New Zealand motorsport has witnessed a golden moment with Mitch Evans crowned GP3 champion for 2012 in the most dramatic fashion. Auckland-born Evans started the critical sprint race at the back of the grid after retiring from the feature race at Monza.
Evans was well up into the points when he suffered a rear tyre puncture. The puncture forced Evans to pit and he was stuck in 20th, well behind the leaders, Daniel Abt and Tio Ellinas who were duelling for the lead. Abt had to win to take the championship but his tyres faded in the lead and Cypriot Ellinas passed him at the end to win the final race of the GP3 season.
In the end, Evans finished level on points with Abt but took out the title on countback of wins.
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| Mike Thackwell |
It has been rather quiet on the New Zealand motorsport front in recent times with Scott Dixon leading the way in America in the Indycar series but there hasn't been a Kiwi driver in Formula 1 since Mike Thackwell raced in the 1984 German Grand Prix. Hopefully Mitch Evans could end that drought - and he certainly has one accolade on his CV that could help him get a drive in F1 in the near future.
For now though, Evans and New Zealand motorsport should celebrate a very glorious moment.
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