Hülkenberg best-placed driver from the Formula 3 Euro Series
09.08.2008 - Nico Hülkenberg (ART Grand Prix, 1:34.111 min) ended up third in the faster second free practice session for the RTL GP Masters of Formula 3 and thus was the best-placed driver from the ranks of the Formula 3 Euro Series. The defending Masters-winner was followed by Jean-Karl Vernay (Signature-Plus, 1:34.126 min), Franck Mailleux (Signature-Plus, 1:34.379 min), James Jakes (ART Grand Prix, 1:34.380 min), Tom Dillmann (Jo Zeller Racing, 1:34.410 min) and Christian Vietoris (Mücke Motorsport, 1:34.434 min). In the slower first free practice session, the Mücke driver topped the time sheet.
The two free practice sessions for the RTL GP Masters of Formula 3 which took place at Zolder on Friday were dominated by the rain. Because of the heavy rain, the first session had to be postponed by half an hour. In the second session, there was a downpour with 15 minutes remaining. In these conditions, hardly any driver went out on the track again and any time improvements were impossible.
Thus, former Euro Series driver Esteban Guerrieri (Ultimate Motorsport, 1:33.873 min) retained his first place until the end of the session and there was no way to beat second-placed Atte Mustonen (Räikkönen Robertson Racing, 1:34.028 min) either. However, Nico Hülkenberg wasn’t too disappointed with his third place: “I am feeling well in the car and at the track, which is already quite important. I like driving at Zolder in general and the track is also fun to drive in the rain. However, the weather was too changeable to do some serious testing.”
For Franck Mailleux, who ended up fifth, practice wasn’t very useful. “Conditions were changing all the time, so that it was impossible to try anything. Therefore, finding a good set-up was impossible.” The Frenchman once again went out onto the track when it was raining heavily already. “When it is raining so heavily and the track is so wet, you can have neither a qualifying nor a race. That would be far too dangerous.”
James Jakes, who ranked one place bahind Mailleux, was confident. “We were all quick here, my team ART Grand Prix is well prepared. That is all one can say after this strange session.” Even Jules Bianchi, who was the slowest ART Grand Prix driver in 13th place, was optimistic for qualifying. “I was among the top positions all the time and I was in contention for first place. However, I was in the pits at the wrong time and when I got out again, it just started raining. In any case, the speed is there.”