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