A dream weekend for Marco Wittmann: The junior driver from Markt Erlbach, Germany, celebrated two victories and a third place in the Formula 3 Euro Series at the Norisring. In front of his home audience the 21-year-old “powered by Volkswagen” clinched 50 points and moved up to second place in the overall standings. Rookie Daniel Abt achieved his second podium result by finishing Sunday’s race on the Nuremberg city street circuit in third place.

At the first race on Saturday Laurens Vanthoor from the Volkswagen customer team Signature looked like the winner at first. Despite a wet track he opted for slicks from the beginning and was rewarded for his gamble. About halfway through the race the racing line dried off completely and the Belgian assumed the lead. Pole sitter Marco Wittmann on the other hand had started on rain tyres and had to pit in order to change to slicks. The local hero managed a remarkable recovery and finished on the podium nonetheless. After the race Vanthoor and Wittmann received a 30-second time penalty for disregarding yellow flags and occupied positions two and three.

The second, shorter race on Saturday went to Wittman after a lap-long duel with the leader of the standings, Roberto Merhi. Daniel Abt, who also races for the Volkswagen customer team Signature, delivered a strong race on a drying track as well. After having started into the race from grid position ten, the Bavarian was in contention for third place on the podium. After slightly brushing his rival Nigel Melker the race stewards issued a severe verdict: a 30-second time penalty which caused Abt to drop to tenth place. The third round on Sunday was marked by rain and for safety reasons started behind the safety car. Thanks to a flawless drive Wittmann converted his pole position into a commanding start-finish victory. After having missed the podium the day before 18-year-old Daniel Abt also shone with a flawless race and, like most recently at Spielberg, mounted the winner’s podium in third place.

Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director:

“This weekend the Volkswagen drivers and teams were competitive and in contention for victory at all times. ‘Well done’ particularly to Marco Wittmann. He has shown a very strong performance this weekend – on a wet as well as a dry track. In the championship he has made up a lot of ground to the front runner and with twelve more races to go a lot is still possible. The fight for the title has become thrilling again.”

#1 – Marco Wittmann (Markt Erlbach) – Volkswagen Dallara F309 – Team Signature

Qualifying: 1st place – race 1: 3rd place – race 2: 1st place – race 3: 1st place

“Obviously, I can only sum up the weekend in a very positive way. Our aim had been to finish in front of the leader of the standings – we managed to do this three times, in wet and in dry conditions. This sends an important message to our team and to our rivals: We’re still here and have started our recovery now. The gap in the overall standings is still large but certainly manageable. I’m already looking forward to the Nürburgring. The track suits me and I’m going to attack there again.”

#10 – Daniel Abt (Kempten) – Volkswagen Dallara F309 – Team Signature

Qualifying: 2nd place – race 1: 10th place – race 2: 10th place – race 3: 3rd place

“My weekend was like the weather: fair to middling. The positive thing was that my speed is right now and that I was already among the front runners in qualifying. In the first race I saw victory within my reach but wanted a bit too much and then left empty-handed. In the second race I had very slight body contact for which I was severely punished – so that prevented another podium finish. In the third race I played it safe. My overall performance was better than the results show so I’m very optimistic for the next races.”

- VW Motorsport

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1. F3ES: Two podium places for Marco Wittmann at season opener

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Places five, two and three made Marco Wittmann (Germany) the quickest Volkswagen driver at the Formula 3 Euro Series season opener held at Le Castellet. The 2010 “vice champion” will travel to Hockenheim (29 April–1 May), the second out of a total of nine race weekends, ranking in fourth place of the standings.

The other drivers “powered by Volkswagen” scored fewer points. Wittmann’s Signature team colleague Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) set his top mark of the weekend in fifth place at the third race. The rookies in the French team, Carlos Muñoz (Columbia) and Daniel Abt (Germany, achieved fifth and ninth place. Unlike their rivals, the Volkswagen drivers had difficulties making optimal use of the performance of the new tires prescribed for the series over the whole racing distance.

For Team Motopark Academy the first race weekend also marked the beginning of a year of learning. For the four drivers Jimmy Eriksson (Sweden), Kimiya Sato (Japan), Gianmarco Raimondo (Canada) and Kuba Giermaziak (Poland) the Formula 3 Euro Series is still new territory. Jimmy Eriksson and Kimiya Sato as the best Motopark Academy drivers managed to make their debut with a sixth-place finish.

Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director:
“We clinched two podium places at the season opener, but our expectations here had been higher than that. We’re going to analyze the unsatisfactory results and work hard in the next few weeks to be in contention for victory at Hockenheim.”

#1 – Marco Wittmann (Germany) – Volkswagen Dallara F308 – Team Signature
Qualifying: 2nd place – race 1: 5th place – race 2: 2nd place – race 3: 3rd place
“For me, it’s been a good start to the season. I clinched two podium places and was the best Volkswagen driver. The first race was promising. Although I had to start from the pit lane due to a technical problem I was among the quickest drivers in the field and finished fifth. Unfortunately, in the last race I wasn’t as strong as I’d been on Saturday and my tyres were degrading too heavily towards the end. We’ve still got to work on our performance in qualifying and in the race because the Prema Team is currently a step ahead of us.”

#2 – Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) – Volkswagen Dallara F309 – Team Signature
Qualifying: 3rd place – race 1: 8th place – race 2: 7th place – race 3: 5th place
“Unfortunately, the season opener didn’t go the way I’d been hoping it would. In qualifying I was highly satisfied with my third place. In the race, however, I had problems with the tires. I concentrated on getting them to last for the whole distance. We’ve got four days of testing before the next round at Hockenheim and we want to make optimum use of them.”
- Volkswagen Motorsport

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With 280 km/h past the docks, through extremely narrow hairpins and between iron guard rails: at the Grand Prix in Macau, China (18–21 November), the world’s best junior Formula 3 drivers meet to compete with each other on one of the world’s most difficult race tracks.

Volkswagen driver Edoardo Mortara (Italy) returns to the former Portuguese colony as the title defender – albeit the Formula 3 Euro Series Champion will be pitted against extremely powerful rivals, not least from his own camp. 13 of the 30 participants in total trust the near-210 hp Volkswagen Formula 3 engine, including the British champion Jean-Eric Vergne (France), Marco Wittmann (Germany), the runner-up of the Euro Series, and Daniel Abt (Germany), the “vice” champion of the German Cup.

“The Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix continues to pose a true challenge – both to the drivers and teams as well as to the technology. The circuit with extremely long straights and many tight turns demands a good compromise for the set-up, a powerful engine and, last but not least, loads of courage and accomplished skills at the wheel. The line-up of drivers and teams could hardly be any better and promises to deliver a spectacular Grand Prix as everyone aims to impress here,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen.

Brimming with motivation, last year’s winner Edoardo Mortara is shooting for his second consecutive win – a feat that has not been achieved by any driver in the Formula 3 era since 1983. “I’m already counting the days down to the start. Obviously, I’ve got extremely fond memories of Macau due to my victory. And since I know that our package consisting of the Signature team and the Volkswagen engine will be extremely quick again, I’m extremely confident too,” says Mortara who also holds the lap record of 2m 10.732s. “I’m not afraid of the walls and will attack as hard as possible.” But 29 other drivers will do everything they can to defeat Mortara. Like many of them Jean-Eric Vergne will be on the grid of the “Guia Circuit” for the first time – albeit with perfect preparation. “Macau is one of the most important races of all and I’m still lacking a victory there. Together with my engineer from Carlin I practised on the Red Bull driving simulator – that really paid off as now I’ve got a realistic impression of the track layout,” says the 20-year-old Frenchman.

The exquisite field of 30 drivers from 18 nations, the fascinating 6.115-km city street circuit and the special flair of the port city have made the Grand Prix a true classic in racing since its inaugural event in 1954. Subsequent Formula 1 stars like Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard have entered their names on the winners’ list here whereas others spectacularly failed.

Timetable, Macau

Thursday, 18 November 2010
10.40–11.25 Formula 3 Grand Prix, Free practice (45 min)
14.25–14.55 Formula 3 Grand Prix, 1st qualifying (30 min)

Friday, 19 November 2010
11.15–12.00 Formula 3 Grand Prix, Free practice (45 min)
15.00–15.30 Formula 3 Grand Prix, 2nd qualifying (30 min)

Saturday, 20 November 2010
13.45–14.35 Formula 3 Grand Prix, Qualification race (10 laps)

Sunday, 21 November 2010
15.30–16.30 Formula 3 Grand Prix, Race (15 laps)

TV schedule, Macau

Sunday, 21 November 2010
09.03–10.00 n-tv, Formula 3 live

Entry list

No Driver Nat Team Chassis/Engine
1 Edoardo Mortara , I, Signature, Dallara-Volkswagen
2 Marco Wittmann, D, Signature, Dallara-Volkswagen
3 Laurens Vanthoor, B, Signature, Dallara-Volkswagen
4 Daniel Abt, D, Signature, Dallara-Volkswagen
5 Jean-Eric Vergne, F, Carlin, Dallara-Volkswagen
6 James Calado, GB, Carlin, Dallara-Volkswagen
7 Jazeman Jaafar, MAL, Carlin, Dallara-Volkswagen
8 António Félix da Costa, P, Carlin, Dallara-Volkswagen
9 Yuji Kunimoto, J, Tom’s, Dallara-Toyota
10 Rafael Suzuki, BR, Tom’s, Dallara-Toyota
11 Alexander Sims, GB, Räikkönen Robertson Racing, Dallara-Mercedes
12 Felipe Nasr, BR, Räikkönen Robertson Racing, Dallara-Mercedes
13 Michael Ho, MAC, Räikkönen Robertson Racing, Dallara-Mercedes
14 Rio Haryanto, RI, Räikkönen Robertson Racing, Dallara-Mercedes
15 Daniel Juncadella, E, Prema Powerteam, Dallara-Mercedes
16 Roberto Merhi, E, Prema Powerteam, Dallara-Mercedes
17 Oliver Webb, GB, Fortec Motorsport, Dallara-Mercedes
18 Will Buller, GB, Fortec Motorsport, Dallara-Mercedes
19 Lucas Foresti, BR, Fortec Motorsport, Dallara-Mercedes
20 Alexandre Imperatori, CH, Toda Racing with KCMG, Dallara-Honda
21 Yuhi Sekiguchi, J, Three Bond Racing, Dallara-Nissan
22 Hideki Yamauchi, J, Hanashima Racing, Dallara-Toyota
23 Carlos Huertas, CO, Hitech Racing, Dallara-Volkswagen
24 Carlos Muñoz, CO, Hitech Racing, Dallara-Volkswagen
26 Renger van der Zande, NL, Motopark Academy, Dallara-Volkswagen
27 Kimiya Sato, J, Motopark Academy, Dallara-Volkswagen
28 Valtteri Bottas, FIN, Prema Powerteam, Dallara-Mercedes
29 Adderly Fong, HK, Sino Vision Racing, Dallara-Mercedes
30 Hywel Lloyd, GB, CF Racing, Dallara-Mercedes
32 Felix Rosenqvist, S, Performance Racing, Dallara-Volkswagen

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Volkswagen will be pursuing new avenues in future Formula 3 events.

The near-250-hp power-plant, initially to be used exclusively in the German ATS Formula 3 Cup from 2012 onwards, will pave the way into a career in professional Formula racing thanks to clearly reduced costs. Larger rebuild intervals and durable build will keep the technical budget within easily calculable and comparatively low limits. In addition to more favourable costs, the Volkswagen Power Engine delivers a notable increase in power compared with conventional engines plus the innovative push-to-pass function that makes for additional suspense on the race track.

“In the area of promoting young talent the ATS Formula 3 Cup represents an important connecting link between entry-level series and international championships. To provide as many young talents with an opportunity to show their abilities as well as securing a sound economic basis for the racing teams, costs must be kept at a reasonable level,” explains Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “The new standard Formula 3 engine from Volkswagen will enable lower budgets from 2012 onwards because it has been purposely designed for low costs and long life. At the same time, its high power and performance capabilities plus the push-to-pass system make it an extremely attractive power-plant from a sporting perspective as well. We’re very pleased to launch this new strategy of the Volkswagen Power Engine together with the organisers of the ATS Formula 3 Cup that will secure the future of Formula 3 in Germany and promises many thrilling races.”

Volkswagen Power Engine cuts costs by 50 per cent

The cost-conscious concept of the Volkswagen Power Engine provides for a racing engine that is usable for a complete season without rebuilds. For about 10,000 kilometres of testing, practice and races within one season, the leasing agreement includes a rebuild fee of 10,000 euros. After a three-year term the engines automatically become the property of the racing team. The new Volkswagen power-plant is a Formula 3-typical two-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with an air restrictor. In the interest of cost reduction the engine is based on a production unit that hardly uses any expensive light-way components. In total, the Volkswagen Power Engine cuts costs by fifty per cent compared with previous Formula 3 engines.”

Push-to-pass function: 33 additional hp by pressing a button

The push-to-pass function is a truly novel feature in Formula 3. A button in the steering wheel allows the drivers to use a power boost of about 33 hp for a few seconds during practice sessions and the races – the output thus increases from 215 to 248 hp (158/182 kW). This will make the Formula 3 races that typically see extremely close battles for every metre even more attractive due to additional overtaking manoeuvres and new tactical considerations. Lamps on the roll-over bar will immediately tell TV spectators and the trackside crowd which driver is making use of this power boost and is getting ready to pass a rival. Volkswagen successfully launched push-to-pass function in 2010 in the Scirocco R-Cup, the first ever one-make cup to feature such a system, and has been rewarded with extremely exciting races. Formula 1 legends like Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert or the World Rally Champion and “Dakar” winner Carlos Sainz were obviously thrilled with the efficiency of the system and the numerous overtaking manoeuvres it enables.

Successful debut for new powerplant at Oschersleben

At the ATS Formula 3 Cup’s season finale at Oschersleben the first unit of the Volkswagen Power Engine made its race track debut: Laurens Vanthoor, the current champion of Germany’s fastest Formula racing series, drove the near-250-hp Dallara-Volkswagen in two test sessions and immediately recorded the fastest time of the day. “This is any racer’s dream: a power boost by pressing a button,” raves the 19-year-old Belgian. “The push-to-pass function is a real plus and will ensure that spectators get to see more overtaking manoeuvres. In addition, the drivers can use it for tactical purposes.”

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Two one-two victories for the Volkswagen drivers in the Formula 3 Euro Series: Edoardo Mortara (Italy) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) clinched a one-two exploit in Saturday’s race and the Portuguese António Félix da Costa and Marco Wittmann from Germany took places one and two on Sunday, the tenth round of the season in the DTM partner series.

In the overall standings of the international junior league Mortara with 66 points continues to be the front runner, followed by his Signature team colleague Wittmann (48) and the Briton Alexander Sims (37, Dallara-Mercedes).

Edoardo Mortara dominated the action in the first race: after securing the additional point for the pole position in qualifying, he managed an impressive start-finish victory in the 22-lap race – marking his fourth triumph in the current season. His team colleague Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium perfected the one-two win in the Eifel in the 210-hp Dallara Volkswagen. On Sunday António Félix da Costa from the Volkswagen customer team Motopark Academy outperformed the whole field with a spectacular showing: on the way to turn one the Portuguese snatched the lead from Jim Pla (Dallara-Mercedes) and would not relinquish it again all the way to the finish. Rookie Félix da Costa celebrated his first victory in the Euro Series and the sixth for Volkswagen in the current season. Marco Wittmann started into the race from position four, overtook Pla on lap five and saw the chequered flag in second place.

“A very good weekend for the teams and drivers with Volkswagen Power”, Kris Nissen, Volkswagen Motorsport Director, said. “With two one-two wins we have defended our lead of the standings and even extended it. I’m particularly happy for Timo Rumpfkeil and his Motopark Academy squad who have clinched a well-deserved victory. We’re a step closer towards our aim of winning the Formula 3 Euro Series. But the season is still long.”

– Volkswagen Motorsports

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