F3: Hulkenberg wins wet second race

[Plex]

Nico Hulkenberg has taken victory in the second Formula Three Euro Series encounter at Zandvoort.

The 19-year-old German mastered the changing weather conditions to win from Sebastien Buemi by 9.9 seconds.

Buemi's result claws back a solitary point from race one winner Romain Grosjean's title lead, as the Frenchman rounded out the final place of the podium.

The field started on slick tyres under heavy skies. A morning rain shower had left the margins of the track treacherous, a fact highlighted by Filip Salaquarda managing to spin on the parade lap.

The Manor cars of James Jakes and Yelmer Buurman held the front row, but pole-man Jakes was already in trouble on the line when his handbrake broke. The Englishman tried in vain to defend against Buurman by steering into the middle of the road, but Buurman and third place starter Hulkenberg swamped the Briton.

On the run down to Tarzan Yann Clairay, who had started fifth, briefly ran three abreast with Buurman and Hulkenberg, before slotting in behind Nico in second place at the apex.

Buurman was soon on the attack, keen to put on a strong showing on home ground. At the start of lap two Buurman was in the Signature car's tow and Clairay swerved towards the pit wall to counter a prospective dive up the inside into Tarzan.

At the exit of Sheivlak half a lap later, Clairay's pressure packed driving came undone, his left hand wheels dropped on to the wet surface and Clairay rotated across the track and speared nose first into a tyre wall on the inside of the corner. He managed to rejoin, albeit having disposed of his front wing in the middle of the road.

Buurman was now presented with clear run at leader Hulkenberg. Jakes started to feel the heat in third from Grosjean, and Prema's Dutch driver, Renger van der Zande, who had scorched up to fifth from ninth on the grid.

On lap four Clairay was in the pits once more. In the spitting rain the Signature team had nothing to lose by electing to fit wets tyres. Jakes, who had already been passed by Grosjean around the outside at Tarzan, had a wild moment on the exit of Hugenholtz on lap six and was swiftly bumped down two places by Van der Zande and Buemi. The cause of the slide could be deduced by glancing towards the spectator-lined sand dunes, which were now filled by a chorus of opening umbrellas.

Buurman appeared to revel in the downpour, opposite locking his way up to Hulkenberg's gearbox. Kamui Kobayashi was markedly less elegant in sixth, and clouted into the Armco on the following tour.

Kobayashi's ASM team took the hint and immediately called in his teammate Tom Dillman from 16th for a set of wets.

Hulkenberg appeared certain to lose his lead to the inspired Buurman, and ducked into the pits at the conclusion of lap seven, while the Manor car sped on unabated.

Buurman and Manor had decided to stay out and pray the track would dry out. It was to be a gallant effort, but Hulkenberg rapidly ate into the advantage.

On lap 10 Nico was 41.4s behind, on lap 11 the gap was 30s and on lap 12 it was down to 17 seconds. When Buurman slid wide and clipped a tyre wall on the entry to Hugenholtz, the writing was on the wall. Hulkenberg stormed ahead on the next tour. Buurman fell down the order to 16th by the flag.

With a certain amount of confusion over the running order inevitable in the circumstances, both Hulkenberg and the chasing Buemi experienced long delays lapping backmarkers in the closing stages.

Hulkenberg's lead was cut to five seconds on lap 17 as Tim Sandtler and Michael Patrizi were lost in their own private battle. Sandtler in particular made a wince-inducing move to re-pass Hulkenberg at the Audi-S, clearly unaware that Hulkenberg was the leader of the race.

However, Buemi was similarly held up, reduced to waving his fists at Cyndie Allemann, after spending a total of four laps behind the Manor car.

Hulkenberg's win is under investigation after running side by side with Basil Shabaan under yellow flags at Tarzan.

"I saw the yellow flags and was expecting the car in front to carry on but he moved wide," said Hulkenberg.

"He was waiting for me to pass and I was waiting for him. We were side-by-side, and I went ahead when I saw the green flag on the exit. I will go to the stewards now to explain."

Classified:

Pos Driver Car Time
1. N.Hulkenberg Dallara-Mercedes 41:23.407
2. Sebastien Buemi Dallara-Mercedes + 9.987
3. Romain Grosjean Dallara-Mercedes + 16.373
4. Tom Dillmann Dallara-Mercedes + 31.129
5. R.van der Zande Dallara-Mercedes + 33.289
6. James Jakes Dallara-Mercedes + 35.241
7. Jean-Karl Vernay Dallara-Mercedes + 43.257
8. Franck Mailleux Dallara-Mercedes +1:23.037
9. H.Schlegelmilch Dallara-Mercedes +1:30.326
10. Edoardo Mortara Dallara-Mercedes +1:33.724
11. Filip Salaquarda Dallara-Mercedes +1:50.307
12. Marco Holzer Dallara-Opel + 1 lap
13. Tim Sandtler Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
14. Cyndie Allemann Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
15. Edoardo Piscopo Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
16. Yelmer Buurman Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
17. Kamui Kobayashi Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
18. Euan Hankey Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
19. Yann Clairay Dallara-Mercedes + 1 lap
20. Basil Shaaban Dallara-Mercedes + 2 laps
21. Michael Patrizi Dallara-Mercedes + 4 laps

Not classified:

Driver Car Laps
Sergei Afanasiev Dallara-Mercedes 16
Daniel Clos Dallara-Mercedes 7

Autosport