News
HWA RACELAB COMES AWAY FROM THE HUNGARORING WITH POINTS IN THE BAG FOLLOWING AN EVENTFUL FORMULA 3 WEEKEND
- 19th and 9th place for Enzo Fittipaldi, 24th and 19th for Jake Hughes, DNF and 24th for Jack Doohan
- Enzo Fittipaldi: "I want to push for the podium in Silverstone."
- Jake Hughes: "I still see us winning a lot of races."
- Jack Doohan: "We want to bounce back and show our true strength in Silverstone."
- Thomas Strick: "The difficult conditions prevented us from showing our full potential."
Budapest, 19th July 2020 – Round three of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at the Hungaroring began promisingly for HWA RACELAB, with Jake Hughes (Great Britain) setting the fourth-fastest time and raising hopes of a successful weekend. However, a change in the weather brought with it a change in fortunes ahead of the races on Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying was initially suspended due to heavy rain and postponed to Friday evening. When qualifying did go ahead, on a wet track, the HWA RACELAB drivers were unable to challenge for top positions, with Enzo Fittipaldi (Brazil), Hughes and Jack Doohan (Australia) eventually having to settle for 19th, 21st and 22nd places respectively.
While Saturday's race started in chaotic fashion, Fittipaldi did make an excellent start on his 19th birthday. Starting from 19th on the grid, he overtook several of his rivals and also benefitted from the retirement of those drivers involved in a crash at the start. As such, he had already rocked into tenth place by the end of the opening lap. He went on to climb into eighth place before the race was suspended on lap seven due to excessive oil on the track. Enzo initially dropped a position at the restart, before producing an eye-catching moment: a perfectly-timed manoeuvre saw him overtake two cars at once on the inside to take seventh place. However, his progress was then brought to a halt by race control. The stewards imposed a time penalty on Enzo for crossing the line in the pit lane while the race was suspended. When the grandson of two-time Formula 1 world champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, returned to the track, he found himself down in 23rd place and with no prospects of picking up any points. Despite this, Enzo continued to show strong pace for the rest of the race and did at least manage to move up to 19th.
Starting from this position on Sunday, on a damp track following a recent shower, it initially took Enzo a while to find his rhythm. Shortly after the start, he had to swerve off the race surface to avoid a collision. However, he then rediscovered the pace of the previous day and produced a flawless display on the wet surface to gain position after position. At the midway point of the race, he lay 13th and had his sights set firmly on the top ten and a points finish. He achieved this on lap 17. Enzo then overtook another car on the final lap to finish in the points for the second time this season.
Jake Hughes' recent unlucky streak continued. He suffered a puncture in the chaotic start to Saturday's race and was forced to return to the pits. Resuming at the back of the field, he attempted to launch another fightback. However, this was brought to an end when race control handed him a ten-second stop-and-go penalty for exceeding the maximum speed during a safety car phase. Jake eventually came home in 24th place, but once again demonstrated his potential to compete at the front of the field with the fastest lap of the race.
On Sunday, Jake made an outstanding start, despite the wet track. He overtook eight cars within a few metres and rocketed into 15th place. However, the slippery asphalt showed its teeth on lap three. Jake spun and dropped to the back of the field, from where he was at least able to climb into 19th place.
Jack Doohan was one of the victims of the crazy start phase on Saturday. He started strongly from 22nd on the grid and made up nine positions. However, action and incidents occurring all over the place, he made a mistake at a wet section of the track and collided with another car. His car was so severely damaged that he had to retire after just three laps. Jack showed his fighting spirit on Sunday. From last place on the grid, he produced a strong fightback and refused to let the wet track stop him. He was 15th by lap 17 and had made it as high as 13th place with just three laps remaining. The son of five-time motorcycle world champion, Mick Doohan, had made up a remarkable 17 positions. However, Jack then suffered a puncture shortly before the end of the race. The car was impossible to steer and had to return to the pits. Jack eventually ended the race in 24th place.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship continues on 1st and 2nd August with two races in Silverstone.
Quotes on the race weekend
Enzo Fittipaldi (19, Brazil, car number 14), 19th and 9th place
"Our car seemed to be running well at first, as you could see from my colleagues' times in free practice. However, we had no pace in qualifying. We did not manage to get any grip from the tyres in the race. We were two seconds off the pace. The conditions were difficult on Saturday too. We were on slicks, but the track was still damp in places. Starting from P19, I soon found myself in P10. The pace was really strong. I passed two cars in one go with a really nice overtaking manoeuvre. However, I then received a drive-through penalty that probably cost me a place on the podium, as my pace was really good. The penalty was just unfortunate. While the race was suspended, I had to avoid a car part that was lying around in the pit lane. In doing so, I crossed the line, which is not allowed. I did not initially make a good start from P19 on Sunday, but this time we had good pace in the rain too. As such, I was gradually able to progress through the field and picked up points again. We had the pace, but it just did not work out in qualifying, otherwise we could have done even better. I am now looking forward to Silverstone, where I want to push for the podium."
Jake Hughes (26, Great Britain, car number 15), 24th and 19th place
"Unfortunately, it was another disappointing weekend. It actually started promisingly, with fourth place in free practice. The car felt good and I was confident. But then came the rain, and our tyres did not work ideally in those conditions, which unfortunately meant all three cars had to start from around 20th place. I made a very good start in the opening race and had climbed into 13th place by the end of the first lap. Points and pole position on the reverse grid seemed a real possibility. Unfortunately, I was then stopped by a mysterious puncture and my race was as good as over after the pit stop. Today, I got off to another good start, but then briefly lost control on the wet track. I was just pushing a little too hard. That kind of thing can happen when you are trying to fight your way through from the back. The car basically felt good again, as was underlined by the second-fastest lap time. In theory, points would have been possible. As far as the coming races are concerned, we have to work on the set-up for wet conditions. However, I believe we should be able to optimise the car for a fast qualifying lap. If we can start the Saturday race from the kind of position that our pace actually deserves, then I still see us winning a lot of races this season. We have great potential - we just need to show it out on the track."
"Unfortunately, it was another disappointing weekend. It actually started promisingly, with fourth place in free practice. The car felt good and I was confident. But then came the rain, and our tyres did not work ideally in those conditions, which unfortunately meant all three cars had to start from around 20th place. I made a very good start in the opening race and had climbed into 13th place by the end of the first lap. Points and pole position on the reverse grid seemed a real possibility. Unfortunately, I was then stopped by a mysterious puncture and my race was as good as over after the pit stop. Today, I got off to another good start, but then briefly lost control on the wet track. I was just pushing a little too hard. That kind of thing can happen when you are trying to fight your way through from the back. The car basically felt good again, as was underlined by the second-fastest lap time. In theory, points would have been possible. As far as the coming races are concerned, we have to work on the set-up for wet conditions. However, I believe we should be able to optimise the car for a fast qualifying lap. If we can start the Saturday race from the kind of position that our pace actually deserves, then I still see us winning a lot of races this season. We have great potential - we just need to show it out on the track."
Jack Doohan (17, Australia, car number 16), DNF and 24th place
"A really unlucky weekend. We had the pace in the dry, as we showed with eighth place in free practice. However, the weather then changed and we were unable to get any grip from the tyres in difficult conditions in qualifying. This affected the whole team and we had to settle for starting positions at the rear of the grid. That was a disappointing end to a day that actually started well. I started well on Saturday and made up nine places. However, I then skidded off the track at a wet point, collided with another car, and had to retire. I was possibly a little too impatient there. On Sunday, we had great speed from P30. Three laps from the end, I was sitting in P13. I then suffered an inexplicable puncture, which we must look into. Looking on the positive side, we had a fast car in the dry on Friday, and a quick car in wet conditions on Sunday. That gives me hope. We must now recharge our batteries after three tiring weeks, sit down together and analyse what has happened, and then come back and show our true potential in Silverstone."
"A really unlucky weekend. We had the pace in the dry, as we showed with eighth place in free practice. However, the weather then changed and we were unable to get any grip from the tyres in difficult conditions in qualifying. This affected the whole team and we had to settle for starting positions at the rear of the grid. That was a disappointing end to a day that actually started well. I started well on Saturday and made up nine places. However, I then skidded off the track at a wet point, collided with another car, and had to retire. I was possibly a little too impatient there. On Sunday, we had great speed from P30. Three laps from the end, I was sitting in P13. I then suffered an inexplicable puncture, which we must look into. Looking on the positive side, we had a fast car in the dry on Friday, and a quick car in wet conditions on Sunday. That gives me hope. We must now recharge our batteries after three tiring weeks, sit down together and analyse what has happened, and then come back and show our true potential in Silverstone."
Thomas Strick, Team Principal HWA RACELAB
“The feeling is similar to last weekend. The difficult conditions prevented us from showing our full potential. I am delighted with Enzo's points. He at least gave himself a little late birthday present on Sunday. Had he not been hampered by the penalty on Saturday, he could even have been looking at a podium finish. Our pace shows that we have what it takes to finish in the points with all three cars. We must do our homework in the next two weeks and stabilise the tyre set-up. If we do that, we will definitely be rewarded in Silverstone."
“The feeling is similar to last weekend. The difficult conditions prevented us from showing our full potential. I am delighted with Enzo's points. He at least gave himself a little late birthday present on Sunday. Had he not been hampered by the penalty on Saturday, he could even have been looking at a podium finish. Our pace shows that we have what it takes to finish in the points with all three cars. We must do our homework in the next two weeks and stabilise the tyre set-up. If we do that, we will definitely be rewarded in Silverstone."
Result of race one, Saturday 18th July:
| 1. | T. Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 1:03.55.424 |
| 19. | Enzo Fittipaldi | HWA RACELAB | 1:04:32.053 |
| 24. | Jake Hughes | HWA RACELAB | 1:04.57.641 |
| DNF | Jack Doohan | HWA RACELAB | DNF |
Result of race two, Sunday 19th July:
| 1. | D. Beckmann | Trident | 43:54.224 |
| 9. | Enzo Fittipaldi | HWA RACELAB | 43:58.163 |
| 19. | Jake Hughes | HWA RACELAB | 44:05.609 |
| 24. | Jack Doohan | HWA RACELAB | 45:45.976 |