Hockenheimring/Germany, 15th October 2017 – The FIA Formula 3 European Championship, which features 19 drivers from twelve different countries, kicked off in Silverstone back in April. The young drivers had ten race weekends ahead of them, at six of which they would share the bill with the DTM. Lando Norris, who replaced Lewis Hamilton as Britain’s youngest karting world champion in 2014, at the age of just 14, won the opening race on his debut in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
“Our goal was to finish in the top three at the end of the year. That success at the very first round obviously gave me a lot of confidence, but I still had to get used to the car, which had more power than the cars in the series I had previously driven in. Furthermore, the downforce generated by the cars was far stronger – as were the opponents. Any little mistake was punished immediately, and you could suddenly lose several positions in one go,” explained Lando Norris.
The talented young driver learned quickly, adapted to all conditions and prepared meticulously for his races. “Motorsport is my life,” said the 17-year-old Briton. “Even when I am not in the car, I am still thinking about how I can improve either myself or the car. At the circuit, I go through the starting procedure in my head, or come up with a tactic for where I can push and make up places.”
The race tyres provided by premium tyre maker Hankook helped Norris to perfectly implement his plans, and ultimately to win the title with a comfortable lead. “I had great races on the Hankook race tyre, and had a lot of exciting battles with my rivals. Maximilian Günther, in particular, was a hard nut to crack in the first half of the season. I was always able to push, and could rely on the Hankook tyre at all times. The title in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is the best win of my career,” said Norris, who is part of the 2017 McLaren Honda Young Driver programme. He is now looking to take another step towards Formula 1 with a switch to Formula 2 next season.
Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director Europe: “We have had another great season in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship: in Lando, we have seen another incredibly talented young driver crowned champion, for whom this high-quality junior Formula series will prove the springboard to a great motorsport career, just as it has for many eventual world champions. We are pleased to be able to support and accompany the stars of tomorrow, like Lando Norris, on their way to the top.”
