Status Grand Prix driver Seb Morris departed the Hungaroring on Sunday, 26th July, feeling very positive about his weekend’s work during the fourth event of the GP3 Series campaign having delivered a very competitive showing in qualifying followed by a pair of strong top 12 results.
Seb’s first visit to the Hungarian venue started off with an unexpected boost on Thursday, 23rd July, when he was joined on a track walk by namesake, and four-time FIA Formula One World Champion, Sebastian Vettel – who went on to win the weekend’s F1 Grand Prix for Scuderia Ferrari.
Going on to lap in the top 12 during GP3 practice, Marford 19-year-old Seb was more than half a second closer to the pace in the subsequent qualifying session on Saturday, 25th July, but had to be satisfied with 13th on the grid for the opening contest. So incredibly close was the session, just 0.1 seconds would have placed him in the top 10 and 0.3 seconds would have ensured a top six start.
Making a typically strong getaway to round seven, and piecing together a very committed first lap, the Serge DeNimes and Shazam ambassador rocketed into 10th position before the Safety Car was deployed on lap three.
At the re-start roughly one third into the race, the Welshman maintained position but shortly after he ran wide while battling with Pal Varhaug – a glance down at the fuel pressure warning light on his steering wheel display causing Seb to run an inch or two off line – and slipped to 12th spot.
Edged back to 13th place just after mid-distance, Seb remained in the thick of the mid-pack battle and five laps from the finish he was able to reclaim 12th with a pass on Ralph Boschung. At the flag on lap 22, he was just 0.4 seconds shy of the top 10 with pace to match podium performance.
Due to a stalled car ahead of the start of Sunday morning’s encounter, two formation laps took place before round eight began and when the action did get underway Seb, from the sixth row of the grid, climbed into 11th position on the opening lap before the Safety Car made an appearance.
When racing resumed at the beginning of lap four, the Welshman continued to hold 11th place and after some close action at Turn One with Matheo Tuscher he continued to maintain position despite contact. After being edged back behind the Swiss driver a couple of laps later, Seb remained in 12th all the way to the conclusion on lap 16.
“There are lots of positives to take away from this weekend, it’s very clear I got the most out of the car in qualifying this weekend so we know we have to work on finding more pace through the set-up and then we can start to move further up the order”, he commented, “Just a tenth and a half would have made all the difference, hopefully we can make that step forward at Spa.
“This has been by far my cleanest weekend yet in GP3, it’s just a shame about the fuel pressure warning in the first race as it caused me to run an inch or two wide. I over-saved my tyres actually in race one, there was a lot left in them at the end. I was happy enough with 12th in race two, our pace was good again and the move on [Matheo] Tuscher was clean from my side, but he squeezed me.”
There is now a four week break in the GP3 Series calendar with the MSA Team UK and FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy racer back in action for the start of the second half of the season at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on 22nd/23rd August.
2015 GP3 Series Driver Standings (after Rd8): 13th Seb Morris, 6pts
