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RACE WIN AND DOUBLE POLE MARK ARMSTRONG'S RESURGENCE IN BAVARIA

Sunday 24 June 2018, 1:57PM

By Mark Baker

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Podium top step for Armstrong
Podium top step for Armstrong Credit: Prema PowerTeam

Formula 3 rookie Marcus Armstrong has taken a sensational double pole and maiden race win as he fights back into contention in the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship.

On his first outing at the 2.3 kilometre-long Norisring, Armstrong secured pole position for the first race of the weekend with a 52.529 second lap of the short and challenging street circuit. He then went on to win race one from pole, crossing the line with a gap of almost three seconds to second-placed Ralf Aron.

He described the first race as ‘almost perfect’.

“In the past few races I have had a little bit of bad luck, and the best way to eliminate bad luck is to start from pole and pull away. We did a perfect job as a team today. I did a lot of simulator work before the race and that definitely paid off, and my team Prema don’t leave any detail to spare.”

The win propelled him into fourth place in the championship.

In qualifying for the second race of the weekend, Armstrong posted a 48.080 lap and will start from P3 directly behind team-mate, rival and pole man Robert Shwartzman. Championship leader Enaam Ahmed has P2 and will be looking to bank points after finishing outside the top ten in yesterday’s race.

Then for the final race Armstrong will start from pole, having posted a fastest time of 48.125.

““To be honest, I am not doing anything differently here than on the first two race meetings, but here, things are going really well. I am learning from one race to another and I am acquiring more and more experience in Formula 3. In Hungary, my performance was very good already, but I wasn’t able to convert it into optimal results yet.”

Marcus Armstrong races with the Prema PowerTeam and is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy.