Heuzenroeder battles forward to end Spa-Francorchamps round with two points finishes

June 6, 2024

Patrick Heuzenroeder fought valiantly during Round 3 of the GB3 Championship season (May 31 – June 2) to secure two points finishes at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Heuzenroeder began his competitive debut at the Belgian track on Friday with three free practice sessions, successfully completing a vital testing programme in treacherous mixed conditions. A best finish of 12th marked an encouraging start to the round; however, qualifying proved tough as the circuit dried later that day.

The JHR Developments driver struggled to find performance in sector one, where strong straight-line speed was of paramount importance, and concluded the session in 20th position, shifting focus towards Race 1 where he looked to make amends for an unrepresentative starting position.

The clouds that circled above the Ardennes soaked Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday morning, posing a stout challenge for GB3’s field of 22 drivers as Race 1 got underway. Despite the gruelling conditions, which saw a plethora of rival competitors making mistakes, Heuzenroeder showed no hesitation in powering through the pack, gaining a position at La Source shortly after the start before making a double overtake into Les Combes two tours later.

The 18-year-old continued to scythe through the field without incident for the rest of the race, taking the chequered flag in an impressive 13th place having advanced seven positions – the most of anyone on the grid.

As the rain cleared on Saturday afternoon, Heuzenroeder executed another fantastic start in Race 2, improving three positions with an emphatic late-braking dive into turn one. However, he suffered an unfortunate engine failure on lap two, forcing a premature end to his progression and snatching away the opportunity to secure another points finish.

Heuzenroeder’s car was fitted with a new powertrain overnight and he quickly moved forward during the final race at Spa-Francorchamps. The Australian driver applied a pragmatic approach to wheel-to-wheel battles at the 7.004-kilometre circuit in Race 3, climbing nine spots to take 11th place in a contest that was dominated by safety car interruptions. A five-second post-race time penalty would later drop him from 11th to 14th.

With the first act of GB3’s chapter in mainland Europe complete, Heuzenroeder sits 13th in the championship standings. Luck did not consistently fall his way at Spa-Francorchamps but ‘The Racing Kelpie’ approached each race with exceptional maturity and continually proved his potential to run inside the top ten.

Heuzenroeder will continue his maiden campaign in the GB3 Championship at the Hungaroring in three weeks (June 22-23).

Patrick Heuzenroeder said: “Overall, I think it was a solid weekend. I felt competitive in all conditions and we showed that qualifying was not reflective of our speed by gaining seven positions in Race 1 and nine positions in Race 3. “The pace was definitely there despite it being my first race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps and I’m pleased to come away with some more points, although I believe we deserved more given our performances. Nevertheless, I proved that I have the potential to fight inside the top ten and that is another confidence boost before we venture to the Hungaroring.”

6 + 11 =