EU: Series Zandvoort preview

Formula BMW Europe Supports Formula 3 in Zandvoort.

Munich. The second weekend of Formula BMW Europe at the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands comes at the end of a busy couple of weeks for the drivers, who also have the two final official tests of the season in Budapest (HU) and Hockenheim (DE).

This next round is particularly relevant to the aspirations of the youngsters, as Formula 3 is one of the next steps in their chosen careers, and in Zandvoort they will support the famous RTL GP Masters of Formula 3.

The series has two `local' drivers in Robin Frijns and Hannes Van Asseldonk, who are also team-mates in Josef Kaufmann Racing. Frijns was on pole there last year, and this season has already won race two in Barcelona. Meanwhile Van Asseldonk is one of this year's Rookies and hopes to emulate his fellow countryman by winning this title at the end of the season.

Speaking about his home race, Van Asseldonk said: "I am hoping to do better in Zandvoort than in Barcelona, where my qualifying was not the best. I think I can do this as testing there was pretty good for me and I was fourth fastest on day one and sixth on day two. The car is feeling okay, so I am heading there with confidence, and it is a track I like very much, even though I have never raced there before."

Frijns has a much longer journey to his `home' track as he currently lives in Belgium but, like Van Asseldonk, he is a big fan of Zandvoort, as he explained: "I like the track, and it really fits my driving style. I don't know why, but from the first moment I went there and after the first lap it was `my' track. I was really quick in last year's races and was also quickest at this year's test. Hopefully I shall have the same speed next week and win the races."

This will be the second time the European series has visited the Circuit Park Zandvoort, which is located in the sand dunes of the Dutch seaside town of the same name. It is about a 20 minute train journey from Amsterdam and in the past has held 30 Grands Prix between 1952 and 1985. The track is 4.320 kilometers long. Last year the current series leader, Jack Harvey (GB/Fortec Motorsports), also took a pole and won race two.

The recent busy schedule did not stop the Eurointernational drivers traveling to Malaysia since the first weekend of the series in Barcelona to be guest drivers in Formula BMW Pacific. It was a very successful weekend for the team as Carlos Sainz (ES) took two wins, Daniil Kvyat (RU) one and Michael Lewis (US) three podiums.

In Zandvoort the timetable is different to that of a Grand Prix weekend, with track action not starting until Saturday morning with free practice from 10.50 to 11.15, and qualifying later in the day from 16.55 to 17.20. Both 13 lap races are on Sunday, starting at 09.55 and 17.15.

-source: fbmw ue