Victor Martins earns first FIA Formula 3 victory in frantic Zandvoort outing
Victor Martins has taken his first win of the 2021 FIA Formula 3 season, crossing the line ahead of Clément Novalak and Frederik Vesti in race two at Zandvoort.
Victor Martins has taken his first victory of the FIA Formula 3 season at Zandvoort. (FIAFormula3/Twitter)
It was an action-packed outing that saw the two leading championship contenders knocked out of contention in late-race incidents.
Ido Cohen started the reverse-grid race on pole position, but after a slow start it was Novalak who snuck down the inside to take the lead.
Novalak held station ahead of Cohen and Vesti, as championship leader Dennis Hauger was quickly up into sixth and battling with his PREMA teammate Olli Caldwell.
Lorenzo Colombo was the first casualty, tipped off the track and into the gravel, bringing out the safety car.
At the restart Novalak maintained his lead while Vesti mounted a challenge for second into turn one.
The move unsettled the Danish driver, who fell victim to Victor Martins in turn three as the Frenchman moved into the top three.
Ayumu Iwasa threatened to bring out a second safety car as he steamed into the gravel at the restart, but was able to rejoin the track.
Meanwhile, Red Bull juniors Jak Crawford and Jack Doohan went head-to-head for ninth.
Martins attempted the outside line around Ido Cohen through Tarzan corner, but Cohen ran him wide into the gravel.
Martins and Vesti were both eventually able to find their way around Cohen, as Novalak increased his lead to more than a second.
Martins, now in second, was unleashed.
Catching Novalak in a matter of corners, it was the battle of the two French drivers for their first race victory, with Martins coming out in the lead.
Dennis Hauger's charge continued as he moved past Cohen into forth.
Just after the battle for the lead reached its climax, Amaury Cordeel went off into the gravel at turn one after reporting brake issues.
A brief safety car was just enough to compact the field to ensure a couple of laps of frantic racing.
Race one winner Arthur Leclerc passed two cars at the restart, moving up into ninth.
Ido Cohen then collected Dennis Hauger at the exit of the banked turn three, while Jonny Edgar spun later in the lap at turn nine.
David Schumacher had also made up ground at the restart, and added to his gains as he passed Caldwell into fifth.
Jack Doohan lost grip and ran wide. (FIAFormula3/Twitter)
With championship leader Dennis Hauger out with a puncture, it seemed that fate had swung the way of Jack Doohan.
The Australian was on track to cutting his rival's championship lead when he lost grip and went off into the gravel, falling down to eighteenth.
At the line, it was Martins, Novalak, Vesti, as Martins took his first victory.
“I have no words,” said Martins.
“We just got our first win of the season, our first win in Formula 3, and it feels amazing.”
“I want to thank the team because the car was unbelievable, I was giving it everything.”
“We will keep pushing for tomorrow.”
“We start P3 and I think there is a lot more for us to get.”
Hauger maintains the lead of the championship despite finishing last of 27 cars, while Jack Doohan similarly scored zero points in nineteenth.
Fellow Aussie Calan Williams finished P23.
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