Driver Database News

It’s been one of the toughest events of the year at the Norisring for Prema Powerteam, as the Italian squad approached Nurnberg’s streetcourse with two cars at the top in standings. Things got complicated by the bad weather, which plagued the whole weekend at the German venue. Despite the rain-related issues faced on-track and the lack of wins, Roberto Merhi retained the lead of the F.3 Euro Series standings with 200 points, as he cruised to the podium on Race 2 and 3 after having captured a points finish in the first. The Spaniard, who scored 4th place in qualifying, took off with rain tires for race 1 after a rainfall hit the track earlier and pushed really hard, opening a large lead as he made full display of his driving skills.

Unfortunately for him, the asphalt started to dry up quickly and while his followers started to gain ground, he made it back to the pits for slick tires. A pit-stop miscue forced him to lose an additional spot, as he made his way back to the flag in 4th. On a rainy sprint race, Mehri fought hard with Wittmann, ending up right behind the German, while in the main race, hit by bad weather once again, he focused on taking some valuable points in standings. Daniel Juncadella, who ended up qualifying in 5th, managed to climb onto the sprint race’s podium. but did not score points in the other two heats, while the third Prema Racer, Gianmarco Raimondo, faced a tough weekend to score 6th place in race 1 as his personal best result.

Rene Rosin – Team Manager
“Overall it’s been a pretty positive weekend as we scored some extremely valuable poitns with Mehri, especially considered the really tough weather conditions we faced in all three races. Wittmann inched closer in standings with two wins but Roberto answered the bell as he focused on the championship. We feel for both Juncadella, who did not achieve what he deserved and for Raimondo, who still needs some more experience in the European context”.

Felix Rosenqvist finished in fifth place in two out of three races as the Formula 3 Euro Series season resumed at the Norisring in Germany this weekend. The Swede was forced to retire from the opening race of the event after colliding with Gianmarco Raimondo (Canada), but fought back in emphatic fashion in Race 2 as he made up nine places from 14th and last on the grid. The Mücke Motorsport driver then crossed the line in fifth once again in the third and final race of the weekend, after surviving appalling conditions as rain hit the Nuremberg street circuit.

circuit.
“We couldn’t get the car to where we wanted it this weekend, and my driving also left a bit more to wish for – but it
has definitely been valuable to race at the Norisring for the first time,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “Race 1 began in drying conditions, and we went for a set-up that we think would have worked out very well in the dry later in the race. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that far, and I made quite severe impact with the wall following the crash with Raimondo. The team did a great job in repairing the car, and I was able to make up nine places from my position on the grid in Race 2. The final race was then all about trying to bring the car home without making any big mistakes.”

Rosenqvist now looks forward to the second half of the season, as the championship reaches a host of circuits that the 19-year-old has previous experience from – to the contrary of the last few rounds of the campaign.

“The Norisring is completely different to any other circuit I’ve ever driven at in my career, and both I and my teammate have been struggling a bit here this weekend,” Rosenqvist concludes. “I will probably never be entirely happy with two fifth places, but I’ve always known how competitive this championship is and it could certainly have been a lot worse. It will be interesting to get to some of the more traditional venues over the next few months, and I am definitely optimistic going into the next race at the Nürburgring. Everyone in the team wants to return to a position where we are able to fight for the podium again as soon as possible, and I am not afraid of working hard to succeed in doing that.”

The next round of the Formula 3 Euro Series season takes place on August 5-7.

After the jinx of Austria last weekend, Felix returned to the cockpit of his Mücke Motorsport Dallara as official Formula 3 Euro Series mid-season testing commenced at EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany today.

Felix carried on with his competitive form which has catapulted him into a true frontrunner over the last couple of race meetings, as he ended up third-quickest in the opening morning session run under clear blue skies. Team-mate Nigel Melker topped the timesheets ahead of Marco Wittmann (Signature), with Felix’s best effort placing him 0.169s adrift of position one.

The afternoon session had only lasted for about 20 minutes when a heavy rain storm hit the circuit, virtually flooding the venue and washing away every opportunity of improving the times set during the morning. In the few laps of dry running early on, however, Felix went second overall behind Kimiya Sato after the Japanese fitted new tyres to his Motopark Academy car while Felix and the majority of the other drivers stayed on used rubber. Laurens Vanthoor went third-fastest in the afternoon, with Melker fourth. In total, Felix completed 48 laps in the concluding session – 35 of them in rain.

Testing draws to a close tomorrow.

COMMENT | FELIX
“We tried out a number of different things today, and managed to stick to our programme despite the rain in the afternoon. The first session was particularly productive, and I was among the two or three quickest throughout the day. I got a little bit untidy on my fastest lap, though, but it’s good to see that we continue to have good pace. I wasn’t quite as comfortable in the wet, however – much like at Spielberg a few days ago – but I think we will get there as confidence builds with added running.”

The fourth round of the Formula 3 Euro Series season at the Red Bull Ring in Austria proved a tough affair for Felix Rosenqvist. Despite getting his weekend off to a strong start by posting the second-fastest time in Friday qualifying – and underlining his pace at the event by scoring the fastest lap in Race 1 – the 19-year-old left the Spielberg venue with zero points to his name after three highly frustrating races. Rosenqvist had to retire from the first race due to a crash, strongly compromising his chances of a good result in the rain-affected Race 2 in the process as he was forced to start from the back of the grid. The Swede was then sent into retirement in the final race after being hit by championship leader Roberto Merhi on the opening lap.

“This definitely wasn’t a great weekend from a results point of view, but I am actually not as disappointed as one might think,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “We have taken another step forward, and the second place in qualifying – where I was just a tenth away from Pole Position – was our strongest qualifying showing so far. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t turn my front row slot in Race 3 into a decent result, but Roberto has apologised for the clash and I think his respect for me has increased this weekend.”

In the opening race, Rosenqvist was recovering from a problematic start when he set the fastest lap of the race before crashing at Turn 1 and retiring with broken suspension. Race 2 literally wasn’t a sunnier story, as rain drenched the Styria mountains and forced the 20-minute sprint to be started behind the Safety Car. From dead last on the grid (a direct result of his Race 1 DNF), Felix took the chequered flag in tenth place having posted the third-fastest lap time, before the collision with Merhi then brought Race 3 to an early end.

“It’s obviously a shame not to score any points on a weekend when our pace was at least as good as at Zandvoort, where we came away with three podiums,” Rosenqvist concludes. “We had a few issues getting the car to where I wanted it here in Austria, and that led me to make a couple of mistakes that I shouldn’t have made. I want to highlight the efforts of my team, though; I didn’t give them the easiest of weekends, but they did a fantastic job. I will learn a lot from these few days – not least when it comes to driving in the rain – and I think this will make us an even stronger force over the up-coming races.”

Felix Rosenqvist currently lies in fifth place in the championship standings. The next round of the Formula 3 Euro Series season will take place on the German streets of Nuremberg (Norisring) on July 1-3.

After having found itself in the shadows for nearly ten years, this weekend will see one of the most beloved racing circuits return to the international motorsport arena; the Red Bull Ring, Austria. The former Grand Prix venue – which became a living legend under the Österreichring banner and morphed into the A1-Ring before being closed down in 2004 – is set to stage the fourth Formula 3 Euro Series round of the season, and Felix Rosenqvist arrives at the recently re-opened facility in third place in the championship standings following a hugely successful outing at Zandvoort three weeks ago.

The Red Bull Ring, as the name would lead you to expect, is the result of one of the energy drinks giant’s numerous projects. The existence of the circuit was at the centre of intense speculation following Formula 1′s departure in 2003, until Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz and his empire finally decided to refurbish the site. This weekend’s Formula 3 Euro Series round – which is once again part of the popular DTM package – will be the inaugural race meeting at the venue under its new era. While the facilities have undergone significant updates, the circuit layout itself still remains unchanged since the A1-Ring days.

The circuit, which seamlessly melts into the undulating Alpine landscape around the village of Spielberg, represents somewhat of a compromise for the Formula 3 Euro Series teams. In stark contrast to the flowing nature of Zandvoort, the Red Bull Ring is made up of a more aggressive mixture of fast straights, areas of heavy braking and tight hairpin corners – placing a higher emphasis on engine reliability and top-register performance. Felix and his team, Mücke Motorsport, will be aware that Austria provides them with an altogether different set of challenges than Zandvoort, but still enter the weekend with a positive mind-set following Felix’s podium appearances in all three races in the Netherlands.

“Zandvoort was possibly the best weekend so far in my career,” Felix said after becoming the top points scorer on his first acquaintance with the Dutch circuit. “I didn’t expect to be on the podium in every race over the weekend – particularly not with the reverse grid rules in Race 2. I am obviously very happy about what we achieved, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels if we want to continue like this for the rest of the campaign.”

With the Red Bull Ring not having hosted any high-level racing over the last seven years, none of the drivers in the Formula 3 Euro Series field have raced at the Styria venue before. The championship has visited the Austrian mountains on one previous occasion, though; in 2003, when the list of participants included names like Robert Kubica, Nico Rosberg and Timo Glock. The lap record at the 4.326 km circuit is held by F1 star Rosberg at 1m27.427s – can anyone better that time this year? Before the first practice session has been completed, it will be impossible to guess how the tarmac has reacted to the very limited running that has taken place here lately. To add to the uncertainty, early weather forecasts predict a high risk of rain over the weekend…

In the championship, Felix’s third place has come despite the drive shaft failure which forced him to retire from the concluding race of the weekend at the Paul Ricard season-opener. Experienced F3 racer Roberto Merhi continues to lead the title chase in what is now his third year in Formula 3 Euro Series – 23 points ahead of second-placed Marco Wittmann (who won the classic F3 race on the streets of Pau two weeks ago), and 33 ahead of Felix. It remains exceptionally close, though, with Felix’s team-mate and current GP3 leader Nigel Melker just one further point adrift and waiting to capitalise on every potential mistake from the top trio.

As per usual, the weekend kicks off with free practice on Friday morning, before qualifying – which might just turn out to be slightly less important than normal due to the relatively good overtaking opportunities at the Red Bull Ring – commences a few hours later. Felix Racing’s live commentary feed will once again take you through all the action in qualifying and the races as it happens at www.felixracing.se, where you will also find the latest pictures, news and reactions to motor racing’s long-awaited return to Spielberg.

Formula 3 Euro Series – Red Bull Ring
TIMETABLE (local time – GMT+02:00)

Friday 3/6
FP: 09.50-11.55 (60 min – 5 min pause – 60 min)
Q: 16.30-17.00

Saturday 4/6
R1: 11.15-11.55
R2: 18.00-18.20

Sunday 5/6
R3: 11.15-11.55

”One of the best weekends so far in my career.”

Felix Rosenqvist took to the podium in each of this weekend’s three Formula 3 Euro Series races at Zandvoort. As a result, Rosenqvist scored more points than any of his rivals, and now holds third place in the overall championship standings. The Swede was involved in a gigantic scrap for Pole Position during an intense qualifying session – which saw the fastest F3 lap times of all time at the Dutch circuit – before he went on to finish third, second and third respectively in the three races as he took to the former Grand Prix venue outside of Amsterdam for the first time.

“This was possibly the best weekend so far in my career,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “I didn’t expect to be on the podium in every race here this weekend, particularly since I had never driven here before and knew that it would be tough to adapt to such a challenging circuit. The team has done a fantastic job, though, and the car has felt near to perfect all through the event. I am obviously very happy about the outcome of this weekend, but we can’t afford to rest on our laurels if we want to continue like this for the rest of the campaign.”

Rosenqvist qualified in second place for the opening race of the weekend, and finished in the same position after having momentarily led a Formula 3 Euro Series race for the first time. In Race 2, which sports a reverse-grid format among the top eight from the first race, Felix went from seventh to third – and posted the fastest lap of the race – before coming home in second place once again in the concluding 40-minute event on Sunday after overtaking team-mate Nigel Melker at the start.

“It has been extremely close all weekend, and I am particularly pleased with my reverse-grid drive in Race 2,” Rosenqvist concludes. “I lost out on Pole Position for Race 1 by 28 thousands of a second, and the rest of the weekend really carried on with that sort of time differences. I did do a couple of mistakes here at Zandvoort, most notably in the first race, and I will work hard to try and minimise that during the forthcoming races. All-in-all, though, this has been an absolutely fantastic weekend.”

The next round of the Formula 3 Euro Series championship takes place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria – previously known as the A1 Ring – on June 3-5.

Situated at the heart of the Dutch Atlantic coastline is Zandvoort, a centre for sunbathing enthusiasts which – along with its extensive beaches – has reached international acclaim thanks to one of the most challenging racing circuits in Europe; Circuit Park Zandvoort. The 4.307 km sweep through the dunes a short drive from Amsterdam will be thrown into the limelight for real this weekend, when it welcomes the world’s fastest Touring Car championship – the DTM – while simultaneously hosting the third round of the highly interesting Formula 3 Euro Series season.

Felix Rosenqvist has enjoyed a strong start to the year, having taken to the podium in two out of the six races that have been run so far this season. At the last round at Hockenheim two weeks ago, the Swede challenged Signature driver Marco Wittmann hard for second place in the final race of the weekend, and despite not being able to overtake his German opponent, Felix’s speed in the opening two rounds of the championship has surpassed most people’s expectations. Zandvoort, however, will be a brand new encounter for the 19-year-old, and with the circuit containing a number of notoriously difficult sections – perhaps most famously the Tarzan corner and the ultra-quick Scheivlak Bocht – the Mücke Motorsport driver will need all the practice time he can possibly get to adapt to a circuit where the vast majority of his rivals have raced several times before.

The relationship between Felix and team-mate Nigel Melker has so far been of much productivity, both for the Mücke Motorsport team as such and for the drivers themselves. With the most hectic schedule of all the drivers on the grid, Melker dovetails his F3 campaign with an all-out assault on the GP3 title and comes to Zandvoort fresh from his exploits at Istanbul Park last weekend – where he finished first and third respectively on his way to leaving Turkey with the GP3 championship lead. During the last Formula 3 Euro Series round at Hockenheim, though, the Dutchman – who will be on home soil this weekend – had a tougher time and had to see Felix beat him to the chequered flag in each of the three races.

While there is little to suggest that overall leader Roberto Merhi (Prema Powerteam) won’t be a front-running force again this weekend, Zandvoort has historically not been the scene of the Spaniard’s most dazzling results. Merhi’s best achievement at the track from two years of trying is a third place, and last season saw Signature trio Edoardo Mortara (who now competes in the DTM), Wittmann and Laurens Vanthoor set the pace at the venue. Furthermore, Wittmann had already proved his Zandvoort knowledge earlier in the year when he finished third in the classic Masters of Formula 3 race which traditionally takes place at the circuit each summer.

“Circuit van Zandvoort” opened its gates to the public back in 1948, and staged its first Dutch Grand Prix four years later. The Formula 1 World Championship would continue to pay annual visits to Zandvoort until 1985, when circuit owners ran into economic despair and eventually went bankrupt. At the same time, parts of the exceptionally fast layout were sold in order to make room for other urban developments in the southern region of the city. Then, in 1995, construction work began to create the new Circuit Park Zandvoort as we know it today. Despite major alterations taking place, the core of the old circuit – the start/finish area and the characteristic Tarzan corner – still remained the same.

From a Swedish perspective, Zandvoort will always be synonymous with Joakim Bonnier’s victory behind the wheel of a BRM in the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix – the only F1 triumph in Bonnier’s career, and the very first for Sweden in the sport’s top category.

The road to Formula 1 may be longer and more complex today than back in the 1950’s, but the Formula 3 Euro Series contenders will nonetheless be hoping to make an impression as they aim for the ultimate corridors of international motor racing. Join us at www.felixracing.se throughout the weekend to find out what Zandvoort holds in store for the highly competitive field, with reports and updates from on and off the circuit – brought to you in words, and brought to you in pictures. As per usual, of course, you will also be able to follow all the action from qualifying and the races through our LIVE commentary service at the website.

Further information:

Formula 3 Euro Series – Zandvoort
TIMETABLE (local time – GMT+02:00)

Friday 13/5
FP: 09.10-11.15 (60 min – 5 min pause – 60 min)
Q: 14.25-14.55

Saturday 14/5
R1: 11.15-11.55
R2: 16.15-16.35

Sunday 15/5
R3: 11.15-11.55

Felix Rosenqvist carried his good form from the Formula 3 Euro Series curtain-raiser in France into the second round of the championship, as he claimed another podium at Hockenheim this weekend. The 19-year-old opened proceedings at the German Grand Prix venue by finishing fifth in the opening two races of the weekend, before putting last year’s championship runner-up Marco Wittmann under pressure as the duo disputed second place at the end of Sunday’s Race 3. Rosenqvist eventually finished less than half a second behind his rival, but third place still made the Swede the only rookie to reach the podium this weekend.

“It feels good to be able to prove that our pace at the Paul Ricard season-opener was real, and it’s nice to round off the weekend at Hockenheim in this fashion,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “Already in the first two races, I felt that our pace was good enough for us to be fighting higher up the list than fifth place, but I didn’t want to risk anything at this early stage of the championship and decided to wait for a better opportunity to challenge for the podium. That opportunity then arose in the third race, and I’m obviously very happy about that.”

Rosenqvist qualified fourth for the first race of the weekend, where he later ran into gearbox gremlins when in third place and had to relinquish two positions before the end of the 40-minute event. Race 2 saw the Mücke Motorsport driver produce a solid drive that again resulted in fifth place by the chequered flag. A total of 16 drivers from 12 different nations took part in the Hockenheim round, which also saw the new-for-2011 FIA Formula 3 International Trophy kick off.

“The more I drive in this championship, the more convinced I get that it’s the right place for me to continue my development as a driver,” Rosenqvist concludes. “I was only a couple of tenths off the fastest lap in each of the three races this weekend, and if we can carry on doing the same sort of job we are currently doing, we should be able to continue to fight close to the front of the field. There is absolutely no doubt that it will be tough, but then again it always is at this level and I am well aware that we have to increase our performance further still already ahead of the next race.”

“The more I drive in this championship, the more convinced I get that it’s the right place for me to continue my development as a driver,” Rosenqvist concludes. “I was only a couple of tenths off the fastest lap in each of the three races this weekend, and if we can carry on doing the same sort of job we are currently doing, we should be able to continue to fight close to the front of the field. There is absolutely no doubt that it will be tough, but then again it always is at this level and I am well aware that we have to increase our performance further still already ahead of the next race.”

Hockenheim – a name that breathes of history, and the scene of the second Formula 3 Euro Series round of the season. Felix Rosenqvist heads to the classic German Grand Prix venue on the back of his emphatic podium in the Paul Ricard curtain-raiser four weeks ago, and does so as a more complete driver one year on from having qualified on the front row here in German Formula 3 last season.

Felix’s second place in the opening race of the season came as good confirmation that all the hard work carried out over the winter has paid off. Having overtaken experienced F3 campaigner Roberto Merhi, Daniel Juncadella and 2010 Macau Grand Prix runner-up Laurens Vanthoor, Felix joined team-mate Nigel Melker onto the podium to celebrate the first Mücke Motorsport 1-2 of the year. Fourth place in the considerably shorter Race 2 saw the positive trend continue, before a drive shaft failure forced the Swede to retire from Race 3.

“We had a good, solid start to the season,” Felix said following the Paul Ricard event. “I learned how to adapt my driving in order to make the tyres last for as long as possible, and I think we could have done even better if it wouldn’t have been for some small problems which become very costly at this level. We couldn’t quite get the best out of qualifying, but I have an idea on how we might solve that and I think we will be stronger there in the future.”

This weekend’s Hockenheim round is the first this year to be run in conjunction with the immensely popular DTM championship, as the Touring Car series springs into life for its 2011 premiere. As the most coveted F3 championship in the world, the battle for Formula 3 Euro Series glory sits high on the priority list at engine suppliers Mercedes and Volkswagen, who are both also represented in the DTM (in Volkswagen’s case through the Audi brand). Furthermore, with the Hockenheim circuit being located just some 100 kilometres from the Mercedes headquarters in Stuttgart, the events of this weekend will be of further significance to the German car manufacturer and the four Silver Arrows drivers – including Felix – will be going all out to deliver the same sort of results that made the three-pronged star shine bright at Paul Ricard.

With three of this year’s 27 races out of the way, Felix currently holds fifth place in the overall standings – 23 points behind championship leader Juncadella (Prema Powerteam). The two 40-minute feature races at each meeting (Races 1 and 3) offer some generous rewards with 25 points to the winner, while the reverse-grid (top eight) 20-minute sprint of Race 2 (where less points are on stake) tests a driver’s ability to find his way through traffic from further down the field. Add a qualifying system that demands raw speed as well as bullet proof consistency, and it’s easy to understand why Formula 3 Euro Series is regarded to be of such educational value.

For Felix, Hockenheim represents a lot of mixed emotions. This is where he was heading for his first-ever F3 victory last year, before being hit by Daniel Abt (who has also stepped up to Formula 3 Euro Series this year) and sent crashing into retirement. Despite Hockenheim being the venue where Felix truly established himself as one of the top drivers in the German championship, results kept eluding him due to agonising misfortune, and the desire to overcome the jinx of 2010 will be bubbling this weekend.

In order to further boost the profile of Formula 3 racing, governing body the FIA has spent the winter laying the foundations for a brand new championship; the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy. Open to drivers from all the major F3 series in the world, the scheme contains the most important events on the world-wide calendar and will be thrown into the spotlight as this weekend’s races become the first to ever be included in the championship. The FIA Formula 3 International Trophy features an entirely separate points structure, and does not affect the outcome of Formula 3 Euro Series in any way. Organisers have not yet been able to confirm the exact number of total participants for this weekend.

As always, Felix Racing will be with you every step of the way, with our LIVE commentary service at www.felixracing.se once again covering all the excitement from Friday qualifying onwards. New for Hockenheim, you can now also follow Felix on Facebook, where additional information will be made available over the weekend – straight from the heat of the action.

Follow Felix Rosenqvist on Facebook

Formula 3 Euro Series – Hockenheim
TIMETABLE (local time – GMT+02:00)

Friday 29/4
FP: 09.45-11.50 (60 min – 5 min paus – 60 min)
Q: 17.05-17.35

Saturday 30/4
R1: 11.15-11.55
R2: 17.55-18.15

Sunday 1/5
R3: 11.15-11.55

After a long and cold winter, the waiting has finally come to an end. This weekend sees Felix Rosenqvist return to racing action as he travels to the Paul Ricard circuit on the outskirts of Marseille in southern France to embark on his first season in Formula 3 Euro Series – a championship which has attained considerable attention after paving the way for several of the sport’s most famous Formula 1 stars in recent years. With two closely-fought pre-season tests in Spain during the winter still leaving a cloud of questions lingering over the paddock, there is only one certainty as the new campaign approaches; competition will be absolutely fierce from the word go…

Felix’s decision to move away from the German F3 championship to join Formula 3 Euro Series means that he once again faces a fresh set of new challenges, while also bringing about another adaption process as he gets to grips with ever-stiffer competition. Formula 3 Euro Series is widely regarded as the toughest F3 championship in the world – a status which has been repeatedly confirmed by the progression of some of its former drivers into Formula 1 and DTM. A new team, new car, new tyres and new circuits make 2011 an interesting chapter in Felix’s career, and with a number of promising showings in testing – including a second and a third on the timesheets in Valencia and Barcelona respectively – indications seem to suggest that the relationship with Mücke Motorsport has come off to a productive start.

Taking up the position as Felix’s team-mate this year is Nigel Melker; another driver to impress during winter running. The Dutchman topped the times on the final morning at last week’s test at Circuit de Catalunya, and is set to combine his Formula 3 Euro Series commitments with a second season of GP3 (also with Mücke Motorsport). Felix and Melker may be complete newcomers on the Formula 3 Euro Series scene, but will help push each other to new heights during the season and have already been named as two potential challengers to some of the more experienced drivers.

Reigning champions Signature-Volkswagen take to the grid with an army of four cars this year, and enter the championship as pre-season favourites with 2010 runner-up Marco Wittmann (Germany) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) – who finished second in the famous Macau Grand Prix in November. The team’s driver line-up is completed by Carlos Munoz and one of Felix’s toughest rivals from last year’s ATS Formula 3 Cup campaign, Daniel Abt. The French squad can also look forward to racing on home soil at Paul Ricard this weekend, and might hold a slight advantage thanks to its knowledge of the technical requirements presented by the Mediterranean circuit.

Another strong performance in pre-season testing has come from Italian outfit Prema Powerteam, who has chosen to emphasise its Latin genetics by opting for an all-Spanish driver constellation in the shape of F3 stalwart Roberto Merhi and former Formula BMW Europe frontrunner Daniel Juncadella. The latter qualified on Pole Position at Paul Ricard last season, and even though championship organisers have introduced a range of new features for 2011 – most notably an altered type of tyres from Kumho to help offset the disadvantage faced by rookie drivers – Prema Powerteam can still count on two well-prepared racers who know what it takes to compete at the top of Formula 3. Merhi has been among the very quickest in winter testing, and ended up fifth overall in last year’s standings.

Beside Felix, Jimmy Eriksson will be the second Swedish driver in the Formula 3 Euro Series field this year. The duo will be joining forces as they bid for the so-called Nations Cup title, up for grabs for countries which are represented by a minimum of two drivers. Just like Felix, Eriksson too comes from a campaign in German F3 and continues his relationship with Motopark Academy. The Oschersleben-based team has also signed Kimiya Sato (Japan) and Gianmarco Raimondo (Canada) for its works squad, while simultaneously running a fourth car under the “Star Racing Team” banner for Polish driver Kuba Giermaziak.

In what is a novelty for both Felix and the championship itself this year, every meeting of the series consists of a full three races. The Paul Ricard curtain-raiser will kick off with an hour of free practice on Friday, which will provide Felix with his first and only opportunity to familiarise himself with the circuit before the all-important qualifying session takes centre stage later in the day.

At first sight, qualifying might seem a bit complicated this year, but the format has been designed to spice up races and reward drivers who are able to combine raw speed with lap-after-lap consistence. Drivers will have their two best lap times saved, with their second-quickest effort providing them with their starting position for Race 1 and the outright fastest lap deciding their slot on the grid at the start of Race 3. The grid for the second race of the weekend will be based on the finishing order in Race 1, albeit with a reversed formation for the top eight (eighth place in Race 1 equals Pole Position in Race 2). Races 1 and 3 span over 40 minutes, while the duration of Race 2 is half as long. For more information regarding the 2011 race weekend format, please click here.

Once again, of course, www.felixracing.se will be at the heart of the action, bringing you all the latest pictures, comments and news straight from the circuit throughout the weekend. Furthermore, our live commentary service will be returning for a second season to keep you up-to-date with all the spills and thrills of qualifying and the races – in real time, and as it happens. The commentary feed will also give you the chance to discuss proceedings with other interested followers.

Formula 3 Euro Series – the greatest challenge yet for Felix Rosenqvist. Let’s go racing.

Formula 3 Euro Series – Paul Ricard
TIMETABLE (local time – GMT+01:00)

Friday 1/4
FP: 10.40-11.40
Q: 15.45-16.15

Saturday 2/4
R1: 10.25-11.05
R2: 15.00-15.20

Sunday 3/4
R3: 09.40-10.20