Felix Rosenqvist brought the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship campaign to an emphatic close by winning twice at this weekend’s season-finale at Hockenheim, Germany.
Rosenqvist wasted no time in showing his intentions ahead of the finale, topping Friday’s free practice session and bagging front-row grid slots for all three of the weekend’s races – including claiming pole position for Saturday’s Race 2. The 21-year-old Mücke Motorsport man then went on to control the opening race of the meeting after grabbing the lead off the line, eventually winning by 5.9 seconds over second-placed Raffaele Marciello (Italy). Rosenqvist later repeated his performance in the subsequent Race 2 to lead home a trio of cars from title-winning outfit Prema Powerteam.
In the season-ending final race on Sunday, the Swede finished second behind newly-crowned champion Marciello in a rain-hit event, in which the duo ran away from the rest of the field and took the chequered flag separated by just two tenths of a second.
To further underline his pace, Rosenqvist – who ends up second overall in the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship standings – posted the fastest lap of each of the three races.
“A really, really strong way to end the campaign,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “With two wins, a second place and three fastest laps this weekend, our pace has hopefully been there for everyone to see, and it’s great to have capped things off in this manner. We go away from here with some very strong results, and we have to be proud of what we’ve achieved this year. Big congratulations to Raffaele on winning the title; we’ve had some good battles this year, and I think we’ve spurred each other on throughout the campaign. Last but not least, I want to thank the entire team at Mücke Motorsport for a great season, and all of my fans and followers who have offered some truly fantastic support in good times and in bad. It has meant a lot to me, and I hope I’ve paid back for some of it this weekend.”
Felix Rosenqvist’s 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship CV includes a total of 10 race wins, 18 podiums, four pole positions and 10 fastest laps. The 21-year-old concludes the campaign sitting more than 100 points clear of third-placed Briton Alex Lynn.
Alongside his championship accomplishments, 2013 has also seen Rosenqvist win the prestigious Masters of Formula 3 for a second time. As part of the award package on offer in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Rosenqvist will be given a World Series by Renault test in Spain later this year.