Press

BWT HWA RACELAB left round two of the FIA Formula 2 Championship in Spielberg, Austria, empty-handed. Giuliano Alesi (France) showed potential, but was unable to hit top form in what were difficult conditions at times. Team-mate Artem Markelov (Russia) was unlucky and was only able to take part in race two.

• 21st and 15th place for Giuliano Alesi, DNS and 16th place for Artem Markelov
• Giuliano Alesi: "The way we are working together gives me hope."
• Artem Markelov: "The improvements were not enough."
• Thomas Strick: “We must continue to work hard."

Round two of the FIA Formula 3 Championship in Spielberg, Austria, saw HWA RACELAB driver Jake Hughes (Great Britain) in contention for victory in Sunday's race, until he was the innocent victim of a collision that resulted in his retirement. Hughes had previously taken tenth place in difficult weather conditions on Saturday, ensuring the team from Affalterbach at least left the Styrian Mountains with a point to its name.

• 10th place and DNF for Jake Hughes, 15th and 13th for Enzo Fittipaldi, 22nd and 20th for Jack Doohan
• Jake Hughes: "We deserved to win."
• Enzo Fittipaldi: "We now know what we have to do to iron out our weaknesses."
• Jack Doohan: "The issues in qualifying were symbolic of the whole weekend."
• Thomas Strick: "When you look at our pace, we could have done much better."

Giuliano Alesi (France) presented BWT HWA RACELAB with its first points in race one of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. He took full advantage of the team's clever race strategy at the season-opener in Spielberg, Austria, finishing sixth after an impressive fightback. Technical issues meant the team came away empty-handed from Sunday's sprint race.

• 6th place and DNF for Giuliano Alesi, DNF and 18th place for Artem Markelov
• Giuliano Alesi: "We must now take the positives from this weekend and continue to work hard."
• Artem Markelov: "The strategy in race one on Saturday was excellent."
• Thomas Strick: "We have a lot of work ahead of us over the coming days."

HWA RACELAB experienced a weekend of highs and lows at the opening round of the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship in Spielberg, Austria. Newcomer Enzo Fittipaldi (Brazil) finished ninth in race two on Sunday, ensuring he at least picked up a few points after suffering technical issues at the season-opener.

• 18th and 9th place for Enzo Fittipaldi, 14th and DNF for Jack Doohan, 28th and 12th for Jake Hughes
• Enzo Fittipaldi: "The car was very good today. Thank you to the whole team!"
• Jake Hughes: "Few were quicker than us today."
• Jack Doohan: "We must now keep our chin up and stay focussed."
• Thomas Strick: "We have to improve as a team in general."

The joint Formula 2 and Formula 3 pre-season tests at Bahrain International Circuit produced promising results for HWA RACELAB. With almost three weeks until the season kicks off at the same venue, the drivers with the Affalterbach-based team set fast times, suggesting they will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming season.

• Formula 3 drivers Hughes and Doohan set the second and third fastest times of the test
• Formula 2 drivers Markelov and Alesi each finish in the top three in individual sessions
• Artem Markelov: "We have made progress with the set-up of the car."
• Giuliano Alesi: "HWA feels like a second home to me."
• Enzo Fittipaldi: "We are heading in the right direction as we approach the start of the season."
• Jake Hughes: "Having two quick team-mates is always a positive thing."
• Jack Doohan: "We have created a good foundation over the past few days."
• Thomas Strick: "If we approach every race weekend in this way, we can look forward to a successful season."