Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark) has strengthened his claim to the championship with another supreme performance. The Motopark youngster won the first ADAC Formula 4 race at Spa-Francorchamps from pole position to further extend his overall lead. Guan Yu Zhou (16, CHN, Prema Powerteam) finished second and was also best-placed rookie. Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) made his podium debut in third position at the third race weekend of the 2015 season.
"It's a brilliant feeling to win a race at my favourite track, Spa-Francorchamps," said Eriksson after his start/finish victory at the 7.004 km circuit, which is the longest on the racing calendar. The 17-year-old was not upset by either of the two safety car periods. Eriksson withstood pressure from his main rival, Yu Zhou, after the restart on the eleventh and final lap of the race to cross the finish line with a lead of 0.670 seconds.
Yu Zhou takes lead in rookie standings
Yu Zhou secured his second podium of the year, taking the lead in the ADAC Formula 4 rookie standings from Jonathan Cecotto (15, VEN, Motopark) and Mick Schumacher (16, GER, Van Amersfoort Racing). The pair, both sons of racing drivers ended the seventh race of the season in P18 and P15 respectively.
Yu Zhou, the young talent from the Ferrari Driver Academy, overtook his opponent Shwartzman on the very first lap having started from grid position three and could not be caught subsequently. In the meantime, the young Russian had to fight hard for his first podium finish in the ADAC High-Speed Academy. Shwartzman had an exciting battle with Ralf Aron (17, EST, Prema Powerteam) for third place towards the middle of the race and eventually gained the upper hand.
Norris: Strong debut in ADAC Formula 4
Prema Powerteam driver Aron subsequently dropped back to sixth position. Fourth place went to Lando Norris (15, GBR, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), who is contesting his first race weekend in the ADAC Formula 4. The young British driver had already previously shown his talent by achieving P6 in the qualifying.
Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing) came home behind him in fifth place, securing more points towards the championship. Placed second overall in the standings, he had started from eighth place on the grid and worked his way up three places in the course of the race. Rookie David Beckmann (15, GER, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) and Janneau Esmeijer (18, NED, HTP Juniorteam) finished behind Aron to complete the top eight.
Eriksson again in pole position
Eriksson continues to lead the championship. The Swede tops the standings with 99 points and will line up again on pole in the second race on Sunday (live on SPORT1 at 13.25). Mawson benefited from the early retirement of Marvin Dienst (18, GER, HTP Juniorteam), who had been placed second overall. Mawson is now Eriksson's main rival with 74 points. HTP Juniorteam driver Dienst is in in third place with 73 points.
Comments from the podium
Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark), Winner: "It's a brilliant feeling to win a race at my favourite track, Spa-Francorchamps. This circuit is really something special and totally unique. My start went very well and I immediately drew away from my opponents. The two safety-car periods did not disturb my concentration in any way. I had no problem after the restarts in quickly pulling out a lead again. My car ran perfectly. I've taken a very important step towards the championship with this win. I couldn't feel any better at the moment."
Guan Yu Zhou (16, CHN, Prema Powerteam), Second: "This is the first time in my career that I've contested a race in Spa-Francorchamps. It's just terrific to now stand on the podium and at the same time take the top spot in the rookie class. I got away to a good start and quickly overtook Robert Shwartzman. A win might even have been possible, but the second safety car period got in the way, unfortunately. After a difficult end to the last race weekend in Austria, I'm totally happy with P2. I would like to thank my team - the car was really super today."
Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Third: "To achieve my maiden podium in the ADAC Formula 4 at this particular track is a momentous occasion for me. I'm really very pleased. A big thank you to my team - my car was set up perfectly in qualifying, giving me the chance to start the race from second on the grid. I had a few problems with grip on the initial laps, which enabled Ralf Aron to overtake me. I retook P3 as soon as I had got everything back under control. From that moment on, I was able to consistently catch up, but in the end the safety car made an attack impossible. Still, the result is super."