Saturday, 1st August 2015 - Jagonya Ayam with Carlin driver Antonio Giovinazzi took two podiums in the first day of racing action in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in Austria today. The championship leader once again showed consistency at the front of the pack, taking third in race one and second in race two. Team mate Gustavo Menezes also took two points finishes, the American was eighth and tenth in today’s races. It was a tough day for Ryan Tveter though, the F3 rookie starting both races from the pit lane after missing yesterday’s qualifying sessions. 

Giovinazzi showed again today that consistency is key to a strong championship campaign, claiming his 15th and 16th podiums of the season in today’s two F3 races. The 21 year-old made up one place at the start of race one this morning around the Red Bull Ring to take third.   It was close between the three leaders right to the flag. As Rosenqvist attacked leader Jake Dennis, Giovinazzi in turn closed on second placed man Felix Rosenqvist, but it wasn’t quite enough and the Italian crossed the line in third place. Behind him, Menezes had run a strong race to eighth while Tveter, who had been forced to spend several laps in the pits due to a misfire, used the race to gain experience of the Red Bull Ring on his first visit.  

The second race of the weekend got underway this afternoon, with Giovinazzi this time starting second, Menezes 14th and Tveter again from the pit lane.

Giovinazzi briefly lost out to Lance Stroll at the start, dropping to third for part of lap one before fighting back and taking second. In a relatively uneventful race by recent F3 standards, Giovinazzi held his position to the chequered flag. 

Menezes enjoyed some racing action to make his way into the points, not least with Callum Ilott in the sister Carlin car, taking 10th place and his second points paying finish of the day. Tveter had little chance to improve starting once again from the pit lane behind the 34 car field, and was caught out on lap 19 after getting beached in the gravel. 

Giovinazzi, who leads the championship with 321 points to Felix Rosenqvist’s 304, said, “Lance overtook me before the first corner so my focus after that was to have a good exit out of turn one and get the place back before the hairpin. I managed it but then he got ahead again and we had come close fun racing until I took second again. My pace was good in the middle of the race and I was able to catch Felix [Rosenqvist] and I was really close to him after the safety car restart, but he did a really good job to defend. Second is not bad to add onto a third place this morning. Felix is now second in the championship so we need to focus on pushing hard and keeping him behind tomorrow.” 

Giovinazzi will start race three from pole tomorrow at 11.45 local time.

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