managed to qualify in the top ten only on two occasions in Spain and more recently in Hungary.
The nineteen year-old is also sitting thirteenth in the Drivers’ Championship with a total of twenty points and being out-performed by his team-mates Christian Lundgaard and Max Fewtrell throughout the majority of the season.
Due to Beckmann’s withdrawal, ART are expected to run only two cars during the F3 season finale in Sochi, leaving a twenty-nine car field for the event.