Australian Joey Mawson was the big mover in the final race of the 2018 GP3 Series in Abu Dhabi.

The PODIUM-backed driver had a difficult start to the weekend that saw him start from the back of the 20-car grid for the opening race. His opening race was then hampered by having to pit for repairs following contact with another competitor.

Determined to finish the year on a high, Mawson steered clear of a couple of incidents on the opening few laps of the final race of the weekend to move up the order.

When the race resumed after a Virtual Safety Car period, Mawson showed strong speed to manoeuvre his way inside the top ten before crossing the line in ninth place.

“Without a doubt, it has been a difficult weekend but to finish it off with a top ten result was very pleasing,” said Mawson.

“I managed to steer clear of the carnage in the opening few laps and then edged my way up the order to be comfortably running inside the top ten for the second half of the race.

“Considering the way the weekend started, it was fantastic to be able to finish inside the top ten and round out the year on a positive note.”

While a podium result didn’t come his way, Mawson enjoyed the opportunity to have many of the investors from the PODIUM group trackside showing their support.

“The facilities here in Abu Dhabi are amazing and the vibe around the place was incredible,” said Mawson.

“It was fantastic to have a lot of the investors in PODIUM here watching this weekend.  I would have loved to have been able to share a podium result with them but it wasn’t my weekend.

“The work towards next year now continues behind the scenes, training hard and working to see where I’ll be competing.”

Mawson will return to his English base tomorrow before heading back to Australia for Christmas in late December.

Australian Joey Mawson is aiming to finish his 2018 campaign in the GP3 Series on a high this weekend when he takes to the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

After finishing on the podium at the previous round of the Series in Russia, Mawson has got his sights set on more silverware this weekend.

“It has been a fairly long break since the last round and I can’t wait to get back in the ‘office’ on Friday to tackle the Yas Marina circuit,” said the PODIUM-backed driver.

“It is a new circuit for me, as it is for many of the competitors in the field, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

After spending a significant amount of time in the Arden Motorsport simulators over the past few weeks, Mawson believes the circuit has a good mix of characteristics.

“The circuit is unique, it doesn’t have too many high speed corners, the second sector has a lot of big braking areas and slow chicanes, the last part of the lap is very technical and driver dependant,” said Mawson.

“Overall, it’s a very cool circuit and I’m really hoping to finish the season on a high with a podium finish.”

Mawson will have extra incentive to achieve a good result with a number of the investors from the PODIUM group in attendance to see him in action.

“It’s going to be great to have a big group of PODIUM investors in attendance this weekend, having them trackside cheering me on will certainly mean a lot,” said Mawson.

“Hopefully they can bring me some luck and we’ll be able to celebrate a good result come Sunday night.”

Mawson will take to the track for practice on Friday morning (10:15am) ahead of qualifying later in the day (3:10pm). Race one will be contested on Saturday at 12:30pm local time ahead of the final race of 2018 at 12:10pm on Sunday.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Local Time
Practice – Friday November 23 – 10:15am
Qualifying – Friday November 23 – 3:10pm
Race 1 – Saturday November 24 – 12:30pm
Race 2 – Sunday November 25 – 12:10pm

AEDST
Practice – Friday November 23 – 5:15pm
Qualifying – Friday November 23 – 10:10pm
Race 1 – Saturday November 24 – 7:30pm
Race 2 – Sunday November 25 – 7:10pm

Australian Joey Mawson finished on the podium at the penultimate round of the 2018 GP3 Series in Russia on Sunday.

The PODIUM-backed driver showed impressive poise and speed to lead the field for the majority of the 15-lap encounter before securing a career-high second placing.

After finishing eighth in the opening race of the weekend on Saturday, Mawson started on pole position for Sunday’s race.  He led the field away from the start and immediately opened a gap over his nearest rivals.

Mid-way through the race David Beckman closed in on Mawson to challenge for the lead, however, the Australian was resilient and held on to the lead.   He then slowly edged away to extend his buffer out to 1.2 seconds.

When Nikita Mazepin crashed into the wall at turn 13 it brought about a Virtual Safety Car, under which Beckman closed the gap between himself and Mawson to several car lengths.

After Mazepin’s car was cleared from the line of fire, full speed running began once more for the final lap – where Beckmann had caught right up to the back of Mawson. Unable to make the difference into turn 2, Beckmann continued to hound the Arden Motorsport driver until the final corners, diving past with DRS assistance into turn 13 and clinching victory on the final lap. Richard Verschoor tried to follow through, but Mawson was unwilling to give up any further positions and held onto second.

“It has been a very positive weekend, we came into it with the aim of finishing on the podium – and we achieved that, so we’ve got to be pleased with the result,” said Mawson.

“At the same time though, we can’t help but be a little gutted with the result in the last race.  It was there for the taking but the Virtual Safety Car came out at the wrong moment for me and I just couldn’t hold Beckman off with him having the use of DRS on the last lap.

“We had much better pace all weekend, not once was I outside the top ten and to be able to lead the race the way in which I did was very positive.  It’s good to be able to come away from an event knowing that we had genuine pace and have really got something to work with over the break before the final round.

“I‘m so excited for everyone in the PODIUM group, this result is for them and I’m sure Tom Warwick is looking down on us with a smile on his face.

“We now go into a break and will be aiming for another podium and finish on a high at the final round in Abu Dhabi.”

The GP3 Series will take a break before heading to the final round in Abu Dhabi on November 23-25.

Australian Joey Mawson will make his debut on Russian soil when he contests the penultimate round of the 2018 GP3 Series at the Sochi Autodrom this weekend.

The PODIUM-backed driver believes Sochi not having been on the GP3 Series schedule since 2015, it should prove to be a good leveller.

“Having been based in Europe for several years now, there’s not too many of the circuits that we go to that are new to me, so this weekend is an exciting experience,” said Mawson.

“With the Series not having been to Sochi since 2015 there are only a couple of drivers who have competed there before, and none of them have been in a GP3 car. So that should be a good leveller.”

As for the characteristics of the circuit, Mawson believes it will provide a significant challenge and should produce some exciting racing.

“The layout is a very interesting one. There’s a lot of third gear corners, and another high speed corner before a slow speed section on the final part of a lap,” said Mawson.

“We’re on the soft tyre this weekend, so we hope that the work we’ve done in between rounds will put us in a good position to manage our tyre wear. Our aim is to be inside the top eight in Race One and then take advantage of our position from there.”

Mawson will take to the circuit for the first time aboard his Arden Motorsport Dallara on Friday morning ahead of qualifying in the afternoon. He’ll then contest a pair of races, one each on Saturday and Sunday.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Schedule (Local Time)
Practice – Friday September 28 – 9:30am
Qualifying – Friday September 28 – 5:50pm
Race 1 – Saturday September 29 – 10:15am
Race 2 – Sunday September 30 – 10:05am

Schedule (AEST)
Practice – Friday September 28 – 4:30pm
Qualifying – Saturday September 29 – 12:50am
Race 1 – Saturday September 29 – 5:15pm
Race 2 – Sunday September 30 – 5:05pm

Australian Joey Mawson endured a difficult weekend during Round Seven of the 2018 GP3 Series at Monza in Italy.

With the opening practice session being rained out, the PODIUM-backed driver went into qualifying aiming for the top ten.

Unfortunately Mawson was unable to get a slipstream around the high-speed circuit, which left him battling for an outright lap time, and he was only able to set the 15th fastest time.

“Qualifying was a real challenge, I couldn’t quite find the right space to get a slipstream. If I had been able to get a tow I think I would have been inside the top ten but it wasn’t to be,” said Mawson.

In the opening race Mawson edged his way forward to cross the line in 12th place.

During the early laps of race two, Mawson also made his way forward to be knocking on the door of another top ten result. Unfortunately, contact with another competitor mid-race caused damage to his suspension and he was forced to battle an ill-handling car for the remainder of the race. He would eventually cross the line 15th, this would later be elevated to 12th following some post-race penalties to other competitors.

“It was a difficult weekend, we just couldn’t find the speed we needed,” said Mawson.

“After qualifying 15th we were behind the eight-ball and chasing ourselves.

“I managed to move up a few spots in race one and the same thing in the early laps of race two. I then had a coming together with another competitor that damaged my wishbone and made the car a bit of a handful to drive.

“To be able to race at Monza on the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend was an amazing experience, unfortunately the results weren’t what we were aiming for.

“We’ve now got a couple of weeks to regroup and finish the year off strong in Russia and Abu Dhabi.”

David Beckman and Pedro Piquet won the weekend’s races while Anthoine Hubert remains in the lead of the Championship.

Australian Joey Mawson will relish the challenge of the famous Monza circuit in Italy when the GP3 Series continues this weekend.

The PODIUM-backed driver says that the ‘temple of speed’ holds some special memories for him.

“When I was racing karts in Europe I remember heading to Monza in the middle of winter and dreaming of one day racing there, it’s a place that has so much history for motorsport,” said Mawson.

“Over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to race there but this year in a GP3 car will be an incredible experience as we’re expected to reach speeds around 300 km/h.  Being a part of a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend at Monza is what dreams are made of.”

In Belgium last weekend, Mawson added to his Championship tally – something he’s focused on again in Italy.

“Last weekend I was able to finish eighth in the opening race and score some points, which will again be the aim this weekend,” said Mawson.

“The past few days have been very busy with debriefs and pre-briefs on consecutive days.  We’ve reviewed last weekend and looked at areas where we can improve and hope to be able to put our plans into practice this weekend.”

Mawson will take to the Monza circuit for practice and qualifying on Friday ahead of a pair of races across the weekend.

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