MAY 15, 2002

Enge wins overshadowed Formula 3000 in Austria

TOMAS ENGE, who has hopes of getting back into Formula 1 next year, won a dominant victory in the A1 Ring Formula 3000 race, leading home his Arden International team mate Bjorn Wirdheim, who made a good start to go from fourth on the grid to second at the start, passing Mario Haberfeld (Astromega) and Giorgio Pantano (Coloni). Haberfeld was also able to pass Pantano while championship contender Sebastien Bourdais spun out on the first lap after a poor qualifying.

The order at the front remained unchanged although Pantano put considerable pressure on Haberfeld in the closing laps. Early in the race David Saelens (European Minardi) ran fifth but he dropped out with mechanical trouble leaving the place to go to local ace Patrick Freisacher (Red Bull Junior Team). The top six was completed by Enrico Toccacelo (Coloni).

Antonio Pizzonia and Ricardo Sperafico were next up in their Petrobras Junior Team entries while Australia's Rob Nguyen (Astromega) did a remarkable job to finish ninth in what was only his 13th ever motor race - including karts -and the top 10 was rounded off by Denmark's Nicholas Kiesa.

Enge now leads the championship with 17 points, the same score as Pantano with Rodrigo Sperafico (Durango), who finished only 12th in Austria, third with 16 points. Bourdais if fourth with 14 points and Haberfeld fifth with 12.