Italian Raffaele Marciello has won two of the three races of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship at Hockenheim. Thus, the 18-year old is in the lead of the drivers standings with a comfortable margin. For the second year running, premium manufacturer Hankook is supporting the worlds best junior race series.
Raffaele Marciello (Prema Powerteam) continues his winning streak in this seasons FIA Formula 3 European Championship. The Italian, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, already scored his fourth and fifth win at Hockenheim. After the third of ten season rounds, he is leading the drivers standings with a considerable margin from Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mcke Motorsport) and Alex Lynn (Prema Powerteam) from Great Britain. In the seventh race of the season on Saturday, Marciello documented his dominance at the 4.574 kilometres long track in the Hardtwald forest, when he could even afford a spin at the rain-soaked track and still made it to the finish 14.834 seconds faster than second-placed Flix Serralls (Fortec Motorsport). On Sunday, however, he didnt make it onto the podium. This time, the Italian had to make do with fourth place behind winner Rosenqvist and Flix Serralls and Daniil Kvyat in second and third place respectively.
Marciello, who was born in the Swiss city of Zurich, is considered as a major talent. The 18-year old has good chances to add his name to the list of those prominent drivers to have found their way through the ranks of European Formula 3 into the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1. Three times world champion Sebastian Vettel, world champion Lewis Hamilton and German Mercedes-Benz driver Nico Rosberg all acquired experience in the successful junior race series. The FIA Formula 3 European Championship is the worlds best junior category by far, says Hankooks motorsport director Manfred Sandbichler. This is the category where you have to race when you want to make it in professional racing. Not only for this reason, premium manufacturer Hankook is supporting the junior category for the second year running, which, according to Sandbichler, is the university of talent support. The Hankook tyre ensures that the junior drivers have the best conditions for their education to becoming successful race drivers as far as the tyres are concerned. We are committed to ensure that they can perform at their highest level with our tyres, Sandbichler says.
