F3Indians Abroad

Chovet favourite as Asia F3 closes; Outside chance for Jehan

Abu Dhabi (UAE), 17 Feb 2021: Eighteen-year-old Frenchman Pierre-Louis Chovet is the hot favourite to clinch the 2021 F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA title as the series prepares for the season-closing triple-header at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit from February 18-20. The Pinnacle Motorsport driver has so far won six of the 12 races, three from pole position giving him a 100% conversion rate.

Guaranteed to give the young pretender a run for his money though is China’s Zhou Guanyu with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema. The 21-year-old 2021 Alpine Academy driver won the opening two races of the season before a DNF in Race 3 dealt a blow to his title aspirations. Since then, however, nine consecutive double-digit points scores put him just 32 points adrift of Chovet in the driver classification.

Mumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd.’s Jehan Daruvala has endured a season of mixed fortunes so far, but remains in mathematical title contention ahead of the final round. The 22-year-old won three of the six races in Rounds 2 and 3 at the Yas Marina track, all from pole, so is expected to be a force to be reckoned with when the championship returns there this week.

Along with the championship title comes 18 coveted FIA Super Licence points, with the runner-up taking 14, and the final point awarded to the ninth-place finisher in the Driver Classification. That means there is plenty to fight for even for those no longer in championship contention.

Currently fourth and fifth respectively in the Driver Classification are 3Y Evans GP’s Isack Hadjar, who took five podiums in nine races, and Ferrari Driver Academy Swede Dino Beganovic, who notched up four podiums in the first three rounds with Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema. Having completed their championship stints as planned, both drivers bowed out ahead of Round 4, so will drop down the leaderboard by the end of the season. Beganovic was replaced by Spaniard David Vidales in Round 4, and the 18-year-old immediately impressed with a second-place finish in Race 12.

3Y Evans GP’s Patrik Pasma, currently sixth in the standings, is definitely a driver to watch after a strong performance in Round 4, which saw the 20-year-old Finn take victory in Race 11 and a podium finish in Race 12.

Hitech Grand Prix Red Bull Junior Driver Ayumu Iwasa sits seventh in the overall driver standings ahead of team mate Roy Nissany, and leads the Rookie Cup having scored his maiden class win in Race 10 after seven podium finishes. The reigning French F4 champion leads team mate Reece Ushijima by 14 points in the Rookie Cup standings, but both drivers should watch out for Turkish esports ace Cem Bolukbasi. The BlackArts Racing driver has taken six Rookie Cup podiums so far this year and trails Iwasa by just 26 points ahead of the final round.

The fourth season of the F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA has exceeded all expectations, pitching new talent just emerging from the ranks of karting and F4 against experienced FIA F2 drivers, potentially on the brink of F1 breakthroughs, with intriguing results. As the series prepares for the final showdown on the stunning F1 Yas Marina Circuit, three more fascinating encounters lie ahead. 

F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA

Drivers’ Championship after Round 4

PosNoDriverNatTeamPts
13Pierre-Louis CHOVETFRAPinnacle Motorsport221
233Guanyu ZHOUCHNAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema189
319Jehan DARUVALAINDMumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd.156
46Isack HADJARFRA3Y Evans GP95
516Dino BEGANOVICSWEAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema88
64Patrik PASMAFIN3Y Evans GP85
712Ayumu IWASAJPNHitech Grand Prix74
814Roy NISSANYISRHitech Grand Prix73
974Cem BOLUKBASITURBlackArts Racing49
1011Roman STANEKCZEHitech Grand Prix48
1113Reece USHIJIMAGBRHitech Grand Prix38
1228Kush MAINIINDMumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd.24
1362Lorenzo FLUXAESPBlackArts Racing21
1416David VIDALESESPAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema20
1510Alessio DELEDDAITAPinnacle Motorsport9
165Alex CONNORGBR3Y Evans GP8
177Roberto FARIABRAMotorscape6
178Rafael VILLAGOMEZMEXBlackArts Racing6
1866Zdenek CHOVANECPORBlackArts Racing2
185Casper STEVENSONGBR3Y Evans GP Team Oloi0
1925Alexandre BARDINONFRAPinnacle Motorsport0
1940Matthias LUETHENGERPinnacle Motorsport0
1951Irina SIDORKOVARUS3Y Evans GP Team Oloi0
1977Nicola MARINANGELIITAMotorscape0
1988Amna AL QUBAISIUAEAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema0
1999Khaled AL QUBAISIUAEAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema0

F3 Asian Championship Certified by FIA

Rookie Cup after Round 4

PosNoDriverNatTeamPts
112Ayumu IWASAJPNHitech Grand Prix176
213Reece USHIJIMAGBRHitech Grand Prix162
36Isack HADJARFRA3Y Evans GP160
474Cem BOLUKBASITURBlackArts Racing150
516Dino BEGANOVICSWEAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema147
662Lorenzo FLUXAESPBlackArts Racing103
77Roberto FARIABRAMotorscape83
88Rafael VILLAGOMEZMEXBlackArts Racing71
95Alex CONNORGBR3Y Evans GP38
1051Irina SIDORKOVARUS3Y Evans GP Team Oloi33
1188Amna AL QUBAISIUAEAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema31
125Casper STEVENSONGBR3Y Evans GP Team Oloi16

Team Classification after Round 4

PosNatTeamPts
1UAEAbu Dhabi Racing by Prema297
2IRLPinnacle Motorsport221
3AUSEvans GP188
4INDMumbai Falcons India Racing Ltd180
5GBRHitech Grand Prix114
6HKGBlackArts Racing70
7JORMotorscape6

2021 F3 ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA PROVISIONAL CALENDAR

DateVenueEvent
January 27Dubai AutodromePre-Season Test
January 29-30Dubai Autodrome, UAERound 1 (Races 1-3)
February 4-5Yas Marina Circuit, UAERound 2 (Races 4-6)
February 6-7Yas Marina Circuit, UAERound 3 (Races 7-9)
February 12-14Dubai Autodrome, UAERound 4 (Races 10-12)
February 19-20Yas Marina Circuit, UAERound 5 (Races 13-15)
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