EuroFormula Open front-runner Sean Walkinshaw raced to an impressive career-best fifth place finish at the Hungaroring over the weekend, 5th/6th July, before adding another top 10 result in the second of the event’s two races to extend his recent unbroken run of points scores.
Off the back of a best-yet top four qualifying performance during the round seven session on Saturday, where an excellent lap of 1m39.125 seconds (159.108 km/h) earned a richly deserved second row start for race one, the 20-year-old was in fine form at the wheel of his Dallara F312.
Making a good getaway at the beginning of the opening encounter the second year F3 racer had to be cautious at the first corner after a rival got it wrong under braking, so Sean emerged from the turn in fifth position having run slightly deeper than planned on the outside line.
More drama ensued just behind, though, when a two-car tangle led to the deployment of the Safety Car. When the action resumed on lap six, the Chipping Norton racer made a clean re-start and then pounced for fourth position when John Simonyan ran wide on the exit of Turn One.
Keeping his rival at bay until the closing stages of the race, the Russian attacked on the brakes into the first corner on lap 16 and momentarily got ahead but Sean smartly allowed Simonyan to go through, before making a neat cut-back to regain fourth place.
Midway through the lap, though, Simonyan managed to edge past again but as he cut the chicane the subsequent delay for Sean enabled Sandy Stuvik to slice past as well, dropping the Oxfordshire racer to sixth. Simonyan did receive a drive-through penalty for the misdemeanour, however, late in the race meaning Sean took the chequered flag on lap 19 in fifth place – a superb result.
“Everything almost went to plan on Saturday”, said the Campos Racing driver, “I managed to put all my best sectors together in qualifying to put us up there, we always knew on Friday we had the pace to do it.
“The race was OK but, unfortunately, when [John] Simonyan overtook me he cut the chicane and slowed me down which allowed [Sandy] Stuvik to pass. Simonyan got punished but it’s a shame it enabled Stuvik to get by as I think I would have held him off, we could have been fourth.”
Sunday’s action wasn’t at all straightforward for Sean as he struggled with flu symptoms, making concentration and the actual physical exertion a real challenge. In round eight qualifying he was little more than 0.3 seconds shy of the top five, but had to settle for 15th on the grid. After a good start to the race, he safely threaded his way through Turn One and made good early gains to climb into 13th.
Running close behind Henrique Baptista, the Campos driver piled on the pressure and on lap three passed the Brazilian for 12th place. Gaining two more positions over the course of the next three laps, Sean broke into the points-paying top 10 and remained there to the chequered flag on lap 19 where he crossed the finish line within just 0.8 seconds of Gerardo Nieto.
“Sunday was damage limitation because of the flu, I was struggling physically and mentally”, added Sean, “Qualy was hard and it was difficult to focus, so hard to put a lap together. The race was OK, I tried really hard to get in the points and managed to so I was happy. After overtaking [Henrique] Baptista I just settled into the pack, it was quite hard to overtake after that – just follow the leader.
“Overall, I was pretty happy with the weekend and it was obviously great to get my best result of the season. I’m glad every weekend we are getting stronger and stronger and finishing higher and higher up the order. Hopefully we can continue that momentum at Silverstone.”
Following the weekend’s action in Hungary, Sean has climbed into equal 11th position in the driver standings and is within just a couple of points of the coveted top 10. Next on the calendar for the EuroFormula Open is a visit to the Briton’s ‘home’ track, Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, on 19th/20th July for rounds nine and 10 of the season.
Provisional 2014 EuroFormula Open Standings (after Rd8):
=11th Sean Walkinshaw & Nicolas Pohler, 24pts
Provisional 2014 Spanish F3 Championship Standings (after Rd4):
10th Sean Walkinshaw, 13pts