Shin dominates Euroformula’s Hockenheim opener as title rivals clash

Photo: Fotospeedy

Motopark’s Michael Shin dominated Euroformula’s first race at Hockenheim to boost his title ambitions.

Free practice took place on Friday, with a dry morning session and wet afternoon one. Motopark’s Yevan David set a 1m34.136s to lead BVM Racing’s Tymek Kucharczyk by 0.196 seconds in FP1, with Motopark’s Jose Garfias and Shin trailing by 0.242s and 0.364s in third and fourth.

Shawn Rashid (Nielsen Racing) and Paolo Brajnik (NV Racing) were absent, then Shin and Brajnik did not set any laptimes in FP2. David was fastest again in that session, a 1m46.769s putting him 1.511s clear of Garfias.

Kucharczyk went straight to the top in qualifying on Saturday morning, setting a 1m39.007s on a damp track. Five minutes in red flags waved as Garfias went off at turn 13, then after the restart Motopark’s Diego de la Torre made a big improvement to 1m34.2s.

Rashid became the next driver to lap in the 1m34s, before Motopark’s Fernando Barrichello went from ninth to second with a 1m34.344s. His team-mates Everett Stack and Shin broke the 1m35s barrier with five-and-a-half minutes to go, then Shin went fastest with a 1m33.999s.

Stack improved again, to 1m34.141s, but he and Shin were down to fifth and sixth with three minutes left of qualifying as Kucharczyk lowered the pace to 1m32.851s and de la Torre, David and Nielsen’s Ed Pearson all lapped in the 1m33s.

De la Torre reduced Kucharczyk’s advantage to 0.091s two minutes from the end, David set a 1m33.41s in third and Shin set a personal best of 1m33.679s in fourth. Just before the chequered flag, Shin took third with a 1m33.383s.

There was drama before race one began as de la Torre’s car emitted smoke then stopped on track before reaching the grid. Kucharczyk was therefore alone on the front row, while Barrichello stalled on the formation lap so started from the back.

The poleman was behind Shin and David before turn one, but reclaimed second down the inside of the turn six hairpin then ran side-by-side with David until the straight between turns 10 and 11. There they made contact, with Kucharczyk’s rear-right tyre deflating while David’s front wing got damaged. Both pitted for repairs.

Shin was 2.75s clear by the end of lap one, with Pearson inheriting second before going off on lap two and falling behind Stack and Garfias. While Shin built a 20s lead over the course of the 18-lap race, Stack had his mirrors filled.

On lap eight Garfias dived past him at turn six but went deep so Stack drove straight back past. He then had to get defensive on lap 11, which brought Pearson and Barrichello into the fight.

Garfias made his hairpin move again on lap 12, but Stack reclaimed second at turn seven. They were side-by-side through turn eight on lap 13, and Pearson then passed an aggressively defending Garfias on the run to turn 11.

Despite an off, Rashid joined the pack but positions were held through the remaining laps.

Race results (18 laps)