Publications
Partners
MONZA, Italy - Johannesburg-born teenager Liam Venter has become the first South African single-seater driver to stand on the Monza podium since Jody Scheckter in 1979.
Venter battled through to take an historic podium result during the seventh and penultimate round in the 2013 European Formula 3 Open championship at Monza in Italy last weekend (October 5/6).
BACK ON THE MAP
He is competing with Team West-Tec for 2013 in the highly competitive Copa class but has had a difficult run of events. However he was determined to put that behind him and encouragingly finished strong in practice on Friday, setting the third-fastest time in class in FP3.
Although he then had a few problems in qualifying he still managed to post a time that left him sixth, and from there he stormed through the pack in Race 1 to secure second in his F308 Dallara.
It was the first time a South African single-seater driver had stood on the Monza podium since Jody Scheckter back in 1979, the year of his F1 Drivers' title.
"Saturday was a good day all round," he said. "We had a good start and I kept my nose clean and powered through to P2. It was nice to get back up on the podium, especially at Monza, which is such a famous circuit and has such a great history.
“It is also special to think I am the first South African single-seater driver to stand there in more than 30 years."
Venter will now conclude his campaign in the 2013 European Formula 3 Open championship when the series heads to Barcelona, Spain, for the eighth and final round (November 9/10).
Venter battled through to take an historic podium result during the seventh and penultimate round in the 2013 European Formula 3 Open championship at Monza in Italy last weekend (October 5/6).
BACK ON THE MAP
He is competing with Team West-Tec for 2013 in the highly competitive Copa class but has had a difficult run of events. However he was determined to put that behind him and encouragingly finished strong in practice on Friday, setting the third-fastest time in class in FP3.
Although he then had a few problems in qualifying he still managed to post a time that left him sixth, and from there he stormed through the pack in Race 1 to secure second in his F308 Dallara.
It was the first time a South African single-seater driver had stood on the Monza podium since Jody Scheckter back in 1979, the year of his F1 Drivers' title.
"Saturday was a good day all round," he said. "We had a good start and I kept my nose clean and powered through to P2. It was nice to get back up on the podium, especially at Monza, which is such a famous circuit and has such a great history.
“It is also special to think I am the first South African single-seater driver to stand there in more than 30 years."
Venter will now conclude his campaign in the 2013 European Formula 3 Open championship when the series heads to Barcelona, Spain, for the eighth and final round (November 9/10).
