- Swede achieves most important success of career to date
- F3 rookie bags early title with lights-to-flag victory
- Third Swede in history to clinch classic crown
Linus Lundqvist has clinched the prestigious BRDC British Formula 3 Championship title, following in the footsteps of some of the greatest names in the history of motor racing.
19-year-old Lundqvist bagged the title at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit on Saturday afternoon, sealing the championship thanks to an emphatic lights-to-flag victory from pole position.
The occasion marks Lundqvist’s most significant success to date, backing up a previous championship title in Sweden’s Formula STCC Nordic series in 2016, as his single-seater career continues to gain serious international momentum.
Remarkably an F3 rookie in 2018, Lundqvist has swept the British series with seven wins and 13 podiums from the 22 races staged so far.
Joining a distinguished list of fellow British F3 title-winners, Lundqvist ranks in alongside the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi (1969), Ayrton Senna (1983) and Mika Häkkinen (1990) who all claimed the esteemed championship before going on to achieve superstardom in Formula 1 Grand Prix racing. Current Red Bull Racing star Daniel Ricciardo (2009) and reigning Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne (2010) are others to have won the British F3 title.
Lundqvist becomes only the third Swede in history to triumph in the championship, after Gunnar Nilsson (1975) and Stefan Johansson (1980).
“This is an incredible emotion, the like of which I’ve never experienced before,” an elated Linus Lundqvist comments. “This was my main target this season and I can’t describe how happy and proud I am to have achieved it. It means a lot to me and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Double R Racing for making this happen. This is the greatest and single most important day of my career so far. I’m absolutely ecstatic!”
Lundqvist racked up the title in the first race of the triple-header season-finale at Silverstone, where the second and third heats will take place on Sunday.
