They were fighting for victory in karts, and now they’re at it hammer and tongs in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in which they top the time sheets! Esteban Ocon, Antonio Fuoco and Max Verstappen laid down a marker in the opening round this weekend.

Esteban Ocon was on pole for race 3 at Silverstone, but he was caught napping by Antonio Fuoco when the lights were extinguished. The Italian, a Ferrari Driver Academy protégé, led the dance from the Frenchman and Tom Blomqvist (Jagonya Ayam with Carlin). In the pack Max Verstappen gave another stunning display of his overtaking skills as he shot past his rivals. First of all he got past Tom Blomqvist on lap 2 and then he closed to gap to Esteban Ocon. He put the young Frenchman under extreme pressure for several laps, and found an opening eleventh time round under the delighted gaze of his dad ‘Jos the Boss.’

After an intensely exciting race all through the field Antonio Fuoco, who never put a foot wrong from start to finish, scored his first win in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. On the podium he was joined by Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon, three rookies who monopolised the first three places today.

“Max, Esteban, and I were rivals in karts so we know one another very well. Max was usually in front, but that’s now evolved,” smiled Fuoco. “Prema Powerteam did a great job and I kept my best tyres for this race. It’s very good for my confidence to win today, all the more so as the next round at Hockenheim is a circuit on which our team generally goes well. It’s a very long championship in which things can change very quickly so it’s important to make a good start.”

Max Verstappen in second place was delighted with his performance. “My first race wasn’t really ideal because I made a bad start. I learned from that and I got things right. Today I’m happy with my second place. I’m here to learn and my main aim this season is to rack up the kilometers. It’s true that I pulled off quite a few overtaking moves this weekend. Above all I showed that I’ve got nothing to envy my rivals in terms of speed.”

With three different winners in the three races and six different drivers on the weekend’s three podiums, the scene has been set for the season. Second in race 1, first in race 2 and third in race 3, Esteban Ocon leaves Silverstone leading the championship from Antonio Fuoco and Tom Blomqvist. The Frenchman from the Lotus Junior F1 Team is keeping a cool head. “It’s been a very good weekend, much better than I’d hoped for. The next round is at Hockenheim where I won my first single-seater race. Prema Powerteam has given us the best possible cars. Whether I’m a rookie or not isn’t the question. I do everything I can to win and I know it’s the same for Max and Antonio.”