Pommer takes first European F3 win in Zandvoort #3

Markus Pommer took his first Formula 3 European Championship win – and the first for the Motopark team since its 2015 return – in a safety-car-marred third race at Zandvoort.

The German won it at the start when, from second on the grid, he made a better getaway than poleman Antonio Giovinazzi and was able to lead the field into the Tarzanbocht.

The race seemed to be shaping up nicely, with Giovinazzi and Felix Rosenqvist – the first two winners of the weekend – staying close to Pommer, but the safety car was called on the fourth lap due to an off for Matt Solomon.

At the restart, some midfield aggressive moved resulted in Gustavo Menezes dropping down the field and Mikkel Jensen getting tipped into the barriers on the run to the Hans Ernst chicane, meaning the race went under caution again. The field didn't even get that far when the race was restarted for a second time, with Menezes and Nicolas Pohler crashing heavily into the barriers at the left-handed kink after Tarzan.

That left just a four-lap dash to the finish, and Pommer managed to keep the Carlin car of Giovinazzi at bay and Rosenqvist's Prema Powerteam machine was in turn just adrift of the Italian.

"The start was the key for this race, because at Zandvoort it's nearly impossible to overtake – you need to be one to two seconds faster," said Pommer. "At first the car was quite fast, but I was worried about the tires because our setup was aggressive – I think the safety cars were very good for me."

Pommer's win salved the bitterness from the second race, where he was given a 20-second post-race time penalty after finishing fourth due to triggering the shunt that led to the elimination of Lance Stroll and, eventually, Charles Leclerc.

Prema drivers Jake Dennis and Lance Stroll, and Carlin driver George Russell, ran fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, throughout the short racing distance.

Buoyed by his first points score on Saturday, America's Ryan Tveter made a good start to run seventh, but lost out to Sergio Sette Camara on the opening lap, then to Alexander Albon when the Anglo-Thai made a heroic move into Scheivlak on lap two.

Santino Ferrucci then passed Tveter into Tarzan at the final restart, and then Tveter handed Leclerc the final point when he flew off the road at the Arie Luyendijkbocht that leads onto the pit straight.

Leclerc's miserable weekend ended with him losing the championship lead to Giovinazzi, who is now seven and a half points clear heading to the Red Bull Ring, where he scored his first pole and win last season.

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Originally on Autosport.com