THERE was champagne and smiles all round for Dunmow’s Alex Lynn as he picked up his first win of the season at Brands Hatch last weekend.

Dunmow Broadcast: The 19-year-old was in inspired form as he created history by becoming the first man to qualify on pole for all three events of an FIA European F3 race weekend.The 19-year-old was in inspired form as he created history by becoming the first man to qualify on pole for all three events of an FIA European F3 race weekend. (Image: Audi Communications Motorsport)

The 19-year-old was in peerless form in qualifying as he claimed pole position for all three races – the first time this has been done in FIA European F3 history – although he was unable to convert them into a hat-trick of lights to flag victories.

Speaking after his maiden European F3 victory, Lynn said: “It feels really good to get my first win of the year and now I just want to continue doing the best job I can to get some more victories.

“Qualifying was just one of those days where I had a good feeling about it, that it was going to be a good day to go driving, and everything went absolutely perfectly.”

In the second event on Saturday the Prema Powerteam driver was passed by fast-starting teammate Raffaele Marciello at the first corner and trailed the Italian until the chequered flag.

Confidence high from a victory and second-place finish, Lynn went into the final race on Sunday once again looking to hold off the Ferrari junior driver at a circuit known for its lack of overtaking opportunities.

But the Dunmow man was unable to do so as Marciello swept around the outside of turn one and completed the move just before Druids. Lynn managed to stay with him up until lap 15 when a lapse of concentration saw him spin at Paddock Hill Bend.

He was then forced to retire when his Mercedes-powered Dallara was damaged after being clipped by another car while it was stationary in the run up to Druids.

Lynn added: “I’m quite disappointed and fairly annoyed with the way the whole weekend’s gone because I didn’t come away with the results I was looking for. If you start first in all three races the goal is to win, so it’s a bit of a shame.

“In race three I just wanted to get back close to Marciello because I knew the only chance I had to overtake him was going to be when we hit traffic, but I just made a mistake going into that corner.”

Championship leader Marciello went on to win race three but he was later disqualified after stewards found a technical infringement with his car. That promoted second-placed Lucas Auer – the nephew of former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger – to the top step of the podium and Brit Harry Tincknell to runner-up.

It still leaves the Italian 77.5 points clear of Felix Rosenqvist in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship – with Lynn a 4th on 119.5 points. Next up the drivers head to the Red Bull Ring in Austria on the weekend of May 31-June 2.