Jakarta, October 3rd 2014 - After a long break, Indonesia’s Sean Gelael is back in action this month for the final two rounds of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, beginning with his first trip to the Italian circuit of Imola.

European motor racing has a very long tradition, with some of the venues dating back to the 1920s. But racing in Imola has been going on even longer – back in 80AD, nearly 2000 years ago, chariots pulled by two horses each raced each other in the town stadium!

So as if beginning his university studies in the Roman city of Bath in England is not enough, he will now also be on Roman territory in Italy in his Jagonya Ayam with Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen.

The legendary Ferrari team founder Enzo Ferrari played a large role in the instigation of the race track at Imola, which opened in 1952 and is now named after Ferrari and his son Dino. From the early 1980s until 2006 it played host to the San Marino Grand Prix, and is notorious as the circuit on which the great Ayrton Senna was killed in 1994.

Changes have been made to Imola in the name of safety since that dark day 20 years ago, and Sean and his rivals will find a challenging circuit with famous corners with evocative names including Tosa, Piratella, Acque Minerali and Rivazza, as well as the tricky Tamburello and Villeneuve chicanes. It all winds itself up and down hill through usually serene Italian parkland.

Gelael has become a regular points scorer as he makes progress in his second year of Formula 3, with six top-10 finishes from the nine race weekends held to date. He will therefore be gunning for more good results at a circuit on which not many of his rivals have raced.

Not that the lack of experience will matter too much when free practice begins on Friday. Not only is there a two-day official test at Imola on Tuesday and Wednesday, during which the drivers will get rid of the rust from two months’ absence from competition, but Sean and his team-mates have been learning the circuit on the simulator at the Carlin team.

Gelael and his opponents will be doing his best to qualify well at Imola, as the two chicanes immediately after the start will likely break up the field at the beginning of the races and it will be crucial not to be too far back in the pack, struggling to make up ground.

Following straight after Imola is the final round of the championship at Hockenheim, so the coming weekend in Italy represents the first stage in a crucial end to the season, one in which good results could very much boost confidence into the winter months – and, crucially, the run-in to the Macau Grand Prix. (ms.arl)