In the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, supported by Hankook, the drivers at the front have moved closer together. At the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, Felix Rosenqvist was unbeatable this weekend. The Swede won all three races and is now 27.5 points down on leader Raffaele Marciello from Italy. Local hero Lucas Auer strengthened his third place at the track in the Styrian Alps.
At the Red Bull Ring, things didnt go perfectly for Raffaele Marciello (Prema Powerteam), who had been dominating the FIA Formula 3 European Championship so far. For the first time this season, the Italian didnt have his name added to the winners list after a race weekend. On the other hand, Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mcke Motorsport) achieved the maximum point score with three victories at Spielberg and is now a serious title candidate in arguably the worlds toughest junior race series, exclusively supported by premium tyre manufacturer Hankook. After initial problems, Austrian Lucas Auer (Prema Powerteam) did better and better and scored his best result of the weekend by finishing third in the third race on Sunday.
Lucas Auer only showed slight weaknesses in qualifying for his home round on Friday. Initially, it didnt go very well for me in qualifying and I was just too slow in the rain. Finishing on the podium in the final race was a happy end. Driving in front of my fans in my home country simply is great fun, said the 18-year old, whose career in motorsport started in go-karts back in 2001.
Talent was a family affair: Auers uncle is ex-Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger. I always try to get as much information as possible from my uncle, like a sponge, really. He knows what one has to do as a driver to get better and better all the time, the nephew of the Austrian motorsport star says. The transition from the German Formula 3 series, in which Lucas Auer became runner-up last year, also marked a big change for the talented young driver. This year was my most difficult move from one series into another. The cars in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship need a detailed set-up, competition is much stronger. Nevertheless, I am happy that things have been going so well for me so far, the Austrian says.
His goal is already clear: Lucas Auer wants to follow into the footsteps of his uncle Gerhard Berger and become a Formula 1 driver. But the DTM would be a dream for him, too. Lucas Auer: I am present at almost every DTM weekend and I see how high the level of driving is here. That is really hard and it would be a great honour for me to maybe race in the DTM in the future.
He still hasnt given up his ambitions in the battle for the FIA Formula 3 European Championship title. With the competition tyres of series partner Hankook, which is already exclusively supporting the junior category for the second year in a row, Auer intends to attack in the next races. The Hankook tyres are incredibly consistent. They enable you to push all race long. And that is the way it should be for a racing driver.
