Norris Storms to Victory at Spa-Francorchamps

Lando Norris came back from the summer break to claim a stunning victory in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship today, taking a lights to flag victory in the first race of the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. The McLaren Honda Junior Driver withstood pressure from behind and a chaotic first lap to take his fourth victory of the season. Team mates Jehan Daruvala and Ferdinand Habsburg both put in impressive races to make their way up the order, claiming fourth and eighth respectively while Ameya Vaidyanathan came home 16th in his first FIA F3 race.

Conditions remained dry and bright for the first F3 race of the weekend at Spa today, with Lando Norris lining up on pole for the first of three times this week. As the lights went out the 17-year-old dismissed any concerns over his starts to make the perfect getaway and lead Callum Ilott into La Source and up into Eau Rouge. Behind him Daruvala had made a good start and tried to pass Nikita Mazepin after Eau Rouge and lost out avoiding contact. The Force India Academy driver also lost out when Ilott swept across in front of the field after hitting the kerbs trying to pass Norris.

That incident created a full course yellow as Jake Hughes was left stranded on the side of the track. Norris still held the lead, now from the Prema of Max Gunther, while Daruvala was running seventh, Habsburg 11th and Vaidyanathan 14th.

Full course yellow then turned into a safety car period, but at the restart Norris made a second strong getaway and defended well from a fast looking Gunther. Habsburg was busy, not for the last time, in the middle of a chaotic racing pack with some wheel to wheel action with Mick Schumacher, Joel Eriksson and Guanyu Zhou. The young Austrian lost out in the melee of that battle, but would fight back later.

One driver already on the move was Daruvala, the Carlin man was making quick progress from seventh and was soon fourth after passing Ralf Aron on lap five. Habsburg’s progress was underway by now, after losing another place to Pedro Piquet the lap before, Habsburg was back up to 11th on lap eight, and claimed 10th two laps later after repassing Zhou. Aron was his next target and the number 62 car was past and into ninth by lap 11. A stunning move on championship contender Eriksson on the penultimate lap put Habsburg up into eighth place.

Norris, now leading from Nikita Mazepin looking perfectly in control. At the chequered flag, Norris claimed a well-earned victory, Daruvala a strong fourth and was the second placed rookie. Habsburg was eighth after his fight through the field, Vaidyanathan 16th after his first race on Hankook tyres in the FIA F3 European Championship.

Speaking about the race, winner Norris said, “I had a good start, probably my best of the season so far. I was under pressure after Eau Rouge into turn 5, but managed to hold Callum off and stay in the lead. We had one safety car, which wasn’t ideal, but got a good restart and managed to stay up front. I tried to manage my pace a little and save the tyres for possibly race two or three. I’m happy with the win and looking forward to race two and three.”

The FIA F3 drivers will have little time to rest with race two taking place at 15.40 local time.