FIA Formula 3: Points and progress for Fittipaldi

The Brazilian Ferrari Driver Academy student scored points following a great fight back in Race 2 at the Hungaroring. The third round of the FIA Formula 3 championship did not go smoothly. Rain played a big part in that, falling intermittently at the Hungarian track.

Qualifying.  Friday’s qualifying was held on a wet track and Enzo Fittipaldi had to contend with quite a few difficulties as he tried to get the most out of his car. His set-up was not ideal and the very difficult track conditions meant it was far from simple and Fittipaldi was eighteenth fastest.

Race-1.  The Brazilian soon showed what he could do, making up places and getting into the points zone. On lap 5, the red flags came out as Liam Lawson had left a trail of oil on track after his engine failed. All the drivers returned to pit lane and for Fittipaldi moved out of the fast lane for a moment to avoid some debris. But as this is forbidden by the regulations, the Brazilian picked up a drive-through penalty, which meant he struggled from then on to finish 19th, even though he had got as high as seventh earlier. It was not exactly the best way for the promising youngster to celebrate what was his 19th birthday.

Gara-2.  Fittipaldi did not lose heart and started Race 2 determined to do better. He had the same strong pace as in the first race, made up plenty of places and was ninth past the chequered flag. Those two points were down to his grit and determination and even if the result did not live up to expectations it showed that Fittipaldi is making clear progress in his first year in the category. The Formula 3 crews now get a week off before heading for Silverstone for the fourth and fifth rounds of the season.