Castrol sponsored John Bryant-Meisner returns to ATS Formula 3 Cup podium

Castrol sponsored John Bryant-Meisner took to the podium at this weekend’s ATS Formula 3 Cup round at EuroSpeedway Lausitz, as he came home third in the concluding race on Sunday afternoon to bounce back from a challenging start to events at the German venue.

Setting off from third on the grid in the opening race of the weekend, Bryant-Meisner put in a solid drive and was on course for a podium as he began the final lap. Having suffered from gradually deteriorating engine problems from the midway stages onwards, however, a lack of straightline speed eventually transformed Bryant-Meisner into a sitting duck as championship leader Marvin Kirchhöfer and American Gustavo Menezes eased past just fractions from the end, leaving the Swede a disappointed fifth. 

In the following Race 2, Bryant-Meisner again looked set for a strong result as he worked his way into an early lead. By lap six, the battle for victory had turned into a duel between Bryant-Meisner and Masters of Formula 3 podium finisher Emil Bernstorff – a duel that would come to a dramatic end. As they disputed the lead, the duo made contact at the 180 km/h Turn 1, with Bernstorff being launched into a series of barrel rolls before coming to an upside-down halt in the adjacent gravel trap. Both drivers were unhurt, but retired on the spot.

Things would finally change for the better in the third and concluding race of the weekend, however, as Bryant-Meisner steered his Performance Racing Dallara across the line to finish third following an entertaining five-way scrap for the premium positions. 

“It’s a great feeling to finally be back on the podium – it’s been a while,” says John Bryant-Meisner. “We have had a few problems – and our fair share of bad luck – this summer, but the pace has been strong throughout the season and this was exactly what we needed at this stage of the year. We had the potential to finish on the podium in all three of the races this weekend, and even though it’s obviously frustrating not to achieve that, this still marked a step in the right direction. Now, we have to make sure we continue to make progress, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to challenge near the front throughout the rest of the campaign.”

The penultimate ATS Formula 3 Cup round of the season takes place during the up-coming DTM event at Oschersleben on September 13-15.