It has been a positive Saturday for Prema Powerteam at the Hungaroring. In the second round of the FIA F.3 European Championship, the Italian squad scored two wins with two different drivers, Ralf Aron and Maximilian Günther, with the latter also climbing up to the series lead.

The Prema team celebrated the first win for Aron, who is lining-up as a rookie after winning the 2015 Italian Formula 4 title. The Estonian got even more points in race 2 by finishing second behind Gunther. The German racer didn’t take full advantage of his pole in race 1, ending up fifth, but made up for it by dominating the second with a flawless display.

Despite suffering from tire issues, Lance Stroll scored valuable points for his championship campaign with a fourth and an eight place. On the other hand, Nick Cassidy encountered an ill-fated day and is now looking forward to a prompt rebound in race 3.

# 1 - Lance Stroll

“The key thing today was to score as many points as possible. I think I did the maximum I could considering the tire issues that jeopardized the car’s performance in both race 1 and 2”.

# 2 - Nick Cassidy

“The tire issues I had experienced in qualifying came back in race 1, even forcing me to retire. then in the second race I was involved in an early contact. After re-starting last, I completed the race even if I was last. It hasn’t been much of a day”.

# 16 - Ralf Aron

“Tyre management was decisive in race 1, we had to look after the tyres really well. Especially in the early stages, George Russell pushed hard which probably affected his tyres too much. When he then made a mistake, I benefitted and went past. In general, we have shown that, contrarily to popular belief, it is very well possible to overtake here, even though it certainly isn’t easy. At the start of race 2, I slotted into second place right behind Maximilian. In the first corner, I was really closely behind him, but it wasn’t enough to mount a challenge. After that, I preferred to save the tyres. In hindsight, I probably was too defensive in the opening stages, but I am still happy with my second place.”

#17 - Maximilian Günther

“In race 1 I didn’t start well so that compromised all the plans I had. In the early fights I lost more positions and I battled my way to end up fifth, not without some tire issues. My start in race 2 was good, much better than in the first race. After that, we had analysed the problem and I knew what I had to do. Once in front, I was able to control the race and secured the 1-2 for the Prema Powerteam, together with my team-mate Ralf Aron. This first place is also a nice gift for my mother, who is celebrating her 50th birthday today. The fact that I am now leading in the drivers’ standings is nice, but, of course, I know that there are still 25 races remaining.”

Canadians In BOLD