GP Macau F3 – Felix da Costa, start to finish

Antonio Felix da Costa joins Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in the very privileged list of winners of the Macau Grand Prix of Formula 3. The Portuguese, after winning the qualifying race on Saturday, started from first position when the red lights signaling the start went out. Author of an average takeoff, he was quickly joined and then overtaken by the Swede Felix Rosenqvist (Mucke Motorsport). But the pilot Carlin will take his property back very shortly after, never to let it go. The end of the first round was marked by the exit of Daniel Juncadella, then fourth. Last year's winner is forced to return to the pits, he will not repeat his victory from last year.

While the two leading men were within the same second on the third lap, the safety car appeared on the track after Lucas Wolf's accident. The latter's car is completely embedded in a tire barrier and it will take several minutes before we can get it out. Once the track was clear, Felix Rosenqvist knew that he absolutely had to take advantage of this new start if he wanted to win the race. The Swede starts well, takes the suction from the Portuguese driver but the latter protects the inside of the trajectory properly and maintains his property. The end of the race is then marked by two collisions in quick succession. In the last corner of the penultimate lap, Rio Hirakawa lost control of his car. car and hits the wall violently. The Austrian Lucas Auer, just behind, cannot avoid the reigning Japanese F3 champion. Then, at the start of the final loop, Dennis Van der Laar and Luis Sa Silva collide.

Despite everything, the safety car did not emerge, and the driver of the Carlin team crossed the finish line as the big winner ahead of Felix Rosenqvist. Best rookie of the weekend, author of pole position on Friday, Alex Lynn (Fortec) finished on the third step of the podium. Thanks to this victory, Antonio Felix da Costa concludes in the most beautiful way a season already rich in great performances, the young protégé of Red Bull having notably won four victories and six podiums this year in Formula Renault 3.5 Series.

Discover the report of the Macau F3 Grand Prix produced by our special correspondent in the next issue of AUTOhebdo, available from Tuesday in digital version for iPad, PC and Mac, and from Wednesday on newsstands.