Pasma survives restart to beat Leclerc in third FREC Imola race

Photo: ACI Sport

KIC Motorsport’s Patrik Pasma took his second Formula Regional European Championship victory of the day at Imola by beating Prema’s Arthur Leclerc in race three.

Leclerc initially got the better launch but was unable to find a way past Pasma at the start. The duo then pulled away from the rest of the pack and seemed set to continue that way until the end.

That was until Gillian Henrion spun off on his own fluid at Acque Minerali after something appeared to fail. He was running in eighth at the time.

Leclerc had no answer for Pasma on the restart with five of the 30 minutes remaining. Pasma led Leclerc, who lost his championship lead on Sunday morning when a throttle sensor issue put him out of the lead, to the flag.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Pierre-Louis Chovet rounded out the podium, beating championship leader Gianluca Petecof, who has had his lead slashed to just two points over Leclerc going into the finale at Vallelunga.

Dennis Hauger took fifth for VAR after a lengthy scrap with KIC’s Konsta Lappalainen. Hauger looked to pass several times before the safety car, before a lunge into Variante Alta on the first lap after the restart.

Lappalainen spun round after being forced wide, dropping him down the order. The incident was reviewed but no action was deemed necessary.

On the opening lap, DR Formula’s Ian Rodriguez – who sensationally won the first race of the weekend – spun at the same spot in an unforced error from third.

Hauger led home Rasmussen, who stays in the title hunt with sixth. DR Formula’s Emidio Pesce came home seventh, ahead of Lappalainen and Rodriguez after their respective errors. Rodriguez was able to regain some of the spots he had lost once the safety car came in.

Prema’s Jamie Chadwick came home in tenth after a miserable start and battles with KIC’s Nicola Marinangeli, who came home 11th and last after running wide at Rivazza early in the race.

Race results (19 laps)