Round 4 Post-Sprint Race Press Conference

FIA Formula 3: Hello and welcome to the Press Conference of the top three Sprint Race finishes for the FIA Formula 3 Championship here in Monaco. In third place we have Laurens van Hoepen from ART Grand Prix, in second we have Tim Tramnitz from MP Motorsport, and winner for the first time is Nikola Tsolov also from ART Grand Prix. A massive congratulations for you Nikola, F3 Race Winner – how does that sound?

Nikola Tsolov: Thank you so much. It's a great feeling for me. It's been a tough season so far. So it's a good time to step it up. It’s nice to try and get that run of good results and hopefully end up in a better position by the end of the season.

FIA Formula 3: How difficult was it because you had the perfect start, and then you led from lights to flag. But then there was a Red Flag, and Safety Car periods. How difficult was it for you to remain focused?

Tsolov: The race was quite dynamic the whole time, as you said there was a Red Flag. I don't think our start was great actually. I think we went too aggressive but still manage to keep the lead so that's important. And then with the Safety Cars there was a bit of confusion. The team told me I might get a five-second penalty, so I had to push quite a lot towards the end of the race to build a gap. And then, with three laps to go, they told me, I'm not no longer under investigation, so I could chill out and just finish the race.

FIA Formula 3: When the team told you that you were no longer under investigation, how relieved were you in that moment?

Tsolov: I was really relieved. But I think I was in a really good rhythm when they told me that I had to push so I think I would have made that five seconds. But I was definitely much more calm towards the end, big relief. I was just trying to not touch any walls and finish clean.

FIA Formula 3: Do you think this win will change anything for you going forward?

Tsolov: I think it is a step outside of the hole where I've been stuck in the past year and a half where I just couldn't get a good result. You try every race, and then there's something wrong, I make a mistake, or something else. So now, just putting it all together for once, I think it's the first step to find the rhythm of having good results every race.

FIA Formula 3: Congratulations again on a great result today. Tim moving on to you, P2 today from third on the grid. It happened for you at the start, and then it was quite difficult, or at least it looked quite difficult coming under the pressure of Laurens. How is it from the car?

Tim Tramnitz: My start was nice. I think my launch was quite good, and then I was able to get past Laurens. Then after the Safety Car or after the Red Flag I felt quite confident, and I thought we had some pace. Then I started to struggle quite a lot with the front tyres which started to grain quite quickly. As soon as I was in this graining phase, it was just getting worse and worse. I just tried to focus on not hitting the walls and focusing on the exits. Then it was just quite typical Monaco, quite difficult to get past.

FIA Formula 3: Does it feel like those Safety Car periods were actually a blessing for you?

Tramnitz: Yes, I have to say yes, especially the second one. It was nice to get some breathing space during the race. I guess my heart rate was quite high at that point. For sure the Safety Car helped me to also cool down the tyres and cool down myself a little bit. Overall, just super happy to be on the podium again. And Monaco was a really special place to do it.

FIA Formula 3: This is not your first podium in F3, it feels like it's a regular feature for you more and more. How comfortable have you become at the wheel of the F3 car?

Tramnitz: I feel like I have quite a lot of confidence together with the team. I feel like we are working in the right direction, and everyone's working well together. For sure there are some improvements we have to make here and there. Now, I have finished P2 twice, so I'd like to be on the top step soon. Let's see what we can do in the triple header.

FIA Formula 3: Well, let's see, congratulations Thank you, Tim. Finally, Laurens, P3 from second on the grid, it's a podium finish, but it might feel a little bit bitter.

Laurens van Hoepen: Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed with the start I had. I chose the wrong clutch map, which made me have a little spin and not such a great launch. So yes, straight from the start I lost a position. After that I think the pace was very positive, and I was able to keep up with Tim quite well. I was in his gearbox the whole race. It's just typical Monaco, where it's super difficult to overtake. In the end, I am a bit disappointed to finish P3, not P2, or even better, but still, a podium in Monaco is nice.

FIA Formula 3: Were there any moments where you thought that maybe you could pass Tim?

Van Hoepen: Yeah, there were a couple of moments where I felt like, if I just got one lap to be a bit closer, or just a good exit, or, if he made a little mistake, I was there to pick up the pieces for sure. In the end he drove a very good race without making any mistakes. So it was just super difficult to pass especially because when you start focusing on the exits here there’s just no opportunity.

FIA Formula 3: It's a P1 and P3 today and for your teammate, Christian Mansell, he will be starting from P2 in the Feature Race tomorrow. How good is the atmosphere at ART this weekend?

Van Hoepen: We're all there fighting for podiums. Nikola and I in the Sprint Race and Christian tomorrow in the Feature Race. So definitely everyone is feeling good and happy with how it's going so far. Of course. Nikola and I also want to fight for the Feature Race podium instead of the Sprint. But we are going to have some silverware, and we can only add to it. But for everyone the mood is good, I would say.

FIA Formula 3: Well done today, thanks very much all.