Monday, July 14, 2008

Van der Zande triumphs at Zandvoort

Van der Zande triumphs at Zandvoort

Local hero Renger van der Zande won round ten of the Formula 3 Euro Series at Zandvoort in Holland on Sunday, running away with the race after the front row eliminated itself in a startline crash.

Van der Zande started third, but poleman Niall Breen and fellow front row starter Robert Wickens drove into each other off the startline. Breen slammed into the pitwall, and again hit the barrier hard on the run to Tarzan, where he rejoined the track totally out of control.

In a separate incident further back, Edoardo Mortara hit Koudai Tsukakoshi. Mortara pitted with a puncture, and finished the race last, but Tsukakoshi was out.

Wickens was also out, with his right-front wheel askew after being squeezed into the pitwall in their initial contact.

Van der Zande led Yann Clairay, up from sixth on the grid, Jules Bianchi, up from seventh, and Franck Mailleux, who was up from tenth.

Bianchi lost third place when he understeered onto the grass while pressing Clairay, dropping back to ninth. The only other place to change among the frontrunners came when Jean Karl Vernay ran wide at the penultimate corner, allowing Mika Maki to grab his fourth place for a couple of seconds, before Vernay dived back past him at Tarzan.

Van der Zande won by 3.7 seconds, ahead of Clairay, Mailleux, Vernay, Maki and Sam Bird.

Maki was driving with one eye on the championship, and has now moved into second place - nine points behind Edoardo Mortara, who finished a lapped last today.

Van der Zande's second reverse grid win of the year has elevated him into third in the championship, with yesterday's disqualified winner, Nico Hulkenberg, now back in fourth.

Pos Driver Team Car Time 1. Renger van der Zande Prema D/M 41:13.792 2. Yann Clairay SG D/M +3.749 3. Franck Mailleux Signature D/V +5.420 4. Jean-Karl Vernay Signature D/V +6.336 5. Mika Maki Mucke D/M +6.824 6. Sam Bird Manor D/M +7.155 7. James Jakes ART D/M +12.184 8. Kazuya Oshima Manor D/M +12.760 9. Jules Bianchi ART D/M +13.174 10. Erik Janis Mucke D/M +13.807 11. Christian Vietoris Mucke D/M +15.373 12. Richard Philippe Carlin D/M +27.901 13. Nico Hulkenberg ART D/M +28.418 14. Daniel Campos-Hull HBR D/M +29.511 15. Dani Clos Prema D/M +37.705 16. Cheng Cong Fu RC D/V +40.879 17. Martin Plowman RC D/V +41.246 18. Jens Klingmann RC D/V +42.760 19. Basil Shaaban HBR D/M +44.542 20. Rodolfo Gonzalez Carlin D/M +49.737 21. Edoardo Mortara Signature D/V +1 lap Retirements Stefano Coletti Prema D/M 22 laps Henkie Waldschmidt SG D/M 21 laps Jon Lancaster ART D/M 20 laps Koudai Tsukakoshi Manor D/M 1 lap Niall Breen Manor D/M 0 laps Robert Wickens Signature D/V 0 laps Fastest lap, Nico Hulkenberg 1:33.837 on lap 5 D/M = Dallara Mercedes, D/V = Dallara Volkswagen

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