Double for Jack Doohan at Spa as FIA Formula 3 championship narrows
Jack Doohan has achieved back-to-back FIA Formula 3 victories at Spa, winning race three ahead of Victor Martins and Alex Smolyar.
Jack Doohan holds off Victor Martins in torrid conditions at Spa. (Formula Motorsport Limited)
The deteriorating conditions meant the race began behind the safety car, with the green flag eventually falling with fourteen laps to go.
Doohan launched into turn 1 closely followed by Martins, with the pair breaking away from the chasing pack as spray reduced visibility even further.
The Australian sits second in the championship, and current leader Dennis Hauger was on mission for damage-limitation after starting in fourteenth.
Hauger jumped two spots on the opening lap, with Jak Crawford and Roman Stanek also falling prey to the PREMA driver.
Hauger quickly caught up to the squabbling pair of David Schumahcer and Johnathan Hoggard, getting past Schumacher for ninth position.
Doohan is the first driver to win multiple races in a FIA Formula 3 weekend this year. (Formula Motorsport Limited)
Martins was unrelenting in his pursuit of Doohan, making a bold move around turn 9 with ten laps to go.
The Frenchman ran well wide of the track limits and obligingly handed the position back to the Red Bull Junior behind him.
With Martins' ambition wounded, Doohan was able to hold him at bay in the worsening conditions, taking the chequered flag to become the first driver this year with multiple wins in a FIA Formula 3 weekend.
"I am very happy, although I didn’t have the pace that I would like to have had," said Doohan.
"We didn’t have the same pace as yesterday, but in the end, we got the job done and I adapted as well as I could have."
"Victor had an awesome race and had very strong pace."
"He was definitely quicker than I was, but luckily, I was able to pull away in the few areas that I was quicker and did enough to keep the gap."
"I am very happy and off to Zandvoort now."
The Red Bull Junior is now just 25 points off Hauger for the lead of the FIA F3 standings.
"The gap to Dennis is definitely a lot better than 63, but there are two rounds to go, and my aim is to be in front of him.
"We are going to keep pushing as hard as we can.”
Alexander Smolyar completed the podium, with Hauger ultimately crossing the line in eighth.
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