The Suncity Group Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup saw a double first for the Netherlands as driver Richard Verschoor and his team MP Motorsport won the blue riband event yesterday on both the driver and the team’s debut appearance in Macau.
Verschoor had started the grid in third place behind Estonian Jüri Vips driving for Hitech Grand Prix and race favourite 2019 FIA Formula 3 champion Russian Robert Shwartzman of SJM Prema Theodore Racing in first and second place respectively.
Shwartzman’s race ended almost immediately it had started in the run off at Lisboa Bend when ART Grand Prix’s Christian Lundgaard of Denmark clipped the front right of Shwartzman’s car.
Vips and Verschoor were now in first and second and Vips had a decent lead when Italy’s Leonardo Pulcini driving for Campos Racing crashed at the Lisboa Bend and Austria’s Ferdinand Habsburg driving for ART Grand Prix slammed into the barriers at the Solitude Esses.
The safety car entered the circuit and on the re-start Verschoor got ahead of Vips and stayed there until the chequered flag with American debutant Logan Sargeant making up the podium.
At the press conference in the media room at the circuit after the race, Verschoor said when asked how he felt about winning: “I am not feeling it yet, it was a hectic race and I was under a lot of pressure.”
He went on to say, “Jüri [Vips] is in a different class to me, but we prepared well and had a good race. Once I got a big enough gap, I just had to keep him behind me.”
“I never believed coming here as a rookie, [Verschoor is reigning SMP F4 and Spanish F4 champion], we could win, I played it safe by saving my tyres in sector one and sector two”.
A visibly upset Vips said, “I am disappointed now after a perfect weekend [winning all qualification races.] I was right on pace but after the safety car I felt something on my tyres and after the Virtual Safety Car [VSC] I thought my race had ended as my DRS [drag reduction system] was not working and my tyres were ruined so I couldn’t take any advantage when the DRS started working again.”
A very happy Sergeant who started sixth on the grid, said, “I didn’t have a special start but just kept picking them off. I had lost all confidence in my tyres after the VSC.”
He added, “I am definitely coming back next year!”
The 2017 and 2018 winner Daniel Ticktum started at the back of the grid and was unable to make it three wins on the spin but did fight his way up to 13th at the chequered flag.
Debutants Enzo Fittipaldi from Italy and Germany’s David Schumacher, both driving for Sauber Junior Team by Charouz, finished in 16th and 21st respectively.
Macau driver Charles Leong Hon Chi driving for Jenzer Motorsport finished 19th on his second visit.
The event favourite before the start of the Grand Prix, Britain’s Jake Hughes in an HWA Racelab, started at the back of the pack and had been caught up in the crash hit the chequered flag in 17th.
While German Sophia Flörsch also in an HWA Racelab, who had a horrific airborne crash at the Lisboa Bend last year, had to retire when her car conked out on lap 8.
The Suncity Group Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup winner Richard Verschoor speaks to reporters after the race in the Media Centre of the Macau Grand Prix building yesterday. Photo: Lesley Wells
Richard Verschoor from the Netherlands makes his way round the Guia Circuit yesterday on his way to winning this year’s F3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup. Photo: MGPOC
