Antonio Giovinazzi took second place after starting seventh in a rain soaked FIA Formula 3 European Championship race at the Norisring this morning. The Carlin driver managed to pick his way round various incidents and made careful overtaking manoeuvres in difficult conditions to take his 10th podium of the season. 

Team mate Gustavo Menezes showed he had recovered from his worrying Spa accident to take points for seventh while Tveter came home 13th. 

Just as had been predicted yesterday, heavy rain fell this morning, just before the 32 FIA F3 drivers took to the grid for race one of the weekend. Having endured a difficult first qualifying session yesterday, it was all to do for the Jagonya Ayam drivers, with Giovinazzi starting seventh, Menezes 12th and Tveter 19th.   

With the race starting under the safety car, it wasn’t for a couple of laps that the racing action really started. Giovinazzi was almost immediately up to fifth place, while Menezes was 12th and Tveter 16th. Struggling with almost zero visibility, the Jagonya Ayam drivers were staying clear of any incidents and by lap nine Menezes had climbed to ninth.    

By lap 13th, Giovinazzi was fourth after Alexander Albon had fallen down the order while Menezes was now eighth and Tveter 15th. As the rain continued to fall conditions continued to deteriorate. Giovinazzi was still treading carefully through, involved in a three car tussle with Felix Rosenqvist and Maximilian Gunther ahead. As Rosenqvist attacked Gunther on lap 15, Giovinazzi played it perfectly to pass Rosenqvist, taking third place and now right behind Gunther. Biding his time, Giovinazzi managed to make his way past on lap 17, taking second place.  

With the rain still falling, several cars were aquaplaning off track due to standing water. Championship contender Jake Dennis was one such driver in the drama and after an incident with a back marker his front wing lay stranded on track. 

With the safety car now out on track, Giovinazzi was involved in one of the stranger incidents of the race, picking up the front wing of Dennis as he arrived on the scene of the accident. With the front wing stuck well and truly under his car, it looked as though Giovinazzi would have to pit and lose second. The Italian wasn’t giving up though and managed to dislodge the Prema wing and continue.   

The safety car stayed out for the remainder of the race, with positions therefore remaining unchanged. At the flag Giovinazzi was delighted to be second, Menezes seventh while Tveter was 13th.   

Speaking about his race, Giovinazzi said, “It was a good race to finish second. It was really hard though; you could hardly see anything. In the middle of the race I just couldn’t tell which car I should be racing so I just tried to pass as many as I could as carefully as I could. I found myself P2 behind the safety car so I’m glad to be on the podium again and get some good points.”   

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