Qualifying
Traffic, car balance, tire management, and heat, ART Grand Prix successfully met all the challenges the Hungaroring had to give them.
Laurens Van Hoepen secured his first F3 pole position, ahead of Nikola Tsolov, thanks to a decisive final run before a red flag was waved.
A bit less successful on his fastest lap, Christian qualified 8th and was able to start from 5th in the sprint race.
Sprint Race
Laurens made an excellent start, gaining 3 positions and climbing to P9. He never was threatened until the finish.
After a race full of winning and losing positions, Christian eventually crossed the line in the same place he started.
Nikola’s race was compromised by an average start and ended when he had to change his front wing after colliding with a competitor.
Feature Race
Nikola took advantage of a good start to snatch 1st place from Laurens. The Bulgarian and Dutchman then built a small gap and led the entire race without being challenged. Sadly, due to a radiator leak, Laurens finished the race under the legal weight, which disqualified him.
Despite the difficulties in overtaking, Christian gained three places to finish the weekend with two 5th places.
Nikola Tsolov:
“I am very happy because, before Spa where I won’t be able to race, this race was very important for my season and for the future. The beginning of the year was difficult, and it is important that we show our true potential. I took the lead at the start of the feature race, which was exactly what I had in mind because I knew the first lap would be crucial in Hungary. From there, everything came down to tire management and making sure Laurens couldn’t try to overtake me. It wasn’t always easy, but the communication with the team helped me a lot.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“It’s hard to do better than a front row, a one-two finish on track with the fastest lap in the feature race, and 48 points. It is extremely frustrating Laurens was disqualified from feature race due to a radiator leak for which he was not responsible. ART Grand Prix on track results were well deserved considering the work of the entire team. The drivers were extremely effective and smart in Budapest. We need to be just as precise and determined in Belgium to have a good vacation before the Monza finale.”
Copyright : Formula Motorsport Limited
