F3 Euroseries return to Pau this weekend
29 May 2008
Following a two-year break, the Formula 3 Euro Series is going to again race on Pau's street circuit, this weekend. In the support programme of the World Touring Car Championship, the 30 young drivers will contest the fifth and sixth rounds of the season on the 2.76-kilometre racetrack located in Southern France. Finland's rookie Mika Mäki (Mücke Motorsport) travels to Pau as championship leader, with his Italian chaser, Edoardo Mortara (Signature-Plus), being tied with the Finn, prior to the French race weekend.
20-year old Mäki succeeded in winning two of the four rounds contested to date but in one of the other two, he was forced into early retirement. While Mortara scored consistently: Three times, the 21-year old finished third and once he came fourth, thus being the only driver who scored in every round of the season. While Nico Hülkenberg (ART Grand Prix) has compensated for his poor season kick-off: in both Hockenheim rounds, technical problems made an early end to his hopes for a good result but at Mugello, he delivered in fine style and won one of the races to leap up to third position in the championship.
In Pau, Canada's Robert Wickens (Signature-Plus) is going to make his Formula 3 Euro Series debut. The 19-year old from Toronto replaces Monegasque Stefano Coletti with immediate effect.
For the French Formula 3 Euro Series drivers, Pau represents the home event. With Franck Mailleux, Jean Karl Vernay (both Signature-Plus), Yan Clairay, Tom Dillmann (both SG Formula), Richard Philippe (Carlin Motorsport) and Jules Bianchi (ART Grand Prix) as well as the teams ART Grand Prix, Signature-Plus and SG Formula, six drivers and three teams with French roots are going to contest the races held on the tight street circuit located at the foot of the Pyrenees.
Franck Mailleux (Signature-Plus): "The circuit on the streets of Pau is a truly special one. It's rather fast and completing a perfect lap is anything but easy. Compared to other street circuits such as the Norisring, the walls in Pau are extremely close to the track. It's my goal to score as many points as possible. Therefore, I aim at securing a podium finish in the first race.