Dennis Hauger Cruises to Spanish Race Three Victory and Title Lead

Dennis Hauger cruised to his maiden victory in F3’s third Spanish race as he bounced back from late heartbreak in yesterday’s race two to claim the championship lead. 

Hauger survived a slow getaway to hold the lead into the first corner and never relinquished that position as he cruised to his maiden F3 win and fastest lap with a controlled drive.

Jack Doohan lost two positions at the start to Victor Martins and Matteo Nannini but recovered to finish second, as Nannini rounded out the podium ahead of Olli Caldwell as Martins fell to fifth at the flag.

Clement Novalak, Frederik Vesti, Caio Collet, Logan Sargeant and Roman Stanek rounded out the top ten finishers.

Hauger now leads the drivers’ standings on 34 points ahead of PREMA teammate, Caldwell who is two points behind in second, as Clement Novalak sits a further four points back in third as Martins and Doohan complete the top five.

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Hauger made a slow start from pole as Martins stuck to the outside line with Doohan and Nannini on the inside as they went four abreast into Turn One, with Hauger keeping his foot down to claim the lead.

Martins swept around the outside to slot into second ahead of Nannini and Doohan after the latter pair had to put their brakes on into the corner to avoid a potential four car collision.

Nannini proceeded to claim second from Martins at the end of lap two after the Frenchman got his MP Motorsport car wide over the sausage kerb out of Turn 15, with Doohan eventually following through on lap nine with DRS into Turn One.

Doohan eventually caught and passed Nannini three laps later for second but neither driver could reduce the gap to Hauger who cruised to victory by 3.721 seconds from Doohan.

The top ten proceeded to largely hold station until Caldwell passed Martins for fourth on lap 18, whilst Sargeant lost two positions on lap 21 to Novalak and Vesti into Turn One, having run wide at the end of the previous lap on exit of Turn 16.

Sargeant eventually lost eighth to Collet at the start of the final lap and clung onto ninth, after fending off Stanek by just 0.042s at the checkered flag to earn himself two points.

F3 now takes a seven-week break before resuming the season at Circuit Paul Ricard, France, across the weekend of 25-27 June.