Australian Joey Mawson added to his Championship tally during Round Six of the 2018 GP3 Series in Belgium on the weekend.

After qualifying tenth on Friday afternoon, the PODIUM-backed driver lined up on the fifth row of the grid for the opening race of the weekend on Saturday at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Making a strong start, Mawson made his way up a couple of spots in the early running to hold down eighth position for the majority of the race in challenging conditions.

On the final lap, Mawson made an attempt at a pass for seventh place but the wet surface off-line forced him to slide wide and unable to make the move. He held on for eighth place and in the process earnt the right to start on pole position for Sunday’s race.

While he had his sights set on his second podium finish of the year, it wasn’t to be for Mawson in race two. After leading the field for the first couple of laps, Mawson’s Arden Motorsport Dallara began to suffer from severe rear tyre degradation and as a result, he slipped down the order and eventually out of the race.

“It was a tough end to the weekend,” said Mawson.

“The first race was positive, collecting some points and getting the reverse grid pole. I felt as though my pace was strong – especially in sectors one and three – and I was going to be able to challenge for the podium in race two.

“Race two started off well but unfortunately we didn’t end up with a result after suffering from horrific tyre degradation from lap two onwards and I was just a passenger from there.”

The weekend’s two races were won by David Beckman and Nikita Mazepin.  Anthoine Hubert leads the standings on 158 points, Mawson is 13th on 22.

After regrouping during the week, Mawson and the Arden Motorsport outfit will be back in action this weekend at the Monza circuit in Italy.

After a short mid-season break, Australian Joey Mawson will return to action in the GP3 Series at the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium this weekend.

The PODIUM-backed driver rates the 7.004km circuit as one of his favourites and has got his sights set on kickstarting the second half his 2018 with a solid haul of points from the weekend’s two races.

“There’s not too many opportunities that you get to drive at Spa, so it’s always a pleasure when you get the opportunity to do so,” said Mawson.

“It is probably one of the favourite circuits for most drivers, I know it definitely is for me. I’ve raced there in other categories but the extra horsepower that we have in the GP3 car will make it even more exciting.

“After a few weeks away from the circuit and in the workshop, I’m really excited about getting back into race mode. We learnt a lot over the past couple of rounds, and have been able to use that in the preparation for this weekend’s event.”

Mawson is very conscious that the unpredictable weather in the region is likely to play an important factor in the weekend’s proceedings.

“The layout of the circuit allows for some great battles and opportunities to pass, but it’s not just on track where you’ve got to be right on top of your game at Spa,” said Mawson.

“The weather in the area surrounding the circuit is always unpredictable, and this weekend is looking like it will be no exception. You need to be prepared for all conditions and it can change very quickly.”

Mawson will climb aboard his Arden Motorsport Dallara for practice on Friday morning ahead of qualifying later in the afternoon. Race One will begin at 9:35am local time on Saturday with Race Two to be contested at the same time on Sunday.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Local Time
Practice – Friday August 24 – 9:30am
Qualifying – Saturday August 24 – 5:50pm
Race 1 – Saturday August 25 – 9:35am
Race 2 – Sunday August 26 – 9:35am

AEST
Practice – Friday August 24 – 5:30pm
Qualifying – Saturday August 25 – 1:50am
Race 1 – Saturday August 25 – 5:35pm
Race 2 – Sunday August 26 – 5:35pm

Australian Joey Mawson turned challenges into positives during Round Five of the 2018 GP3 Series at the Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary on the weekend.

The PODIUM-backed driver showed good speed to qualify ninth fastest before slotting into seventh place during the early laps of Race One.

He then pressured Jake Hughes for a number of laps before making several attempts to overtake for sixth position. Unfortunately, during one of these attempts where Mawson was passing on the outside of turn one, the pair made contact damaging the rear suspension on Mawson’s Arden Motorsport entry. This damage forced Mawson out of the race.

Starting from the rear of the grid for Race Two, and passing opportunities around the 4.381km circuit difficult, Mawson and the Arden Motorsport used the race to gain valuable data to assist them in the second half of the season.

Confirming the progress they have made over the past few races was the fact that Mawson was able to set the fastest lap of the race – more than a tenth of a second faster than the race winner.

The young Australian believes that while the outright results didn’t come his way, he and the team made significant steps forward throughout the weekend.

“Despite the circumstances in the opening race that caused me to DNF, we were able to achieve some positive results throughout the weekend,” said Mawson.

“Qualifying ninth was a positive start, then I had good pace and tyre wear in the opening race. After the DNF we made the most of what we could in the final race by setting the fastest lap of the race and having good consistency with our tyre wear.

“We learnt a lot across the weekend that will help us as we head into the second half of the year and can’t wait to get to Spa next month.”

The weekend’s race victories were split between Nikita Mazepin and Dorian Boccolacci.

The next event on the schedule will be at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on August 25-26.

Australian Joey Mawson will be back in action for Round Five of the 2018 GP3 Series this weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

The PODIUM-backed driver will be competing at the Hungaroring with a focus on adding to his championship points tally during the two races to be contested around the 4.381km circuit.

“After a bit of a break I’m excited to be back in the car this weekend at the Hungaroring. It is a very unique circuit, it’s pretty tight and technical,” said Mawson.

“Since the last round we’ve really been focused on improving our race pace and I’ve got my sights set on being inside the top eight for the opening race.  Then aiming for the podium from there for race two.”

With the drivers in the GP3 Series using the soft compound tyre for this weekend’s event, compared to the medium compound at the corresponding event in 2017, Mawson believes this is something that could provide him with a slight advantage.

“With the softer compound tyre being used this year it is a bit of a reset for everyone and provides less of an advantage to those who were here last year,” said Mawson.

“It means that the times will be faster than last year but at the same time tyre degradation will play an important role, which should provide some exciting racing.”

Mawson will take to the circuit aboard his Arden Motorsport-prepared Dallara for practice on Friday morning.  In a change from previous rounds, qualifying will be contested on Saturday morning (10:45am) ahead of Race One at 6:30pm. Race Two will launch into action at 10:05am on Sunday morning.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Local Time
Practice – Friday July 27 – 9:30am
Qualifying – Saturday July 28 – 10:45am
Race 1 – Saturday July 28 – 6:30pm
Race 2 – Sunday July 29 – 10:05am

AEST
Practice – Friday July 27 – 5:30pm
Qualifying – Saturday July 28 – 6:45pm
Race 1 – Sunday July 29 – 2:30am
Race 2 – Sunday July 29 – 6:05pm

Australian Joey Mawson endured a challenging weekend at Round Four of the 2018 GP Series in England.

For the second round in a row, the PODIUM-backed driver started the weekend off well by setting the fourth fastest time in practice, unfortunately however he wasn’t able to transfer this speed through into qualifying.

After battling with the set-up during qualifying, he would eventually set the 13^th fastest time.

Race One was a positive one for Mawson as he charged his way forward during the opening laps.  Following several safety car interventions, he found his way into eighth spot.

Holding down that position for the majority of the race, Mawson had heavy pressure from Jake Hughes and then Giuliano Alesi, eventually Alesi found a way past him with the use of DRS with a lap to go. Mawson crossed the line ninth and scored some championship points.

In the second race, Mawson again made a strong start to move up into seventh position.  However, at the midway mark in the race his pace deteriorated, and he was unable to hold onto his spot inside the top ten, eventually crossing the line in 13th position.

“It was a tough weekend overall, we showed some pace early on but it wasn’t strong enough in the second half of the race,” said Mawson.

“The first half of both races was very positive as I managed to move forward by positioning myself well and finding some gaps.   However, I just wasn’t able to maintain the pace as the races went on.

“There’s a fair bit of work for us to do in the next three weeks before Hungary, so we’ll be putting in a lot of effort analysing the data and see where we can improve.”
The weekend’s race victories were split between Anthoine Hubert and Pedro Piquet.

After three rounds in consecutive weekends, the Series now takes a short break before returning on July 27-29 in Budapest, Hungary.

Australian Joey Mawson will compete in his third successive weekend of GP3 action when the Series heads to the Silverstone circuit in England this weekend.

Fresh from a podium finish in France two weeks ago, and a sterling drive in Austria last weekend, the PODIUM-backed driver has this weekend got his sights set on more success at one of the world’s most iconic motor racing circuits.

“Silverstone is an amazing circuit. Not only is it an amazing layout but also has some incredible history,” said Mawson.

“I raced there last year in a Formula 3 car and thoroughly enjoyed it, the GP3 car is a couple of seconds faster than an F3 and I can’t wait go get out there.”

With Mawson being based it England for 2019, this weekend’s event is a home race for him and his Arden Motorsport team.

“With it being a home race there will be a lot of people involved in the team from the workshop and other guests who will be in attendance, hopefully we can get a good result for them all,” said Mawson.

“Last week at the Red Bull Ring I had a good practice session but unfortunately in qualifying it didn’t all come together, which is a key point for the weekend.

“The main aim for us this weekend is to be to build on the platform from the past couple of weeks and keep making steps forward while focusing on achieving a pair of race finishes in the points.”

Mawson will take to the circuit for practice on Friday at 8:35am local time before qualifying at 5:05pm. Race one is scheduled for 9:25am on Saturday ahead of Race two on Sunday at 8:05am.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Round 4 – Silverstone

Local Time
Practice – Friday July 6 – 8:35am
Qualifying – Friday July 6 – 5:05pm
Race 1 – Saturday July 7 – 9:25am
Race 2 – Sunday July 8 – 8:05am

Australian Eastern Standard Time
Practice – Friday July 6 – 5:35pm
Qualifying – Saturday July 7 – 2:05am
Race 1 – Saturday July 8 – 6:25pm
Race 2 – Sunday July 8 – 5:05pm

Australian Joey Mawson showed strong speed during Round Three of the 2018 GP3 Series at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on the weekend.

The highlight of the weekend for the PODIUM-backed driver was a hard charging drive in Race Two on Sunday.

After being forced onto the sidelines with a mechanical failure at the start of Race One, Mawson started Sunday’s 18-lap encounter from the rear of the 20-car grid.

Determined to move up the order, Mawson drove a superb race to pass half of the highly competitive field and cross the line in tenth position.

“While the overall result didn’t come our way, I feel as though we made some big steps forward this weekend,” said Mawson.

“I was third fastest in practice, then set the fourth fastest time on my first set of tyres in qualifying before being held up on my flying lap – which dropped me to 13th.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get the opportunity to show what we had in Race One but Sunday’s race certainly made up for it. It’s always hard to pass in GP3, so to move up ten places in a race is a very good feeling and keeps everyone very positive towards next weekend.”

The weekend’s race victories were split between Championship leader Callum Ilott and Jake Hughes.

Mawson will be back in action this weekend when the GP3 Series completes it’s ‘triple-header’ alongside the Formula 1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone in England.

Australian Joey Mawson is aiming to continue his momentum when the GP3 Series heads to the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend.

Fresh from his maiden GP3 Series podium result last weekend in France, Mawson is high in confidence as he heads to a circuit that he has enjoyed success at previously.

“I’m very much looking forward to this weekend, it’s always a pleasure racing on such a great circuit that has sensational facilities,” said the PODIUM-backed driver.

“I’ve raced there in both a Formula 4 and Formula 3 car, so I’m hoping to put that experience to good use this weekend.

“The circuit itself looks simple on paper but it is one where it’s very easy to lose time on and due to the limited number of corners I’d expect the field to be very close,” said Mawson.

“There is a good mix of slow, medium and high-speed corners – which always makes it interesting. The set-up of your car needs to be very balanced across the variety of corners.”

Coming off a pair of points scoring results at the Paul Ricard circuit, Mawson has set his sights on adding to his points tally this weekend.

“After last weekend’s good result, everyone in the team is on a high but also very focused on continuing to move even further forward,” said Mawson.

“The main aim will be to qualify well again and then set our sights on the podium across the weekend.”

Mawson will take to the 4.318km circuit at 9:35am local time on Friday morning for practice ahead of qualifying later in the day. Saturday’s 24-lap race will begin at 10:25am with Sunday’s 18-lap encounter from 9:45am.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Schedule (Local Time)
Practice – Friday June 29 – 9:35am
Qualifying – Friday June 29 – 5:50pm
Race 1 – Saturday June 30 – 10:25am
Race 2 – Sunday July 1 – 9:45am

Schedule (AEST)
Practice – Friday June 29 – 5:35pm
Qualifying – Saturday June 30 – 1:50am
Race 1 – Saturday June 30 – 6:25pm
Race 2 – Sunday July 1 – 5:45pm

Australian Joey Mawson secured his first podium in the GP3 Series during Round Two at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France on Sunday.

After qualifying tenth fastest on Friday, Mawson showed his true grit throughout the opening 20-lap encounter. Despite being under intense pressure for the majority of the race, the PODIUM-backed driver held his nerve to cross the line in ninth placing and secure his first Series points.

With two of his competitors later excluded for technical infringements, Mawson was elevated to seventh in the standings.

Given that the grid for Race Two is a reverse of the top eight finishing positions from the opening race, Mawson lined up on the outside of the front row for Sunday’s 15-lap encounter.

Following a hectic opening few turns, Mawson slotted his Arden Motorsport Dallara into third place before challenging Pedro Piquet for the runner-up placing. Unable to make the pass for second, Mawson settled into third place and focused on maintaining his position while edging away from fourth-placed Alessio Lorandi.

As the race continued, Mawson cemented his place on the podium and finished one-second clear of Lorandi. Callum Illot claimed the victory – his first in the Series – ahead of Piquet and Mawson.

“I’m stoked with the results across the weekend. After getting to start the second race on the front row our aim was to finish on the podium and we achieved that goal,” said Mawson.

“We moved forward all weekend with our pace, which puts us in a good position moving onto the next race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria next weekend.

“To get the first Series points of this year for the team on Saturday and then finishing the weekend on the podium on Sunday was a fantastic reward and good motivation for everyone here at Arden Motorsport.”

The Australian dedicated his podium to long-time supporter, and PODIUM co-founder, Tom Warwick who suddenly passed away last month.

“While standing on the podium, all I could think of was how proud Tom (Warwick) would be right now. He and Geoff Morgan have been so influential in getting me to where I am today while leading the way for everyone involved in PODIUM,” said Mawson.

“This one’s for you Tom! Here’s to many more throughout the year.”

Mawson’s points haul from the weekend’s two races moved him to ninth place in the standings.

The next race on the schedule is this weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.