29th August 2005

Zandvoort in the Netherlands hosted the 15th and 16th rounds of the 2005 Formula 3 Euroseries this weekend and Manor Motorsport hoped to continue the kind of qualifying performance the team displayed last time out at Nurburgring in Germany.

Brazilian driver Lucas Tucci Di Grassi looked most likely to claim at least a podium finish after qualifying for Saturday’s race in third position, but he then went one better in qualifying for round 16 with the second fastest time behind ASM’s Lewis Hamilton.

After failing to finish round 15, Di Grassi knew he had to make the best start possible to Sunday’s race in order to make an impression on pole-sitter Hamilton but after shadowing the former Manor driver at the start of the race, the Brazilian was given a 10 second penalty soon after, having been adjudged to have jumped the start.

Scottish team-mate Paul Di Resta, qualified a solid fourth for race one and seventh for race two, and in the second of the weekend’s outings he picked up more valuable points in his debut Formula 3 season with a good, solid fourth place finish. He ended Saturday’s round 15 in 14th place having incurred a harsh penalty during the race.

Hamilton, meanwhile, claimed the title several rounds early by taking victory in round 16, and so Di Grassi will now make a concerted push for the Vice-Champion’s position while Di Resta aims to break into the top six in the category’s standings.

Speaking on the weekend, team boss John Booth said: “It was quite a frustrating time for us really as Lucas looked set for a good podium finish on Sunday. Still, you learn from your mistakes and we must make sure we’re in the best possible position to challenge for pole positions and race wins at EuroSpeedway.

“On behalf of everyone at Manor, I’d like to offer Lewis (Hamilton) our congratulations on his title win. He’s certainly been the class of the field this season and he has a very bright future at the highest level of motorsport. We’re very proud to have helped guide him through the early stages of his career in both Formula Renault and Formula 3.”

The next meeting on the F3 Euroseries calendar is at the EuroSpeedway in Germany on Saturday, 10th September, and Sunday, 11th September.