Press Releases - F3 Masters - Macau Feature: Morgan champion as Macieira wins

F3 Masters - Macau Feature: Morgan champion as Macieira wins

Dexter Morgan becomes the F3 Masters champion after closest rival Alex Reis made a massive strategy error under safety car conditions while leading the race and being in a favorable position to win the title... more to follow.

After a choatic mixed conditions race which mixed the field up saw Ivan Kalinin take the win and become the 5th different winner of the season and Alex Reis take adantvage from his fellow contenders mishaps, bringing him just 11 points behind championship leader Dexter Morgan.

Only 3 drivers were capable of winning the title, Alex Reis was in a favorable starting position since the race was set to be dry and Dexter Morgan is all the way down in 12th. Slim chances for Gustav Zatacka who is 18 points behind and is down in 16th.

The race got underway, Kalinin was leading from the Brazilian duo Reis and Macieira but they were so close together in the first couple of laps but close enough for Alex Reis to take charge and lead the race and Macieira followed through after until on Lap 4 safety car was deployed for Aleksanteri Kokkonen who crashed at the Solitude Esses and Honzik Volak Jr. couldn't do anything to avoid him and tear off the left rear suspension of his car. Petter Solberg Jr. the pole sitter for the Sprint Race yesterday was out of the car during the safety car when an electrical fault came through his car, his bad luck got the best of him once again.
On Lap 9, the safety car was deployed once again, Reis pulled away in the lead with his compartiot Macieira behind him, meanwhile things got bad to worse for the Sprint Race winner, tyres went too cold and lost grip, surrendered 3rd to Paolo Nannini into Lisboa, Spa Sprint Race Winner Chloe de St. Germain tried following through and clipped the side of the Russian's car, spun and got collected by Francky Kowlaski who was unforunately unsighted by the carnage.
Szalonna was on the charge, having overtaken Ashley Bell for 5th, tried to get past Kenny Werdheim for 4th the next lap but clipped the side of his radiator and the Swede was leaking coolant, got his right rear tyre wet that he lost grip and spun into the wall, the coolant caught Kalinin out who was carrying damage from his earlier incident with St. Germain and dropped down to 13th. 2 more places for Dexter Morgan who is now 6th, Gustav Zatacka doing bits behind his title rival, Michael Damon Novikov despite being eliminated from the title fight, refused to give up and still chase places.
Dexter Morgan was now into the top 5 with a bold move down the inside of Bell at Turn 2. However the factor that could change the race was when Krystyna Pospisilova squeezed out Ron Scott into Turn 11, broke the front suspension off the American's car and sent him staright into the wall, safety car was instantly called, Alex Reis surprisingly stayed out, so did Szalonna and Morgan who are now into the top 3 but Macieira dived into the pits, so did Nannini, Zatacka dived in too realising this could be his chance with his main rivals staying out, safety car was in on Lap 20 and so was Alex Reis from the lead knowing he made a massive mistake, and was down into the back, Szalonna led from Morgan, Bartolomeu Jarbas, Razor Rushman, St. Germain and Tony Muller who were all due to pit, behind was theortical leader Juca Macieira who doesn't need to pit again. Dexter Morgan took the lead from Szalonna next lap and Jarbas followed him through before pitting. Macieira took the lead from Nannini as soon Morgan and Szalonna pitted but the big news was that despite Alex Reis making up the places all the way into 11th, he was jumped by his main title rival Dexter Morgan who rejoined right in the top 10, it was a massive blow for the young Brazilian but the show was on. With fight for the podium really heating up, Novikov found his way past Ashley Bell until the Aussie found himself becoming a sitting duck, getting mugged off by Zatacka, Sette and Lawley respectively out of the podium, which became a fight for 2nd when Nannini dropped out with mechanical problems. Dexter Morgan was past Szalonna, Nalbandian and was soon approaching the train for the 3rd, with Novikov pulling away from Zatacka. Alex Reis ran out of tyres to attack further and was past by Rushman, another whammy after having the first half of the race under control. Dexter Morgan moved into the top 5 with another move on Ashley Bell. Last 5 laps saw drivers drop out, Csabi Szasz crashed then the next lap Chloe de St. Germain was in the wall, a nasty end to what doesn't take away of what was very consistent and promising season by the young Maiden, Alan Kulwacki was out too and Michael Damon Novikov had a nasty crash into the final corner starting the final lap, brutally ending what a brilliant comeback drive by the young Talented Russian.

The race ended and Macieira took a commanding win to sign off his F3 Masters career, 14 seconds ahead from Gustav Zatacka who recovers to 2nd and takes the runner up spot from Alex Reis, infront of Dexter Morgan who has done more than enough to be champion after a last minute overtake to knock Karina Sette off the podium. Ashley Bell just barely got in the top 5 after pressure from Szalonna, Lawley, Suikkanen, Alex Reis who lost the race along with the title but recovered to 9th, relegating both Nalbandian and Rushman in the end too, Jarbas could only finish 12th, youngsters Pasek and Reckziegel in 13th and 14th respectively and last point goes to Reinhold Hinteregger Jr. despite spinning on the last lap from 13th.

Thank you to what was a very fun season, I was calculate all the results now and hand you in the coins, I'm yet to give you some of the Mr. Reliable awards from last season, sorry about that.

Review will come up soon, stay tuned ;)