F3 Asian Championship 2020 title wide open as series returns to Malaysia for penultimate showdown

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive
 

Hot on the heels of its triumphant Middle East debut last month, impressing at both the Dubai Autodrome and the spectacular Abu Dhabi Yas Marina F1 circuit.

The F3 Asian Championship returns to Asia this week for the penultimate round of its 2020 season at the FIA Grade 1 Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Leading the stellar international field of single seater talent into the second half of the season is 20-year-old Joey Alders of The Netherlands. The BlackArts Racing driver who, although not a scion of motorsport royalty like some of his rivals, has proved a revelation this season, with four victories so far and absent from the podium just twice in nine races. 

With 18 potentially game-changing Super Licence points for the 2020 champion, and the top nine finishers all earning the crucial career-boosting points, the competition is expected to further intensify significantly across the final six races of the season.

Alders’ closest title rival after Round 3 is Red Bull Junior Jack Doohan, who is set to make his debut in the FIA F3 Championship which gets underway in March. The Pinnacle Motorsport driver has taken two victories plus four podiums so far this year putting him 48 points behind his title rival. However, with a maximum of 150 points on offer over the remaining six races, the championship remains very much within the 17-year-old Australian’s grasp

.As two-time F3 Asian Teams champion Hitech Grand Prix prepares to make its debut in the FIA F2 Championship in March, driver Nikita Mazepin, who will be contesting his second F2 season, lies third on the F3 Asian Championship leaderboard. A strong and consistent season has seen the Russian collect double digit points in every race so far.

Mazepin is joined by guest driver and reigning F3 Asian Champion Ukyo Sasahara, winner of Race 7 although ineligible to earn points, and Italian Alessio Deledda.Joining Alders at Team Classification leaders BlackArts Racing are Race 6 winner Yu Kanamaru, 22-year-old Japanese W Series driver Miki Koyama who makes her first series appearance this season, and Masters class driver Thomas Luedi.

W Series champion and Williams Grand Prix Engineering development driver Jamie Chadwick, who forfeit her Race 8 win after a false start, will no doubt be looking to make victory stick this time around with the Absolute Racing squad. The Briton is joined by Australian youngster Tommy Smith.Alongside Doohan at Pinnacle Motorsport is Japanese Super Formula Championship-bound Haas F1 reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi.

China’s Yu Kuai, meanwhile, is back with Zen Motorsport.A number of new faces will experience their first taste of the F3 Asian Championship at their home track in Malaysia: Najiy Razak and Alister Yoong, son of former F1 driver Alex, with Absolute Racing; and brothers Dominic and Gilbert Ang, Gilbert with Zen Motorsport and elder brother Dominic with Pinnacle Motorsport.

Round 4 gets underway at the 5.543km Sepang International Circuit with a 30-minute free practice session on Friday, February 14 is followed by two 15-minute qualifying sessions to set the grids for Races 10 and 12, starting at 15:00 (GMT+8). Race 10 begins that evening at 18:25. Races 11 and 12 will be held on Saturday, February 15 starting at 10:00 and 15:30 respectively.

Provisional Entry List – Round 4

#

Name

Nat

Team

3

Nikita MAZEPIN

RUS

Hitech Grand Prix

4

YU Kuai

CHN

Zen Motorsport

5

Alister YOONG

MAS

Absolute Racing

7

Jack DOOHAN

AUS

Pinnacle Motorsport

9

Thomas LUEDI (M)

HKG

BlackArts Racing

10

Alessio DELEDDA

ITA

Hitech Grand Prix

11

Ukyo SASAHARA*

JPN

Hitech Grand Prix

15

Jamie CHADWICK

GBR

Absolute Racing

16

Tommy SMITH

AUS

Absolute Racing

17

Najiy RAZAK

MAS

Absolute Racing

21

Pietro FITTIPALDI

BRA

Pinnacle Motorsport

23

Joey ALDERS

NED

BlackArts Racing

33

Yu KANAMARU

JPN

BlackArts Racing

44

Gilbert ANG

MAS

Zen Motorsport

77

Dominic ANG

MAS

Pinnacle Motorsport

95

Miki KOYAMA

JPN

BlackArts Racing

*Guest driver

F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA Drivers’ Classification after Race 9

Pos

#

Name

Nat

Team

Points

1

23

Joey ALDERS

NED

BlackArts Racing

173

2

7

Jack DOOHAN

AUS

Pinnacle Motorsport

125

3

3

Nikita MAZEPIN

RUS

Hitech Grand Prix

124

4

17

Devlin DEFRANCESCO

CAN

Absolute Racing

101

5

77

Sebastian FERNANDEZ

ESP

Pinnacle Motorsport

96

6

21

Pietro FITTIPALDI

BRA

Pinnacle Motorsport

53

7

33

Yu KANAMARU

GBR

BlackArts Racing

48

8

4

YU Kuai

CHN

Zen Motorsport

40

8

15

Jamie CHADWICK

GBR

Absolute Racing

40

9

5

Daniel CAO

CHN

Absolute Racing

31

9

25

Tatiana CALDERÓN

COL

Seven GP

31

10

2

Jake HUGHES

GBR

Hitech Grand Prix

24

11

16

Tommy SMITH

AUS

Absolute Racing

13

12

10

Alessio DELEDDA

ITA

Hitech Grand Prix

8

13

88

Khaled AL QUBAISI

UAE

Abu Dhabi Racing UAE

2


F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA Masters Classification after Race 9

Pos

#

Name

Nat

Team

Points

1

44

Paul WONG (M)

HKG

Zen Motorsport

177

2

9

Thomas LUEDI (M)

HKG

BlackArts Racing

129

3

88

Khaled AL QUBAISI

UAE

Abu Dhabi Racing UAE

75


F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA Teams Classification after Race 9

Pos

Nat

Team

Points

1

HKG

BlackArts Racing

221

2

IRL

Pinnacle Motorsport

187

3

CHN

Absolute Racing

161

4

GBR

Hitech Grand Prix

154

5

CHN

Zen Motorsport

40

6

MEX

Seven GP

31

7

UAE

Abu Dhabi Racing UAE

2

8

NLD

MP Motorsport

0

 

2020 F3 ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA PROVISIONAL CALENDAR

Date

Venue

Event

December 14-15

Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

Round 1 (Races 1-3)

January 10-11

Dubai Autodrome, UAE

Round 2 (Races 4-6)

January 17-18

Yas Marina Circuit, UAE

Round 3 (Races 7-9)

February 14-15

Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

Round 4 (Races 10-12)

February 22-23

Buriram International Circuit, Thailand

Round 5 (Races 13-15)

 

         

 

 

Search