PATRICK HEUZENROEDER HEADS TO DONINGTON PARK FOR GB3 CHAMPS

MEDIA RELEASE/Patrick Heuzenroeder – Photos: supplied

Young Aussie single seater racer Patrick Heuzenroeder will enter the final leg of his maiden campaign in the British GB3 Championship this weekend (7-8 September) at Donington Park, commencing a two-round sprint to the end of 2024.

After a six-week break, Heuzenroeder will return to the 4.020 km (2.498 miles) circuit, where he scored his first podium finish in GB3 last year, aiming to continue a string of strong results that he scored in Continental Europe, which included one podium finish and three top-five results.

The Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit is a staple of the British motorsport scene having held its first race in 1931. Its rich history involves decades of GT, single-seater and touring car competition, as well as one Formula One race in 1993 when it played host to the European Grand Prix, staging Ayrton Senna’s iconic ‘Lap of the Gods,’ which saw the F1 legend surge from fifth to first on the opening tour of the race.

Donington Park consists of 12 corners that are a combination of low-speed turns and sweeping high-speed bends, testing the limit of drivers’ commitment at the punishing Esses, the Craner Curves, and the Old Hairpin, whilst challenging their technical performance at the Melbourne Hairpin and Goddards.

Heuzenroeder ventures to Donington Park having scored three points finishes, including one top eight, at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix, in July. However, the Australian has already taken to the Derby venue since the summer break. He racked up 57 laps across four 30-minute sessions last Thursday (29 August) and ended the day in sixth place, marking an encouraging run up to the final two rounds of the 2024 season.

The opening events of the year saw Heuzenroeder exhibit similar potential. The 18-year-old was on course for a podium finish at Oulton Park until a technical failure forced him to retire – although he came away from the season opener with two top-12 results – whilst a pole position start in the reverse-grid race at Silverstone was snatched away as the contest was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

As Heuzenroeder embarked on the Continental European leg of the year at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, suspected engine troubles, evidenced later by an engine failure, hampered his qualifying performance and put him on the backfoot from the weekend’s outset. However, ‘The Racing Kelpie’ made up 16 positions in just two races, reaffirming the raw speed and wheel-to-wheel ability he exhibited at Oulton Park and Silverstone.

Heuzenroeder executed his most successful weekend to-date at the Hungaroring three weeks later when he claimed two top-five finishes and one eighth-place result, leaving the Hungarian venue with another 46 points having matched the pace of championship contenders at numerous stages across the weekend.

The JHR Developments driver carried his positive momentum to Circuit Zandvoort, the fourth Grand Prix venue on the GB3 calendar, where, sporting a striking new blue and yellow livery that marked the start of a collaboration with Hard Rock Cocktails, he claimed his first podium of the season alongside another top-five finish, completing a successful run of races in Continental Europe.

Heuzenroeder had a more difficult weekend as GB3 returned to the United Kingdom. However, he fought valiantly to claim three points-scoring results at Silverstone Circuit during Round 6, including an eighth-place finish, which proved his resilience off the track.

The Australian driver sits in 11th place in the championship standings ahead of Round 7.

On-track action for the penultimate meeting of the season will begin with two free practice sessions on Friday, giving Heuzenroeder 50 minutes to find his rhythm at the Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit, before competitive action gets underway on Saturday morning with a 20-minute qualifying session.

Each driver’s fastest lap time will set the grid for Race 1, a 20-minute contest that will begin on Saturday afternoon, whilst their second-best lap time will determine the starting order for Race 2, which will also be 20 minutes in length and kick off running on Sunday morning.

The weekend will come to a close on Sunday afternoon with Race 3, a 25-minute contest that will have its grid set by qualifying results with the top 12 reversed.

The full timetable for Round 7 is as follows (all times local, BST):

Friday 6th September:

FP1 – 11:45 – 12:10

FP2 – 15:00 – 15:25

Saturday 7th September:

Qualifying – 09:00 – 09:20

Race 1 – 12:05 – 12:25

Sunday 8th September:

Race 2 – 10:55 – 11:15

Race 3 – 15:15 – 15:40

Patrick Heuzenroeder said:

“I’m looking forward to getting back on track in a competitive capacity after the summer break. It was a good chance to recharge after a busy mid-season leg and I am feeling well prepared to take on the final two rounds of the year, starting this weekend at Donington Park.

“The test day last week, where I finished sixth place in the final session, was a strong indication that we should be competitive and I have good memories of the track from last year when I scored my maiden podium in GB3.

“Overall, I have high hopes that we can score well, just like we have on numerous occasions so far this year, especially in Continental Europe at the Hungaroring and Circuit Zandvoort.”

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