The teenagers Joel Eriksson (S) and Guanyu Zhou (CN) have got Volkswagen off to a successful start in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with two podium finishes. 16-year-old Zhou put in a fantastic performance in a rainy second race at the season opener on the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France, finishing in third place.
This was also the first ever podium finish for a Chinese driver in the history of this talent factory for Formula 1. In the third race, Eriksson (17), who has moved up from ADAC Formula 4, did some spectacular overtaking in his Dallara F-312 equipped with a Volkswagen engine, working his way up from seventh to third place. He also scored points in the other two races, finishing in sixth and ninth place respectively.
This puts the Volkswagen driver at the top of the rookie ranking on 58 points, ahead of his Motopark teammate Zhou on 45. “After the good winter tests, a podium finish in Le Castellet is the perfect way to start the season,” said Eriksson. The overall leader is Nick Cassidy of New Zealand, who clinched second place in all three races. The race wins went to Lance Stroll (CDN), Callum Illot (GB) and Maximilian Günther (D). The next racing weekend is from 22 to 24 April on the Hungaroring.
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