Race 2 Martini back to winning ways as Rigon leads the championship

Oliver Martini (RC Motorsport) won Euroseries 3000's Race 2 at Budapest. The Italian driver, who made a cleaner start off the grid than poleman Jason Tahinci (G-Tec), made a dominant drive, after solving the ovesteering problems which slowed him down during Saturday's race. Martini was joined on the podium by a couple of drivers who battled throughout the race, but at the end were more then 10'' off the lead. Second placed at Hungaroring was Brazilian Luiz Razia (Fisichella Motor Sport), who jostled for position with Davide Rigon (Minardi by GP Racing). The Italian tried to overtake the South American right until the end of the race. After the two Hungarian races, Rigon took the lead of the championship, with just a point
gap on Oliver Martini.

Pastor Maldonado (G-Tec), who was making his debut in an Euroseries 3000 weekend, had an unlucky race. The winner of Saturday's race spun during the first laps and then ended the race into the gravel trap
while he was in third position, having started 8th. The young Ecuadorean Sebastian Merchan (Elk Motorsport), sixth in Race 1, showed a very good performance and finished just off the podium, ahead of
Brazilian Diego Nunes (Minardi by GP Racing) and Alx Danielsson (Elk Motorsport). The second round of the championship wasn't the best one for the Swedish, who took just seven points, losing out the third
position in the championship to Nunes. Jason Tahinci (G-Tec) came home eighth, behind Bulgarian Vladimir Arabadzhiev (Auto Sport Racing), due to a bad start and problems at his left hand.

Euroseries 3000 will come back on track in a month, on the 15th of July, in Magny-Cours, for his third round of the season.

Oliver Martini (1st): "First of all, today I did a great start. Then the team did a great job, solving the big oversteering problems which I had during the first part of the weekend. With a perfect car, it was easy not to do mistakes. Yesterday, on the contrary, I was a bit nervous."

Luis Razia (2nd): "I did a great start and keep a consistent pace throughout the race. I had a great battle with Rigon which lasted all the race long. It was tough, but I kept him behind."

Davide Rigon (3rd): "I did a mistake at the start but, fortunately, the car didn't stall. Then I recovered, trying to keep cool during the tough first laps. Maldonado's exit gained me a position. In the end I tried to battle with Razia for second place, but a shorter sixth gear didn't let me."

Pastor Maldonado: "I had a great start and overtook five cars. After a mistake at the beginning, I couldn't keep the car on track because of the bad oversteering. But it was an useful experience, given that I'm going to come back here soon with GP2."

Race 1 MALDONADO wins in Hungary Minardi boys 2nd and 3rd

Pastor Maldonado entered F.3000 in the best way, dominating Race 1 at Hungaroring. After the fastest time in practice, pole position, he led every lap and set the fastest time during the race. The Venezuelan G-Tec driver put the icing on the top of his debut in the series organized by Coloni Motorsport, taking the most points available in a race, 12, which put him in fifth position in the standings. Maldonado stormed off the grid, taking the lead ahead of Diego Nunes (Minardi by GP Racing), who finished in second place with a 5''7 gap. Oliver Martini (RC Motorsport) didn't make such a smooth start, completing the first lap in seventh position. Davide Rigon (Minardi by GP Racing), instead, was chasing the two leading drivers, Maldonado and Nunes, just from the start of the race and mantained the third
position until the chequered flag, ahead of Danielsson who as always been close to him throughout the race. With the third podium spot, the Italian driver took the provisional lead of the Championship overtaking Martini, seventh in Race 1 and now runner up in the Championship. In the second half of the race, Rigon was marginally faster than his team mate Nunes, but he decided not to risk.
The Swedish Alx Danielsson (Elk Motorsport) finished just off the podium, ahead of the Brazilian Luiz Razia (Fisichella Motor Sport) and the Ecuadorean Sebastian Merchan (Elk Motorsport), who did a great performance today. Eight place for the other G-Tec's rookie, Jason Tahinci, who will start from pole position tomorrow.
The Bulgarian Arabadzhiev (Auto Sport Racing), involved in an accident with Leal during the first half of the race, then ended his race against the wall on the eighth lap.


Pastor Maldonado (1st): "I had immediately a great feeling with the car. I think I have already learnt the track, too: I like
it very much. That's a great training for the GP2 race which will be held on the same circuit. In the end I had a comfortable lead, so I tried different lines, to learn all the secrets of Hungaroring."

Diego Nunes (2nd): "In the middle of the race I attacked Maldonado and this makes me think we are on the right path. In the end I was very hot and tired."

Davide Rigon (3rd): "The bad qualifying position, due to a set-up which wasn't perfect, affected my race. I was able to improve in the second part of the race, I had a good pace and got close to my team mate, but I decided not to risk and to be satisfied with my result."