- British F3 champion completes test programme
- Euroformula Open debut just two weeks away
Reigning BRDC British Formula 3 champion Linus Lundqvist has wrapped up a constructive month of pre-season testing ahead of his imminent Euroformula Open debut, cementing his ambition to win a third single-seater championship in four years.
After clinching the Formula STCC Nordic title in his native Sweden in 2016, Lundqvist emerged victorious in British Formula 3 last season, sealing the championship with a lights-to-flag win at the Silverstone finale.
2019 sees the Swedish 20-year-old step onto the continental arena with a move to Euroformula Open, an F3-spec championship which visits all of the European Formula 1 tracks except Monte Carlo. Instead, another classic street race graces the calendar in the form of France’s prestigious Grand Prix de Pau.
Lundqvist and his team, Double R Racing, have been hard at work in recent weeks preparing for the new season, completing a comprehensive testing programme across the UK, Belgium and Austria.
“It’s been a really good few weeks lately,” says Linus Lundqvist. “It’s all been going according to plan and the pace has seemed strong. The last test in Austria was wet, so we’ve managed to work through some set-up options in different conditions. We’ve learned a lot.”
The Lundqvist/Double R combination, which enters its third year following success in British F4 and F3 across the last two seasons, will face stiff competition once again in 2019. The main opposition is likely to come from junior single-seater powerhouses Carlin and Motopark, who are among a host of professional outfits to join the Euroformula Open grid as the series gains momentum.
The Carlin line-up features Brazilian Christian Hahn, Honda junior Tappei Nattori of Japan and Denmark’s Nicolai Kjaergaard – Lundqvist’s main rival from last year’s British F3 title fight.
German squad Motopark, on their hand, enters Euroformula Open as consecutive Formula 3 world champions courtesy of winning the FIA F3 World Cup in Macau in both 2017 and 2018. The team’s line-up boasts two Red Bull Juniors in the shape of Toyota Racing Series champion Liam Lawson (New Zealand) and Yuki Tsunoda (Japan).
Teaming up with Lundqvist at Double R Racing, meanwhile, is Australian Jack Doohan – the son of five-time road racing world champion Mick Doohan.
“The competition is bound to be significant this year, but that’s exactly how it should be,” Linus Lundqvist concludes. “Both Carlin and Motopark will be up there for sure, and there are several others as well. I know it will be tough, but my goal is to win the title. Testing is always testing and you should never read too much into it, but I’m really pleased with where we’re at right now. We’re well-prepared and everyone in the team is clearly raring to go. I can’t wait for the first race.”
The 2019 Euroformula Open season kicks off at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France in two weeks’ time (April 27-28).
2019 EUROFORMULA OPEN CALENDAR
27-28 April: Paul Ricard, France
18-19 May: Grand Prix de Pau, France
25-26 May: Hockenheim, Germany
8-9 June: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
6-7 July: Hungaroring, Hungary
13-14 July: Red Bull Ring, Austria
7-8 September: Silverstone, UK
21-22 September: Barcelona, Spain
12-13 October: Monza, Italy
FURTHER INFORMATION
Euroformula Open – www.euroformulaopen.net