Nabil earns second career win

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian driver Nabil Jeffri earned his second career win in dominant fashion in the fourth round of the ATS Formel 3 Cup (German Formula 3) at Hockenheimring Circuit. 

Nabil, driving for Motopark team, handled the track superbly en route to a dominant lights-to-flag victory in Race 1 (30:18.271) ahead of championship leader Markus Pommer of Germany (30:20.751). 

Markus’s team-mate in a Lotus, Indy Dontje of Holland, was third (30:28.945). 

Nabil had started from pole position for the first time on Saturday and the Petronas development driver held off Pommer until the chequered flag. 

“It felt very, very good. My start was really good. I just had to push Markus a little bit but I could make my pace and did not make any mistakes.

“I was very consistent throughout the race, so I am really very happy,” said Nabil, who is into his second season in the series. 

Nabil claimed his first career win in the season-opener in Oscheslerben, Germany in April. 

He earned three second placings in the previous round in Austria last week. 

However, Nabil had a frustrating experience when he was forced to retire early in Race 2 on Sunday.

Pommer knocked into the Malaysian on lap 4 and forced him to give up his challenge, with the German following suit two laps later. 

Scottish driver Sam MacLeod, contesting for Van Amersfoort Racing, won the reversed-grid race 2 (20:49.792) ahead of American Santino Ferrucci from Eurointernational (20:58.617) and Dontje (21:02.858).

Another Malaysian driver Weiron Tan, driving for Van Amersfoort Racing, was fourth in both races.