The planet’s main F3 competition resumed its schedule for the antepenultimate round
The traditional race track of Nurburgring in Germany, hosted this weekend the races for the eighth round of European F3 Championship. Races 22, 23 and 24 of the Championship were very disputed and the Brazilian pilot Sérgio Sette Câmara (Red Bull | Petrobras | Cemig | Mercantil do Brasil), Member of the Red Bull Junior Team, recorded his first pole position and scored again in two of the three races.
As traditionally occurs, the weekend of competition began on Friday, when the free practice sessions and also the two taking of times took place. The Motopark Academy team, with its traditional work methodology, began preparing the equipment without worrying about the times obtained but rather with the car’s tuning for the races. In the second practice session, Sette Câmara received the OK from the team to accelerate, with the tuning aimed the taking of times. With a setting very close to the ideal one, the pilot was satisfied and recorded the third time, excited for the taking of times.
The qualifying sessions occurred shortly after and, for the first time in the European F3, Serginho was the fastest of the session and achieved the pole position. More than that, he managed to perform the ideal lap and was the fastest on the track in the three sectors of the racetrack, a fact difficult to happen. Excited by the result of the first classifying session, Sette Câmara went to the second taking of times willing to repeat the good performance. However, hindered by the traffic on his fast lap, he was unable to repeat the feat and, as a result, established only the 14th position for the start of the second race, and the 13th, for race three.
“I was very happy to have achieved the pole position. It was the first pole position of our team, which is also in its second season in the Championship. Unfortunately, as a result of having changed the engine in the Spa round, I’m penalized 10 places on the grid in the first two races and, with that, I will not start on the front. But, being sure that I am faster and having the reliable equipment, give me the renewed spirit to do the impossible on the races, “explained the 18-year old pilot .
In the first race, Serginho made a good start and remained in the 11th position. Hard-pressed by the opponent who came right behind him and having to attack the opponents ahead, Sette Câmara could not overtake and finished in the same 11th position. After meeting with the engineers and analyzing the telemetry, the team made some changes to the car for the second race. Starting on the last grid position, by virtue of the exchange of the motor, Sette Câmara made a creepy second race. With a faster car on the track he did fantastic overtakings, at different points of the track and, after 24 laps, received the checkered flag in a celebrated eighth place.
The third and final race of the weekend were held on Sunday morning. In another hard presentation, Sette Câmara managed to win important positions, to be fast and steady and finished the race in eighth position.
By summing the results Serginho has accumulated eight points for the Championship and now appears with 97 points, on the 12th position.
“The penalties from exchanging engine at Spa have considerably disturbed me. I am leaving Nurburgring knowing that I finally have a competitive and fast car which will allow me to fight for victories at Imola and Hockenheim, the last round of the Championship “, he commented.