Venue: Circuit Park Zandvoort
Track length: 4.307 kilometres
Lap record FIA F 3 EC: Felix Rosenqvist 2013 (1:31.822 minutes)
Distance: 23 laps

This weekend at Zandvoort, Netherlands, they are going to contest the third race meeting within four weeks. And once again, the young talents will fiercely battle it out for every single metre. The 4.307-kilometres Circuit Park Zandvoort is a flowing rollercoaster embedded into the North-Sea dunes of which Felix Rosenqvist (Prema Powerteam) has particularly fond memories. In the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship season, the Swede won two of the three Zandvoort rounds and in the first, the only man able to beat him was Daniil Kvyat who is racing in Formula 1, today. This year, Charles Leclerc (Van Amersfoort Racing) travels to the Netherlands as championship leader and the Monegasque rookie is determined to add further podiums to his tally.

The 2015 FIA Formula 3 European Championship season is 18 races old and in 13 of the races, Charles Leclerc made it to the podium. The reward for this consistency: the 17-year old holds the lead in both the drivers’ championship and the rookie ranking and left the venues of none of the race meetings contested to date without one trophy at least. It goes without saying that he is determined to continue this streak of success in the home meeting of his team, Van Amersfoort Racing. The squad founded back in 1975 by Team Principal Frits van Amersfoort and which is represented – in addition to Leclerc – by the rookies Alessio Lorandi and Arjun Maini is based in Huizen, just 65 kilometres away from the Circuit Park.

Nonetheless, the Van Amersfoort Racing rivals definitely won’t surrender without a fight. Antonio Giovinazzi (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin), Felix Rosenqvist and Jake Dennis (Prema Powerteam), currently second, third and fourth in the drivers’ championship, all had to cope with failing to score points in one or several races held two weeks ago at the Norisring and want to compensate for these results by delivering in particularly fine style at Zandvoort.

And behind these three drivers, another trio is waiting for its chance of making it to the very top in FIA Formula 3 European Championship: the rookies George Russell (Carlin), Maximilian Günther (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport) and Alexander Albon (Signature). All three made successful debut appearances at Nuremberg’s Norisring: by finishing runner-up, Russell secured his best result since his win in the season kick-off at Silverstone, Günther celebrated his first FIA Formula 3 European Championship race win and Albon clinched two of the three pole positions. With their confidence boosted due to these successes, the three young guns now want to pass the experienced drivers Giovinazzi, Rosenqvist and Dennis for the top positions in the championship.

Maximilian Günther (kfzteile24 Mücke Motorsport): “I really like Zandvoort’s circuit. On one hand, the atmosphere is just fantastic as the circuit is located right at the sea and on the other, the layout also is just great. You are driving uphill and downhill, it’s like a small rollercoaster. I already raced there last year with the ADAC Formula Masters and even won one of the rounds. Therefore, I’ve got fond memories of this venue. And thanks to the win at the Norisring, I’m travelling to Zandvoort in an even better mood. At the same time I’m aware that I mustn’t rest on my laurels. I have to keep on working on myself and be fully focused to give my very best in every single session. I won a race at Norisring and was delighted with having done so but it is a competitive grid and other drivers also made it to the highest step on the podium already.”

2015 F3 Zandvoort Provisional Entry List