Australian Joey Mawson has started off his campaign in the 2017 FIA Formula 3 European Championship with a pair of points scoring hauls at the Silverstone circuit in England.

The PODIUM-backed driver started the weekend by qualifying ninth, 11th and 13th for the three races respectively.

Mawson put in a sterling drive in the opening encounter that saw him record a fifth place finish.

In Race Two, Mawson appeared to again be on the charge from his 11th starting position to be challenging for sixth place within the opening few laps. Unfortunately by mid race, his Van Racing Amersfoort Dallara began to suffer from tyre degradation, and his lap times suffered as a consequence. Despite fighting gallantly to hold onto positions, he would eventually drop to 11th at the chequered flag.

Race three once again saw Mawson make some impressive gains in the opening few laps to move up five places into eighth spot. He then fended off a challenge by his team-mate Harri Newey for several laps before eventually pulling clear and recording his second championship points for the weekend.

“Over the whole weekend we struggled as a team with the pace but I’m quite satisfied that I got the most out of the car that I could have,” said Mawson.

“To record a top five result in my first weekend as a rookie in F3 is very satisfying but we need to unlock the key to the outright speed across all three races.

“We didn’t go backwards in the races and if it wasn’t for the tyre degradation in race two, I would have been able to get three top ten finishes. However we didn’t have the pace of the front-runners, and we’ll be working hard to analyse the data over the next two weeks before Monza to improve.”

With three different race winners across the weekend, Race Two winner Joel Eriksson leads the Championship on 55 points ahead of Callum Illot (43) and Lando Norris (42). Mawson is seventh on 14 points.

The next event on the schedule is in two weeks time (April 29-30) at Monza, Italy.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After Round 1 of 10)
1. Joel Eriksson – 55 points
2. Callum Illott – 43
3. Lando Norris – 42
4. Maximilian Günther – 39
5. Jake Dennis – 38
6. Jake Hughes – 15
7. Joey Mawson – 14
8. Jehan Daruvala – 13
9. Mick Schumacher – 12
10. Guanyu Zhou – 12

Australian Joey Mawson is ready for the next step in his flourishing career when he tackles the opening round of the 2017 FIA Formula 3 European Championship this weekend.

The season opener, to be contested at the famous Silverstone circuit in England, will see the PODIUM-backed driver line up against 19 other young talented drivers from 11 countries – including his arch-rival from last year’s German F4 Championship Mick Schumacher.

“It’s a very exciting time for me as I head into my first weekend in Formula 3.  It is a real dream to compete in this Championship,” said Mawson.

“Silverstone is a fantastic circuit, especially in a F3 car because it has a lot of downforce, but that also means passing is going to be difficult.  While not impossible, it is certainly harder to pass in a Formula 3 car than it was in a Formula 4 car which means qualifying will be important.

“While pre-season testing went well, I know that a race weekend will see things go to another level.  I’ll certainly be a ‘sponge’ to learn everything as quick as possible and get up to speed on an F3 race weekend.”

With the opening round being contested alongside a round of the World Endurance Championship, the event will be attended by one of the largest crowds of Mawson’s career thus far.

“Sharing it with the WEC is very exciting.  It means that we are on a very big stage and there will be a lot of very influential people in the world of motorsport in attendance,” said Mawson.

“My aim for the weekend will be to finish all three races inside the top ten and achieve some good points towards the Championship.”

Mawson will take to the 5.9km circuit for the first time on Thursday afternoon for practice ahead of the opening qualifying session for 2017.  Qualifying 1 will decide the grid for the opening race, while Saturday’s second qualifying session will determine for Race Two.  The grid for the final race is decided by a driver’s second fastest lap times in Qualifying 2.  All races will be 33 minutes plus one lap in duration.

In all three races contested on a race weekend, the Championship points for the 10 best-placed drivers are awarded according to the well known Formula 1 system.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
LOCAL TIME
Thursday April 13
12:20pm – 1:00pm Free Practice 1
1:05pm – 1:45pm Free Practice 2
5:40pm – 6:00pm Qualifying 1

Friday April 14
1:30pm – 1:50pm Qualifying 2
3:55pm – 4:30pm Race 1

Saturday April 15
11:00am – 11:35am Race 2

Sunday April 16
9:00am – 9:35am Race 3

AUSTRALIAN EASTERN STANDARD TIME
Thursday April 13
9:20pm – 10:00pm Free Practice 1
10:05pm – 10:45pm Free Practice 2
(Fri) 2:40am – 3:00am Qualifying 1

Friday April 14
10:30pm – 10:50pm Qualifying 2
(Sat) 12:55am – 1:30am Race 1

Saturday April 15
8:00pm – 8:35pm Race 2

Sunday April 16
6:00pm – 6:35pm Race 3

Australian Joey Mawson will take the next step towards the pinnacle of world motorsport in 2017.

After claiming the ADAC German Formula 4 Championship last year ahead of Mick Schumacher, the PODIUM-backed driver will remain with his title-winning team Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2017 FIA European Formula 3 Championship.

The 10-round championship has been the springboard for many of the modern-day Formula 1 drivers, none more so than 2016 Champion Lance Stroll who will join the Williams Formula 1 team in 2017.

2015 Champion Felix Rosenqvist has graduated into the Formula E Championship while the previous year’s Champion Esteban Ocon, who defeated current Red Bull Formula One driver Max Verstappen on his way to the championship, will compete in the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship with Force India.

Mawson is continuing to aim to follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo who climbed through the European open-wheel scene before breaking through into the Formula 1 ranks.

For Mawson, the opportunity to remain with the Van Amersfoort team to take the next step in his career is a very exciting one.

“This will be my third year with Van Amersfoort and I’m really excited about the adventure of moving into Formula 3 with them,” said Mawson.

“To win the Championship last year with them and the team at PODIUM was a real dream come true, that was our aim at the start of the year and we achieved everything that we set out to do.

“Now, it’s the next big step in my career.  It’s a very big step from Formula 4 to Formula 3 but one that I’m really looking forward to.

“I’ve tested a couple of times late last year and felt right at home.  I’ll be aiming to make the most of every opportunity in 2017 and beyond.”

Van Amersfoort Racing Team Principal Frits van Amersfoort is delighted to have Mawson remain with his team for a third consecutive year.

“In the past two seasons, and especially with his title-winning campaign last year, Joey has clearly demonstrated his abilities and I am convinced that, given the right support, he has what it takes to do well in Formula 3,” said van Amersfoort.

“In making the transition from Formula 4 to Formula 3 together with us, he is following in the footsteps of other drivers who made the same step in the past.

“This Van Amersfoort Racing single-seater staircase is what we had in mind when we committed to racing in various junior formulae. We believe in long-term relationships and therefore, we are delighted to have Joey continue with us.”

Mawson will continue to be backed by the Australian consortium PODIUM, who supported him during his successful 2016 campaign.

Mawson will head back to Europe in the coming weeks before the Formula 3 Championship begins on April 14 at the famous Silverstone circuit in England alongside a round of the World Endurance Championship.

2017 Formula 3 European Championship Schedule
14 – 16 April Silverstone (Great Britain) [WEC]
29 – 30 April Monza (Italy) [WTCC]
20 – 21 May Pau (France) [F3 GP]
17 – 18 June Hungaroring (Hungary) [DTM]
1 – 2 July Norisring (Germany) [DTM]
28 – 29 July Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) [Blancpain GT Series]
19 – 20 August Zandvoort (The Netherlands) [DTM]
9 – 10 September Nürburgring (Germany) [DTM]
23 – 24 September Red Bull Ring – Spielberg (Austria) [DTM]
14 – 15 October Hockenheim (Germany) [DTM]

Australian Joey Mawson came tantalizingly close to securing the 2017 MRF Challenge victory in Chennai, India on the weekend.

The PODIUM-backed driver led the four-round championship entering the final weekend of competition and appeared on track to secure the second open-wheel championship of his flourishing career.

After an issue in qualifying left him down in seventh place on the grid for the opening race, the 2016 ADAC German Formula 4 Championship showed true determination across the four races of the weekend.

Following a fourth-placed finish in race one, the Sydney-sider then dominated the second 15-lap encounter to claim victory by more than nine seconds and enter the final day of competition with a 27-point advantage.

Starting Race three from sixth position Mawson clawed his way up the order to once again finish fourth while one of his main championship rivals, Mick Schumacher, crashed out of the race – ending his title hopes.  Mawson’s other main rival Harrison Newey took the win to ensure the battle for the title went down to the final race.

Starting from pole position in the final race, the grid set by the fastest laps of the weekend, Mawson made a tremendous start to lead the way. Following a safety car intervention on the opening lap Mawson was pressured by Newey but the Australian held the Englishman at bay for several laps.

With five laps remaining Newey made the most of his opportunities and found a way past Mawson with Schumacher also following him through relegating Mawson back to third place.

The victory and subsequent bonus points for the fastest lap by Newey was enough to have him finish equal on points with Mawson. However, Newey was awarded the title on a countback based on the number of race wins.

“It has been a tough weekend, I had a difficult car all across the weekend battling with the set-up but I put up the best fight that I could,” said Mawson.

“It hurts to lose by so little but it has been a good experience doing the MRF Challenge and I’ve really had some good battles while continually learning.

“A big thank you must go to the team at PODIUM who have put so much into me and I’m really looking forward to a big year ahead with them right behind me.”

Mawson was the only driver to finish inside the top six in every one of the 16 races and recorded 12 podium results.

Australian Joey Mawson has maintained his place at the top of the standings in the 2017 MRF Challenge following an impressive performance in Delhi, India across the weekend.

The PODIUM-backed driver secured three podium finishes across the four races contested at the Buddh International Circuit to make it 10 podium results from the 12 races contested so far in the Championship.

After qualifying third fastest, Mawson crossed the line fourth in the opening 12-lap encounter before claiming a dominant victory by eight seconds in race two.

Race three saw Mawson endure an intense battle with Harrison Newey for the majority of the race before finishing in second place behind Mick Schumacher.

Starting from position four in the final race, Mawson made an impressive start to slot into third place while being heavily pressured by Schumacher. The duo raced wheel-to-wheel before Schumacher attempted a pass and made contact with Mawson forcing him wide and dropping him down the order to eighth.

The 20 year-old Sydney-sider then fought back up the order and benefited when Schumacher and Felipe Drugovich collided with four laps remaining. With the final stage of the race held under safety car conditions Mawson crossed the line in third place.

“It has been another good weekend, three podiums and extending the lead in the championship is very pleasing,” said Mawson.

“I had good speed all weekend and it was great to be able to show that with a fantastic win in race two. “The final race was a real battle. I got a good start but then dropped back after contact with Mick, then to be able to claw my way back and be on the podium is great.”

Entering next month’s final event on the schedule in Chennai (February 17-19), Mawson has a 27-point buffer at the top of the standings with a total of 211 points. Newey is second on 184 with Schumacher third on 171.

Australian Joey Mawson enjoyed an almost perfect weekend at Round Two of the MRF Challenge in Dubai.

The PODIUM-backed driver secured pole position for both race one and three during qualifying, before going on to record four podium finishes from his four races.

After leading the early stages of race one, Mawson carded a pair of runner-up placings in the opening two encounters. He then battled with damage to his front wing in race three before crossing the line third.

After starting fourth, Mawson starred in the final 10-lap encounter slotting into second on the opening lap. He then found his way into the lead and drove away to claim the victory by 4.6 seconds.

This race win secured the 26th podium finish from the 35 races he contested throughout 2016.

“All in all it has been a great weekend and fantastic way to end the year,” said Mawson.

“There’s not really any better way to finish off the year, I got a race win and now have the championship lead going into the New Year.

“I really enjoyed the racing across the weekend and the track was great to drive on. It was a good flowing track and reminded me of some of the tracks I used to race on during my karting days.

“Dubai holds some very special memories for me, it was exactly five years ago when I finished on the podium at the Rotax World Karting Finals.”

The victory in race four elevated Mawson to the top of the championship standings. At the half way mark of the four-round championship, he holds a 28-point buffer over Harrison Newey in second.

The next round of the MRF Challenge is in New Delhi on January 26-28.

Australian Joey Mawson secured three podium finishes across four races on debut in the MRF Challenge at the Bahrain International Circuit.

The PODIUM-backed driver qualified second fastest on Friday before securing a pair of podiums with a second and third placing during the opening two encounters.

Saturday’s third race saw Mawson take full advantage of his front row start to lead the way until a Safety Car intervention midway through the race. On the first lap after the restart Ralf Aron got a tow on the back straight allowing him to use the aerodynamic advantage to make a pass. Mawson was then vulnerable to Mick Schumacher in third.

After fending off Schumacher’s challenge, Mawson set about chasing down Aron but was unable to do so in the short amount of laps.

In the final race Mawson was battling for his fourth podium of the weekend before an issue with the gear selector forced him to run wide dropping him to sixth, where he would eventually finish.

“It was a great experience, I feel that I learnt a lot across the weekend,” said Mawson.

“At the start of the weekend we found out that we were using stick shifters instead of paddle shift, so that was very different. Not just for me but for everyone, we all had to adapt quickly.

“I managed to come away with three podiums out of four races, it would have been nice to have had a win but to be right up there and show some really good speed is very pleasing.

“It was great to have some good close racing and I’m looking forward to the next round.”

After the first of four rounds, Mawson is third in the Championship standings on 61 points. Mick Schumacher leads on 75 ahead of Ralf Aron on 72.

The next event is in three weeks time (December 8-10) in Dubai.

Australian Joey Mawson has gained a surprise opportunity to compete in the MRF Challenge.

The four-event Championship will see the PODIUM-backed driver compete alongside the final round of the World Endurance Championship in Bahrain this weekend.

He will then tackle the Dubai circuit on December 8-10 ahead of the penultimate event in New Dehli on January 27-29 and the final event in Chennai on February 17-19.

Competing aboard a Dallara Formula 3 chassis powered by a 2.0-litre Mountune 250hp Duratec engine, the MRF Challenge will provide Mawson with a solid grounding towards his plans of competing in the European Formula 3 Championship in 2017.

“To compete in the MRF Challenge is a great opportunity, one that really came out of nowhere but one that I’m also really excited about,” said Mawson.

“It’s a great way to get accustomed to a Formula 3 car while learning some new circuits.

“Over the past four years it has developed into a great ‘Summer’ Series for drivers who are in a similar position as me looking to make the progression into Formula 3.”

All entries in the MRF Challenge are centrally prepared and managed, similar to what Mawson experienced while competing in the 2013 French Formula 4 Championship.

“Having everything centrally managed removes the need to be in the best team with the best equipment. Everything is equal and it comes down to working closely with the mechanics you’ve got and making the most of every opportunity,” said Mawson.

“Racing in France was a great experience and I learnt a lot, not only about the cars but myself also. I’m really looking forward to the opening event this weekend.”

This weekend’s event will be the first time Mawson has visited the Middle East since taking victory in the final round of the 2012 CIK-FIA World Under 18 Karting Championship.

Practice begins on Thursday morning ahead of qualifying in the afternoon. Friday’s action will be highlighted by a pair of races before the round is concluded with races three and four on Saturday.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Local Time
Thursday November 17
11:00 Free Practice 1
12:30 Free Practice 2
14:15 Qualifying

Friday November 18
10:40 Warm-Up
13:40 Race 1
16:10 Race 2

Saturday November 19
9:45 Race 3
11:55 Race 4

AEDT
Thursday November 17
17:00 Free Practice 1
20:30 Free Practice 2
22:15 Qualifying

Friday November 18
18:40 Warm-Up
21:40 Race 1
00:10 (Sat) Race 2

Saturday November 19
17:45 Race 3
19:55 Race 4

Australian Joey Mawson will make his debut on English soil when he competes in the British Formula 3 Autumn Trophy event at the Snetterton circuit this weekend.

The recently crowned 2016 German Formula 4 Champion will join the Douglas Motorsport outfit in a one-off appearance. He fills the seat that has been held by Thomas Randle throughout the year while his fellow Australian competes in an event in Spain.

The PODIUM-backed driver who won ten races on route to the German Championship is excited about the opportunity to compete in England this weekend.

“The opportunity came as a bit of a surprise, mentally I had already started to focus on the off season and onto winter testing. Now it’s quickly back to focusing on a race weekend,” said Mawson.

“It’s a great opportunity to be back in a car again and have a race meeting while learning a new track at the same time.”

The British Formula 3 cars are of a similar specification to the machines Mawson has campaigned during the past two years, with the major difference being a larger powerplant and more aerodynamics.

“I’ve never driven the BRDC Formula 3 car before, although there are some things that will be familiar like the Pirelli tyres,” said Mawson.

“It will be nice to drive a slightly faster car as I prepare for the next step in my career during 2017.”

Jamie Caroline, who won a race at the final round of the British Formula 4 Championship, will be alongside Mawson in the Douglas Motorsport garage.

Mawson will head to England from his base in the Netherlands on Wednesday before hitting the Snetterton circuit for the first time on Thursday.

The weekend format includes a qualifying session and two races on both Saturday and Sunday. The grid for the first race is set in qualifying order, with starting positions for race two of each day set by the fastest laps from race one.

Live Timing from the event will be available by clicking here (link: http://www.britishf3.com/)

Fresh from victory in the ADAC German Formula 4 Championship, Australian Joey Mawson has spent the past two days testing aboard a Formula 3 at Monza, Italy.

In an impressive run, Mawson traded fastest times with 2016 Formula Renault Eurocup and NEC Champion Lando Norris for the majority of the test.

The two-day hit out with the Van Amersfoort Racing outfit has left the PODIUM-backed driver eager to make the next step in his flourishing career.

“I got a bit of a taste of an F3 car last year in a test day but it was wet for the majority of the day, now with two full days in dry conditions I feel like I was really able to show some good potential,” said Mawson.

“The cars themselves are about 10 seconds a lap faster than the F4 cars I’ve been racing but I feel as though I adapted very well.

“To be able to mix it with drivers who had more F3 experience than me at the top of the timesheets was very pleasing.  It was also great to be able to work with the team on improving the car during the day.

“During the test I was able to refine my technique and I really felt comfortable by the end of the two days.”

While his 2017 plans are still to be confirmed, Mawson is keen to make the step into Formula 3 next year.

“Formula 3 is definitely the aim for 2017.  It’s now about getting everything in order to make that happen,” said Mawson.

Mawson will return to his base in the Netherlands tomorrow for several weeks before heading back to Australia for Christmas with his family in mid December.