F3: Verstappen starts finale weekend with victory

Max Verstappen took a lights-to-flag win in the first Formula 3 European Championship race of the final round at Hockenheim.

The Toro Rosso Formula 1 signing got a great start in his Van Amersfoort Racing Dallara-Volkswagen, while front-row partner Lucas Auer was slower away – he got briefly stuck in gear – and had to fend off a first-corner challenge from Tom Blomqvist.

Auer looked quick in the early stages and the orange Mucke Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes was on the tail of the leader within three laps, but after a couple more laps Verstappen began to draw away and he was nearly four seconds to the good at the flag.

"After second qualifying yesterday we had to change some stuff on the car," said Verstappen, "and we had an engine problem too so you're never sure what's going to happen.

"The first three laps were difficult but then I pulled a gap, and Lucas locked up as well at the Spitzkehre."

Blomqvist led Antonio Giovinazzi all the way in a three-four formation for the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin Dallara-VWs, although Giovinazzi had to shake off an enormous battle on the first lap. Felix Rosenqvist emerged from this in fifth as Jordan King lost ground in the fighting in the Mercedes Arena, with champion Esteban Ocon settling into sixth and King seventh.

King hunted down Ocon and dived inside the Lotus F1 junior on the ninth lap at the Spitzkehre hairpin, but the Frenchman got the cutback on exit and it took until Mercedes Arena for the Brit to make the move stick, as Ocon was edged wide.

King then closed on Rosenqvist, but this battle fizzled out when they caught Jules Szymkowiak, who had fallen a lap down having a front wing replaced in the pits after early-race contact with Ed Jones.

Gustavo Menezes made good ground on the opening lap to take eighth place, while Felix Serralles managed to pass Sean Gelael just before half-distance – after brief contact earlier between the pair – to grab ninth.

Antonio Fuoco then closed on Gelael, only for the Ferrari protege to drop back with damage to his front wing.

Jake Dennis made good progress on the opening lap from his back-of-the-grid start, but once the race settled down he was unable to move further forward and finished just behind Fuoco in 15th.

RESULTS - 22 LAPS: