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Race Report

2012 Formula 1 Shell Belgian Grand Prix
GP3 SERIES

Circuit: Spa-Francorchamps (B), Length 7,003 km, 31st Aug./2nd Sept. 2012, Rounds 13 & 14
www.spa-francorchamps.be

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2012:
Robert Visoiu (ROM), Patric Niederhauser (CH) and Alex Fontana

Fontana and Niederhauser in the top six

The GP3 Series met up at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps (B) circuit, as ever racing as one of the support races for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. This was their seventh outing out of a total of eight supporting the 2012 Grand Prix Programme.

gp312_spa-01

Race One Qualifying

Saturday, 01/09/12, 09.45 – 10.15, Weather: Sunny, 15°C

The free practice session on Friday was run on a wet track, but it dried out for the qualifying session. Alex put in a very good performance and ended the session in a very good position, 9th on the grid for race one. Patric was 12th and Robert finished in 18th.

Race One Grid
1st Mitch Evans (NZ) MW Arden 2:10.513
2nd Matias Laine (FIN) MW Arden 2:10.738
3rd Daniel Abt (D) Lotus GP 2:10.754
9th Alex Fontana (CH) Jenzer Motorsport 2:11.397
12th Patric Niederhauser (CH) Jenzer Motorsport 2:11.637
18th Robert Visoiu (ROM) Jenzer Motorsport 2:12.410

 

GP3 Series

Race One (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 01/09/12, 17.20, Weather: Sunny, 16°C

The start of the race was delayed by 45 minutes as everyone had to wait for the barriers to be repaired after a massive accident during the GP2 race. As a result the GP3 race was shortened by five minutes and so would run over 25 minutes. Unfortunately on lap five Cregan spun off and hit the barriers. The Safety Car was immediately deployed, but shortly afterwards the race was red flagged and stopped. The race director decided very quickly that there would not be a restart and so the results were declared as at the end of lap 4. This means that only half points could be awarded. Alex overtook Venturini at the start, but Venturini took the place back on the second lap. That left Alex in 10th which earned him half a point. Patric managed to overtake Stockinger at the start for 11th. As usual Robert started well, avoided Fumanelli who had stalled on the grid, and then overtook Brundle and Piria. He was up to 15th when the race was red flagged. The premature end of the race was a shame because it meant none of our drivers were able to show what they are capable of.

The grid for the second race of the weekend is set by reversing the order of the first eight finishers in the first race, with the rest of the places set according to their finishing order in the first race.

Results Race One
1st Daniel Abt (D) Lotus GP 08:54.720  
2nd Antonio Felix da Costa (POR) Carlin Gap 0.321
3rd Mitch Evans (NZ) MW Arden Gap 1.410
10th Alex Fontana (CH) Jenzer Motorsport    
11th Patric Niederhauser (CH) Jenzer Motorsport    
15th Robert Visoiu (ROM) Jenzer Motorsport    
Fastest lap: Antonio Felix da Costa (POR) in 2:12.259

 

Race Two Grid
1st Lewis Williamson (GB) Status GP  
2nd Conor Daly (USA) Lotus GP  
3rd Aaro Vainio (FIN) Lotus GP  
10th Alex Fontana (CH) Jenzer Motorsport  
11th Patric Niederhauser (CH) Jenzer Motorsport  
15th Robert Visoiu (ROM) Jenzer Motorsport  

 

GP3 Series

Race Two (30 Minutes)

Sunday, 02/09/12, 09.25, Weather: Sunny, 12°C

The track was dry for the start of Race Two though the temperature was on the cool side at 12°C. After a demon start Alex was already up to 7th, Patric was 8th and Robert was 13th. This legendary circuit offers plenty of overtaking opportunities, which made for a very exciting race. Alex soon slipped past Ceccon, and when Evans made a mistake Alex was promoted up a place to 5th. He was now on Felix da Costa’s heels, while the Portuguese was piling the pressure on Williamson. Felix da Costa got past, and then it was Alex’s turn to try and find a way past Williamson. It took him a few laps but he eventually made it and, after a super race, he finished just behind Daly in an excellent 4th place. Patric, meanwhile, first had to fight it out with Abt, Ceccon, Evans and Buller. It took him some time to deal with them; Ceccon was his first victim, then he managed to out brake both Evans and Buller in one move to claim 7th just behind Abt. Patric drove brilliantly but Abt couldn’t be forced into a mistake. Later they both managed to overtake Williamson which moved Patric to an excellent 6th, which was where he finished. This meant that Alex and Patric both scored important points today. Robert started from 15th and was soon embroiled in the usual midfield melee. He was battling with Fumanelli, Pal Kiss, Brundle and Powell, the five of them trading places lap after lap with Robert getting ahead only to be overhauled and having to do it all again. Robert crossed the finish line in 13th after a very exciting race.

Results Race Two
1st Matias Laine (FIN) MW Arden 26:39.329  
2nd Antonio Felix da Costa (POR) Carlin Rückstand 2.404
3rd Conor Daly (USA) Lotus GP Rückstand 3.460
4th Alex Fontana (CH) Jenzer Motorsport    
6th Patric Niederhauser (CH) Jenzer Motorsport    
13th Robert Visoiu (ROM) Jenzer Motorsport    
Fastest lap: Antonio Felix da Costa (P) in 2:12.004

 

Championship standings after 14 out of 16 races:

1st Mitch Evans (NZ), 147.5 points; 2nd Antonio Felix da Costa (POR), 126 points; 3rd Aaro Vainio (FIN),123 points; 4th Daniel Abt (D), 112.5 points; 5th Conor Daly (USA), 94 points; 6th Patric Niederhauser (CH), 91 points; 13th Robert Visoiu (ROM), 22 points; 19th Alex Fontana (CH), 8.5 points

 

2012 GP3 Series

12th/13th May 2012 Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espana Barcelona (E)
26th/27th May 2012 Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco Monte Carlo (MC)
23nd/24th June 2012 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe Valencia (E)
7th/8th July 2012 Formula 1 British Grand Prix Silverstone (GB)
21st/22nd July 2012 Formel 1 Grosser Preis von Deutschland Hockenheim (D)
28th/29th July 2012 Formula 1 Ing Magyar Nagydij Budapest (HU)
1st/2nd September 2012 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps (B)
8th/9th September 2012 Formula 1 Gran Premio d’Italia Monza (I)

For more information:

 

 


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