Dubai-based British driver Ed Jones is confident of challenging for the top positions when round two of the FIA Formula 3 Championship gets under way at Hockenheim in Germany this weekend, from May 2-4.
Jones had a mixed weekend at Silverstone on the weekend of April 18-19, finishing among the top 10 in all three qualifying races and picking up points in Races 1 and 2 before being pushed down the order in Race 3 after the car behind him clipped the rear right wheel of his Dallara F312.
However, despite spinning off following the collision, Jones managed to finish 15th and eventually ended round one in ninth overall in the standings.
The 19-year-old Brit is coming off a strong 2013 season which saw him win the European F3 Open Championship title, place third in the national class of the British F3 Championship and finish just outside the top 10 in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup.
The Carlin driver is now looking to challenge for the top positions in his first full European F3 campaign, and told Sport360° ahead of the weekend races: “After the strong showing in Silverstone I am looking forward to Hockenheim this weekend.
“I have done a lot of preparation work with the team to ensure that from first free practice we are up to speed and able to challenge for the top positions.
“I am confident that the team and I have made progress with the car after Silverstone.”
Having worked on the car since Silverstone, the Carlin driver is keen to see how the Volkswagen engine on his Dallara performs this weekend.
“It will be interesting to see how our Volkswagen engine performs compared to the other manufacturers at Hockenheim as the characteristics of the track are very different to Silverstone.
“In addition, the weekend may be quite mixed up as the forecast looks like there could be some rain coming.
“Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to the weekend and am prepared for every situation,” added Jones.
Jones will face some stiff competition from not just the established drivers but rookies like Esteban Ocon and Antonio Fuoco, who were on the podium in round one.
While Ocon and Fuoco have got some car-racing experience under their belts, Max Verstappen, who was classified second overall at Silverstone in Race 3, is racing a single-seater for the very first time.
The 16-year-old Dutchman advanced to the Formula 3 European Championship as Kart World Champion and is also a two-time Kart European Champion.
