Hampered by three red flags and bad weather, the sole free practice session was not representative of everyone’s potential. In qualifying, Laurens secured the 6th best time in his group and while Nikola did the same in his, he was unable to progress smoothly due to two red flags. Christian made the best of the conditions to set the fastest time in his group.
Starting from pole position in the Sprint race, Nikola got off to an excellent start and kept his rivals at bay despite several neutralizations, earning his place in the F3 record books with a superb victory.
Laurens lost a place at the start and tried everything to regain it, ultimately holding on to 3rd place until the finish.
In the chasing pack, Christian was hit and pushed against the barriers on the opening lap which caused his retirement.
On Sunday, Christian set an excellent pace to put pressure on the leader throughout the race. However, with no opportunities to take the lead, he crossed the line in 2nd place.
Nikola lost three positions on the first lap but overtook several competitors on his quest to enter the top 10. Unfortunately, a racing incident caused his retirement.
Laurens was fighting for 9th place when an opponent attempted a risky overtake manoeuvre, forcing the Dutchman to leave his line unprotected and sent him into the barriers.
Nikola Tsolov:
“This first win in the series is a fantastic feeling for me but also for the team which has worked so hard but has not been enough rewarded in the first part of the season. I hope there will be more to come because we definitely have what it takes to start from the first rows and everything is so much smoother from there. Mistakes and gremlins or bad luck did not leave us alone before Monaco, but this is a fresh start!”
Sébastien Philippe:
“From the beginning of the season, our performance has been hampered by tire wear, and we avoided this problem in Monaco. As always, grid position and the first lap dictate the race standings here. Starting from the front row, Niko, Laurens, and Christian made no mistakes; they were very fast and incisive, and their performances rewarded the team with three podiums, one of which was a victory. This is an inspiration for the rest of the season because we know we have the potential, with our three drivers, to fight for the good positions.”
Copyright : Dutch Photo Agency
