Championship goes down to the wire

The German Formula 3 Championship will go down to the wire at Hockenheim on October 29 following a meagre points scoop by series leading Giorgio Pantano (Dallara/Opel) from last weekend's Nurburgring races. A lowly eighth place finish in the first, Saturday, race was all that the leader could manage and when coupled with an 11th place and no points from the Sunday race, it meant that the series will still be alive for the final races.

Attention instead switched to the battle for second place in the championship at the Nurburgring. Alexander Muller (Dallara/Honda) was deposed from that position by Pierre Kaffer (Dallara/Opel) winner of the Saturday race, with Muller slipping back t fourth position behind Andre Lotterer (Dallara/Opel) after a ninth place finish in the Sunday race was all be could rescue from his trip to the Eifel circuit.

<pre> Race 1 (18 laps)

1 Pierre Kaffer   Dallara/Opel  28:24.462
2 Frank Diefenbacher  Dallara/Opel  28:31.566
3 Andre Lotterer  Dallara/Opel  28:32.380
4 Toshihiro Kaneishi (J) Dallara/Opel  28:32.664
5 Patrick Friesacher  Dallara/Opel  28:41.301
6 Enrico Toccacelo (I)  Dallara/Opel  28:42.390

Race 2 (18 laps)

1 Enrico Toccacelo (I)  Dallara/Opel  31:03.659
2 Toshihiro Kaneishi (J) Dallara/Opel  31:04.350
3 Val Hillebrand  Dallara/Opel  31:08.640
4 Tony Schmidt  Dallara/Opel  31:08.867
5 Armin Pornbacher  Dallara/Opel  31:17.967
6 Martin Tomczyk  Dallara/Opel  31:20.906

German Formula 3 - after 18 rounds:

1 Giogrio Pantano (I)  Dallara/Opel  183 points
2 Pierre Kaffer   Dallara/Opel  160
3 Andre Lotterer  Dallara/Opel  151
4 Alexander Muller  Dallara/Honda 146
5 Enrico Toccacelo (I)  Dallara/Opel  125
6 Stefan Mucke  Dallara/Opel  113