Driver Database News

The 2011 Macau Grand Prix did not go according to plan for Felix Rosenqvist. The 20-year-old – who was one of several pre-event favourites following his RTL GP Masters of Formula 3 victory back in August – ran into trouble already in Thursday’s opening free practice session, where he encountered a long queue of standstill cars on the approach to the Melco hairpin and ran into the back of Estonian Marko Asmer. The Stewards held Rosenqvist responsible for the collision, and sent the Swede to the very back of the grid for Saturday’s Qualification Race. Already heavily compromised by his penalty, the Mücke Motorsport driver then crashed into retirement in Sunday’s finale after making contact with one of the unforgiving walls that line the Guia Circuit.

“This was simply an utterly disappointing weekend; there is no reason to call it anything else,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “My shot at a decent result more or less disappeared already on Thursday, but Macau is a very special venue and it’s never over until it’s over. Unfortunately, though, things didn’t get much better in the races, and although we had an efficient car on the straights, we struggled a bit with the set-up in the mountain section. We were fast enough to battle for a top five result if we would have stayed out of trouble, but at the end of the day things sometimes just don’t turn out the way you want them to.”

Rosenqvist posted the eighth-fastest time in Friday’s qualifying session – just one tenth shy of fifth place and 0.7 seconds adrift of Pole-setter and regular Formula 3 Euro Series rival Marco Wittmann – but had to see his efforts come to nothing due to the penalty from Thursday. The crash in the finale then brought the Swede’s event to a premature end. Victory in the classic street race outside of Hong Kong went to Spaniard Daniel Juncadella – another of Rosenqvist’s Formula 3 Euro Series competitors.

“I am obviously everything but satisfied with the outcome of Macau, but overall it’s still been a very good season,” Rosenqvist concludes. “I continue to learn something new every time I climb into the car, and we’ve been among the quickest in Formula 3 Euro Series more or less all through the campaign. I am now looking forward to a chance of recharging the batteries for an even stronger performance in 2012 – we will definitely be back!”

Felix Rosenqvist can look back at a season which, coupled with the RTL GP Masters of Formula 3 triumph, has seen the Swede claim one victory, ten podiums and five fastest laps in his first Formula 3 Euro Series campaign.

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished just shy of the podium for Galaxy Double R Racing at the Circuito da Guia today, Saturday, 19th November, by taking fourth position during the all-important Qualification Race for tomorrow’s hugely prestigious 58th Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix.

The reigning GP3 Series Champion, also a race winner with Woking-based Double R in the British Formula 3 International Series this year, held third on the opening lap and ran three-wide with pole position starter Marco Wittmann and 2011 British F3 Champion Felipe Nasr through the first turn.

On the outside line for the right-hander at Lisboa, Bottas had to settle for third and although unfortunately slipping behind reigning F3 Euroseries Champion Roberto Merhi on lap two at the same corner the Double R racer produced a very strong performance. At the start of the ninth tour the Safety Car was deployed due to an incident so racing ended under caution at the end of lap 10.

Arriving late in Macau on Thursday, 17th November, following a Formula One test outing with the AT&T Williams F1 Team at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, Bottas’ troubles were compounded when a further delay meant he also missed the first part of opening qualifying.

Even so, with seriously limited track time, the Finn’s class shone through and he steered his Dallara-Mercedes HWA to fourth fastest during the all-important dry second qualifying session on Friday, 18th November, within just 0.4 seconds of pole position. This then became third on the Qualification Race grid when Merhi was penalised.

“Valtteri did a great job today, it’s a shame he couldn’t stay ahead of Merhi but starting on the second row for tomorrow is good”, said Galaxy Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, “The pace is obvious, he set the second fastest lap today, so we can definitely fight for the win from there. Considering the difficulties he had missing first practice it’s been a fantastic effort so far.”

Team-mates Marko Asmer and Mitch Evans both face a very tough challenge during the GP itself, the Estonian ending today’s encounter in 18th place – having run as high as seventh before sidepod damage ruined his straight-line speed – while New Zealander Evans finished in 22nd on his first time in Macau after starting at the back of the grid due to engine problems in qualifying.

Asmer, making a welcome return to Macau, was just 0.8 seconds shy of Bottas’ qualifying time to place him 12th on the grid for today’s race despite having had no regular race programme for the past couple of years.

The 2007 British F3 Champion was unfortunately handed a three-place penalty due to erroneously straying over the pit-lane exit marker line in qualifying. This was actually nullified though when other drivers were also handed a variety of penalties.

Climbing superbly into seventh place on the opening lap, Asmer used all of his experience to fantastic effect but after incurring sidepod damage he was powerless to prevent a drop down the order to an eventual finish of 18th position. He will therefore have another incredibly difficult race ahead of him tomorrow, starting on the ninth row of the Grand Prix grid.

Evans’ debut weekend in the former Portuguese enclave began with dire misfortune when his engine had to be changed due to a failure, caused by over-revving, before he had even had a chance to post a time during second qualifying.

Leaving the teenage Kiwi in 30th and last place on the grid for today’s encounter, he actually started 28th due to the varied penalties for others and produced a superb opening lap where he gained half a dozen positions and then proceeded to climb up the order further.

Unfortunately, contact to the rear of his Dallara-Mercedes from Richard Bradley on lap six forced Evans down an escape road and ruined all of his great work although he was able to recover into 22nd – meaning he will begin his first ever Macau F3 GP from the 11th row of the grid and ahead of several experienced drivers who encountered their own difficulties.

“Mitch had a lot of bad luck during the build-up to today and again in the race when he was taken out, he did a great job though and we’ve got high hopes he’ll come through the order well again tomorrow”, added Hieatt.

“Marko had a great start and first lap, really drove well, but then the damage to the sidepod made his car like a brick in a straight line. He’ll have a tough time tomorrow from 18th on the grid but he has the experience and ability to turn it around into a good result.”

The 58th Macau F3 Grand Prix will begin at 15.30 (local time) tomorrow, Sunday, 20th November.

Photo by Jakob Ebrey Photography

Felipe Nasr took a stunning second place for Carlin in today’s Qualification race ahead of the 58th Macau Grand Prix, despite race long pressure from third placed man Roberto Merhi. Carlos Huertas made it two Carlin cars in the top five, while Jazeman Jaafar finished 17th, with Kevin Magnussen 19th from the back row of the grid.

Following rain earlier on in the week, conditions remained dry for the start of today’s Qualification Race, for the ten lap sprint around the challenging Macau circuit. Nasr made the perfect start from fifth on the grid and benefitted from the stalled car of front row man Antonio Felix da Costa to catapult into second place. Huertas also made a good start and briefly climbed to fourth, before settling for fifth at the end of lap one.

Jaafar lost out in the chaotic mid field at the start and dropped to 24th, while Magnussen had already made up several places in 22nd having started 29th.

At the front Nasr was chasing down race leader Marco Wittmann, but had the charging Roberto Merhi right behind him by the end of lap two. Nasr held station though and coped well with the pressure to keep the F3 Euro Series champion behind him.

Huertas was also enjoying some close racing and had closed in on GP3 champion Valtteri Bottas for fourth, and by lap five was close enough to put the Finn under intense pressure. Nasr meanwhile had responded well to the pace from behind and set the fastest lap of the race so far on lap five.

Facing a completely different battle was Magnussen, who had demonstrated pace good enough to qualify seventh, but was fighting his way through the field following a grid penalty. The British F3 vice champion was 20th, just ahead of Jaafar in 21st.

After managing to pull out a small gap, Nasr was under pressure again from Merhi, who set the fastest lap of the race on lap eight, while behind them the pack continued to shuffle with Jaafar moving up to 18th ahead of Magnussen in 19th.

Attention remained firmly focused on the leaders though, as the British and F3 Euro champions Nasr and Merhi fought closely for second. Merhi made a move up the inside at Lisboa on lap eight, but Nasr defended well and maintained position.

A big accident for Jimmy Eriksson brought racing action to a halt on lap nine. The driver climbed from the car unhurt but the incident brought out the safety car. With debris strewn across the track, the race finished under those conditions, with Nasr taking second in his Volkswagen powered car, with Huertas fifth. Jaafar crossed the line in 17th, with Magnussen 19th, the positions the Carlin quartet will take on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Reflecting on a tense afternoon, Nasr said, “From the start I got two places straight away, after Sims crashed and da Costa stalled. I was third into the first corner and managed to get a good tow from Bottas and we were three wide into Lisboa. I was in the middle so I didn’t have the right line to come out first and I was cautious not to make contact. I managed to come out in second though and then I just focused on keeping the car out of the walls so we could have a good position for tomorrow.

“Both Wittmann and Merhi were very quick; Wittmann had a strong car in the middle sector, but I was fast in the final sector and was able to close on him there and pull away from Merhi a little. I think we need to look at the data to see how we can improve further so we are even strong tomorrow, but second place is a great position to start from in Macau.”

Fifth placed man Huertas was also pleased with his race, “I was distracted at the start by da Costa stalling, which is how Merhi got past me, but my pace was really good, especially in the early stages. I nearly got past Bottas, but I didn’t want to do anything stupid. I think the pace between the front runners was very close today. We improved the car a lot from qualifying and we will try and do the same before tomorrow. Anything can happen around here and I’m in a good position to take a top result tomorrow.”

Trevor Carlin added, “Felipe did a fantastic job today. He made a great start; striking the balance between being aggressive and not risking too much. He withstood the pressure from Merhi extremely well and deserved to be on the podium today. To have two cars in the top five today is a great result for the team, following an impressive race by Carlos. It was a difficult task for Jazeman and Kevin today, but they both brought the cars home in one piece. Obviously tomorrow the drivers will have a completely different approach, and I’m sure we’ll see considerably less caution and more incidents! Nevertheless Felipe and Carlos have shown that we have a good car here, so we’re feeling confident.”

Tomorrow’s race will take place at 15.30 local time (07.30 GMT).

Felix Rosenqvist will take part in the season-ending Macau Grand Prix – the most prestigious event on the international Formula 3 calendar – for the second successive year. The Swede, who finished ninth on his debut in the Asian street classic after an eye-catching drive in 2010, will represent his regular Formula 3 Euro Series team Mücke Motorsport with full support from engine manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. Rosenqvist’s team-mate over the weekend will be Macanese veteran Michael Ho. The Macau Grand Prix is widely regarded as the Formula 3 world finals, with 30 of the most promising young single-seater talents taking part in the race in November of each year.

“I will never forget the feeling I had when I drove out of the pitlane in Macau for the first time last year, and it will be absolutely great to be back there again for a second time,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “I learned so much there last year, but I’m well aware of the fact that many of my rivals have still been to Macau on more occasions than I have and I know how tough the Macau Grand Prix really is. The team will go there for the very first time, but I still believe we will have the chance to challenge close to the front – not least following our victory in the Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort earlier this year. Macau has become my favourite circuit, and I can’t wait for the start of practice.”

The Macau Grand Prix has been the single most important event of the Formula 3 season every year since its
inception in 1983. The list of previous winners includes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Sweden’s Rickard Rydell, with 20 out of the 28 drivers who have started a Formula 1 race in 2011 having driven at Macau at least once in their careers. At Mücke Motorsport, preparations are well underway as excitement for the race builds.

“Racing in the Macau Grand Prix for the first time ever will be a big challenge for the entire team, but with Felix behind the wheel I think we are well-placed to fight for the top five positions,” says team principal Peter Mücke. “Felix drove there very competitively last year, and we do have experience of street circuits from all the races we’ve done at the Norisring in Germany over the years. Adapting to a new track will not be a major problem, and the key to success at Macau will be to get everything together on the day – and some luck on the opening laps!”

The venue for the Macau Grand Prix is the temporarily erected Guia Circuit, which is made up of public roads in the city centre of the Chinese gambling metropolis outside of Hong Kong. The 2011 Macau Grand Prix takes place on November 17-20.

British F3 Champions Carlin have announced that they will be taking four drivers to the prestigious 58th Macau Grand Prix next month. Newly crowned British Formula Three champion Felipe Nasr will be making his second appearance at the famous event. Joining him will be Carlos Huertas and Jazeman Jaafar who both tackled the street circuit last year and Macau rookie Kevin Magnussen. All four drivers have had a successful year in British F3 with Carlin.

Nasr won the 2011 British F3 title with races to spare, the 19 year old quickly took the lead in the championship after a consistent start to his season, taking seven wins and 14 podiums so far this season. The young Brazilian stamped his dominance on the championship and stayed at the top throughout, carefully building a points gap over the rest of the field.

Nasr will have a challenge on his hands at the street circuit in the form of his British F3 team mates. Colombian Carlos Huertas finished in a strong tenth position on his first visit to the 3.8 mile circuit last year. The 20 year old has already taken seven podiums in the British Formula Three Championship and is currently lying second overall.

Jazeman Jaafar will also be representing the team; the young Malaysian drove for Carlin last year in the Chinese enclave and crossed the line twelfth. His 2011 BF3 campaign has seen him walk away with four podiums to date. As his only race on his home continent, the Petronas backed driver will have high hopes ahead of this year’s event.

Making his Macau debut this year will be 19 year old Kevin Magnussen. The Dane is the youngest in the Carlin line-up and goes into this race after a successful season which provided him with six wins and sees him currently lying third in the championship. His all or nothing racing approach should provide some great action around Macau.

Having enjoyed a hugely successful British Formula Three campaign in which he became champion Felipe Nasr said, “Macau is a hugely important race on the F3 calendar and it’s a very special feeling to be able to participate with Carlin. I know the team extremely well, and I know we have a great car – I feel as though we can be right up there.

“Having won the British F3 title I feel super confident and can’t wait to go to Macau and it would really round off a great season if we do really well there.”

Kevin Magnussen heads to Macau for the first time this year, looking ahead to the event he said, “Having never been there before I don’t know what to expect. I’ve been told it’s the best track in the world – and it really does look amazing! I think it will be a great challenge for me and knowing that Carlin have had great results here in the past makes me think we can definitely be right up there.”

Trevor Carlin added, “Macau is a highlight of the season for us and this year we go with a fantastic driver line-up. Felipe, Carlos and Jazeman all have previous experience of Macau, while Kevin is just the right type of driver to be able attack Macau at the maximum level from the outset. It is one of the most challenging events of a drivers’ career and a proving ground for the teams as well, so we can’t wait for the event to get underway.”

British F3 champions Carlin join F3 teams from across the world this week, as the British squad make preparations ahead of the 56th Macau Grand Prix this weekend. Racing with Carlin in the most prestigious and challenging F3 race in the world, will be current British F3 champion Daniel Ricciardo, Max Chilton, Brendon Hartley and Henry Arundel.

The four drivers follow in the footsteps of F1 racers Jaime Alguersuari, Sebastian Vettel, Sebastien Buemi, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg who have all competed with Carlin in the Chinese enclave in recent years.

After an eventful race in Macau in 2008, Hartley took a podium finish for Carlin, despite having started from 20th position after an incident in the Qualification race. Chilton also benefits from knowledge of the Guia circuit, having raced here last year. This year’s Macau Grand Prix will be a new experience for reigning British F3 champion Ricciardo and also his first taste of a street circuit, while Arundel also make his Macau debut this year.

2008 third place man Brendon Hartley said, “I’m happy to be back in Macau after a podium last year. We had really good pace then, so I’m expecting that to continue this year. There’s always a bit of luck involved in getting a good result in Macau, its easy to get caught up in other people’s accidents, but then you have to create your own luck as well. I started at the back of the grid last year and finished on the podium but I think if you want to have a chance of winning, you need to qualify well here.”

British racer Max Chilton makes his second visit to Macau after a successful debut last year. “Macau is a fantastic circuit; it’s just so tight there isn’t any room for error. It’s great to come back here already knowing what to expect and knowing the circuit. I’m feeling confident after a strong finish to the British F3 season and I feel as though I’ve developed a lot as a driver since I was here last year. I’m aiming to finish my F3 career on a high with a strong result here this weekend.”

Having had his first look at the Guia circuit, British F3 champion Daniel Ricciardo commented, “The circuit looks incredible. It looks really challenging so I think it will be important to build up to it. Everyone says you need as much track time as possible to get the most out of the circuit and have the confidence to push to the limit. It’s tempting to just go all out and see what I can do, but I’ll have to just take it easy and build up to the ultimate pace. I can tell already that I’m going to love the circuit. ”

Also making his first trip to Macau, Henry Arundel added, “The circuit looks really fun but also a big challenge. We’ve seen in the past that anything can happen here, but I think the important thing will be to improve with every session. It looks like it could be the best circuit I’ve ever driven and certainly the most challenging. I can’t wait for the first session to get underway so I can see what it’s really like.”

The first practice session for the F3 drivers will take place at 10.30 local time on Thursday, followed by first qualifying at 14.00. Second practice and second qualifying will take place on Friday, with the qualification race on Saturday culminating in the 56th Macau Grand Prix on Sunday.