Anthoine made his debuts in the GP3 in Barcelona

The three blows

The three blows of the GP3 Championship, which happened since 2010 in Formula 1 curtains up, will ring out in Spain next weekend. Anthoine Hubert will make his debuts in the series on the track of Catalunya, at an accelerator shot from Barcelona. It’s a demanding track; the asphalt is abrasive and regularly submitted to gusts of wind coming from the Mediterranean Sea. “Even though I never raced in Barcelona, I know the track for the many trials I did there”, Anthoine explains, “It’s one of the tracks I drove the most on, so it’s not an unknown land”.

To succeed

Anthoine hammered the Catalan bitumen as for those of Estoril and Valencia for an intense and productive preparation. “On winter, we worked very well in Barcelona with ART Grand Prix. I learned so many things and we optimized our preparation in the time limit. Now, the crucial point will be to adapt quickly and efficiently within the framework of a race meeting! The competition is stiff and we won’t leave anything to chance, but I feel confident to get good results.”

The DRS, a helping hand

For the first time in its history, in 2017, the GP3 exploits the exceedance assistant system, the DRS (Drag Reduction System) which enjoys a great success in Formula 1 and Formula 2. Unlike its older sisters, the GP2 category is allowed to use it only for 6 laps in the first race and 4 laps in the second one. Each driver has to use the DRS wisely... “It’s a strategic choice which complicates a bit more the game of this top level Championship, but it will favour the smartest ones”, Anthoine thinks, “ We’ll have to be ready to take advantage of any opportunities.”

Format of a GP3 weekend

FRIDAY Free sessions: 1 session of 45 minutes. SATURDAY Qualifying sessions: 1 session of 30 minutes, which determines the starting order of the first race. The author of the pole position will be awarded of 4 points. The starting grid of the second race, told “Sprint”, is established by inverting the top 8 of the first race. Thus, the winner of the first race will start from the 8th place of the second race grid, etc. Race 1 “Feature”: 40 minutes maximum. No obligation to stop at the stands nor to change tyres. Points scale credited with top 10: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. The driver who will set the fastest race lap will be awarded of 2 points, provided that he has started the race since the starting grid and he ended it on top 10. SUNDAY Race 2 “Sprint”: 30 minutes maximum. No obligation to stop at the stands nor to change tyres. Points scale credited with top 8: 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. The driver who will set the fastest race lap will be awarded of 2 points, provided that he has started the race since the starting grid and he ended it on top 10.

Schedule

Free sessions	Friday, 4:45 pm
Qualifying sessions	Saturday, 9:45 am
Race 1	Saturday, 5:15 pm
Race 2	Sunday, 9:25 am

You can monitor the whole weekend on the next link: http://www.gp3series.com/Live-Timing/