Joel survived a wet and action-packed opening FIA F3 European Championship race at the Nürburgring, clinching the final point on offer for tenth place.
Conditions were at their worst at the beginning of the race, with rainfall continuing to soak the track over the first ten laps.
From 12th on the grid, Joel initially dropped down the order after getting tagged into a 360-degree spin by Harrison Newey in the Mercedes Arena, but he later fought back in the closing stages as the weather improved.
Over the final few tours, Joel was among the fastest cars on track, lapping quicker than anybody else inside the top ten except eventual race winner Lando Norris on his way to tenth place.
Up front, Jake Hughes and Joey Mawson – one of Joel’s 2015 ADAC Formula 4 title rivals – completed the podium.
Next session: Qualifying 2, 16.50 local time (GMT+02:00).
Comment, Joel:
“It was a difficult race, especially in the beginning when the spray made it very hard to see and the grip was at its lowest. Once I got past Harrison Newey towards the end, the pace was actually very good and I was among the fastest out there at that point. Obviously tenth is not something I’m thrilled about, but I think we can take some positives away from this race nonetheless. If it’s wet in qualifying this afternoon, we should be much better placed than yesterday.”
RESULTS – Race 1
