Trident driver Alessio Lorandi described a safety car quirk during GP3’s Austria feature race as a “high-tension moment” after momentarily dropping from second to outside of the top 10.
Lorandi passed Jake Hughes from third on the grid early on to place behind polesitter Callum Ilott, but as Joey Mawson retired on the opening lap around the pit exit area on the right-hand side of the track, a safety-car period was called and all drivers were instructed to drive through the pitlane.
On lap two, Lorandi followed the order but was the only person to do so, dropping places before being told he could regain his position before the restart two laps’ later.
“It was unbelievable,” Lorandi said in the post-race press conference.
“It was a high-tension moment because it was a safety car but on the steering wheel it was a virtual safety car, so this was already the first mess.
“It came very late, and we were coming through the second-to-last corner because there was the yellow arrow, because of the crash on the straight, so I followed the rule to the letter.
“Best kid in school, you know.
“My team manager’s telling me the same, to go through the pits, and then I saw Callum go but I thought “okay, I’m just going to do what the rule says” and then I saw the other guys not following when I turned in.
“And I thought, “ah, I’m last, this is not happening” but luckily we pushed to get me back to where I needed to be because I didn’t do anything wrong, it was just a misunderstanding from everybody and I was in the right side – for once in a while!”
Lorandi was later passed by Leonardo Pulcini for second as he lost time throughout the race, but held on from pressure from Hughes and Trident team-mate Pedro Piquet for his first podium of the campaign.
He also described his result as “strange” after a tough start to the year.
Lorandi completed the fewest laps of any permanent driver during testing at Paul Ricard, Jerez and Barcelona, setting 37 laps over four days at the latter, before finishing 11th and 16th in races there.
On top of this, he has recently been driving injured and joked that this may be a lucky charm.
“It’s strange,” he added.
“After two rounds, as well.
“The aim is to get points now after Barcelona, which went the other way and what happened in testing with the engine blowing up.
“So it seems that, after breaking my collarbone, I’ve been going faster so I might break the other one over the summer!”
Lorandi moved up to seventh in the drivers’ standings with the result, 32 points adrift of points leader Ilott.
