After finishing second in the earlier Sunday race, Lando Norris went one better in the late afternoon. The runner-up behind surprise winner Norris was Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing). Third-placed Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) rounded off a strong weekend with podium finish number three at the legendary Ardennes rollercoaster circuit.
"My first ADAC Formula 4 weekend could hardly have gone any better, especially as I've never competed at Spa-Francorchamps before," said series newcomer Norris, whose results over the weekend have immediately taken him up to fifth in the championship.
Norris exploits super start
A strong start was the basis for the ultimate success of the kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport youngster. Placed seventh on the grid, Norris neatly avoided getting caught up in several collisions during the opening lap on a wet track. By the end of Lap 1, Norris was already up to second position. On the fourth lap, he overtook Marek Böckmann (18, GER, Jenzer Motorsport) who had until then managed to defend his pole position.
Mawson, who has now moved up to second in the championship, had to fight hard for his third podium of the 2015 ADAC Formula 4 campaign. From sixth on the grid, the Australian gradually worked his way up the field, eventually securing second place at the midway point in the race. After a safety car period, a thrilling four-way battle developed between Mawson, championship leader Joel Eriksson (17, SWE, Motopark), Shwartzman and Kim Luis Schramm (17, GER, Neuhauser Racing). Mawson finally prevailed to claim the runner-up spot.
Triple podium success for Shwartzman
Shwartzman appeared to have lost third place on the final lap as first Schramm and then Eriksson went past. After the safety car had been sent out, the stewards decided to red-flag the race. The decision was triggered by an accident involving Jannes Fittje (15, GER, Motopark) who lost control of his car after sustaining damage to the front wing and ploughed into a barrier. Fittje was taken to the Medical Centre for a check-up but was later released. In line with the regulations, this meant that the race positions on the previous lap were deemed final. Shwartzman's P3 was thus restored, making him the only driver on the weekend to have had three podium appearances.
Slotting in behind the Top Three was Eriksson whose fourth place brought in even more points towards the title. The Swedish junior won the first two races at Spa-Francorchamps, making it four out of the most recent six. After a difficult weekend, Schramm made a creditable comeback from grid position 14 to finish fifth. Neuhauser Racing team-mate Tim Zimmermann (18, GER, Neuhauser Racing) also improved during the race by seven positions to cross the line in sixth. Rookie David Beckmann (15, GER, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) and Michael Waldherr (18, GER, Motopark) completed the Top Eight.
Eriksson heads for Lausitzring as championship leader
Spa double winner Eriksson leads the championship after the third race weekend of the season on 136 points. The gap on his closest pursuer, Joey Mawson, is a daunting 38 points. The next two places are occupied by Ralf Aron (17, EST, Prema Powerteam) and Marvin Dienst (18, GER, HTP Junior Team) on 83 and 81 points respectively. The fourth event of the 2015 ADAC Formula 4 season will be hosted by the Lausitzring on the weekend of 3rd - 5th July.
Comments from the podium
Lando Norris (15, GBR, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Winner:
"A win, a podium and a P4 finish: My first ADAC Formula 4 weekend could hardly have gone any better, especially as I've never competed at Spa-Francorchamps before. I got off to a great start because, fortunately, I was on the dry side of the track. I immediately moved up into third, and after a few more laps, I was leading the race. Then I got involved in a battle with Joey, but he made an error and fell back. It was looking odds on for the win until the safety car came out. Fortunately, I managed the restart well, and when the race was eventually abandoned, I was well in the lead."
Joey Mawson (19, AUS, Van Amersfoort Racing), Second:
"This was ultimately a great race for me, although it didn't get off to the best of starts. There was a collision ahead of me which I had to swerve to avoid. That cost me several positions. The main thing was to stay calm and use my straight-line speed to advantage. I wanted to win the race of course, but the safety car put paid to that. I at least managed some damage limitation with this second place in my pursuit of Eriksson. He is now very far ahead in the championship, but I have scored some important points and have now clearly established my claim to second place."
Robert Shwartzman (15, RUS, kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport), Third:
"I've had podium finishes in all three races at Spa, so it's been a great weekend. However, my start in the final race wasn't perfect. I had some problems with my front wheels, and four or five cars immediately sailed past. After a few laps, I finally found a good rhythm and was getting faster all the time. I went past the opposition one by one. The safety car period finally got me within striking distance of third place and I made my passing manoeuvre on the start/finish line. Shortly afterwards, one of my wheels locked on Turn 1 and I started to lose ground. Fortunately, this didn't matter, as the race was then abandoned and I retained my podium position."