Hockenheim European F3: Auer wins finale after Blomqvist duel

Austrian Auer initially challenged Blomqvist on the long run down to the Spitzkehre hairpin, but was on the outside so could not find a way past.

He tried again at the Mercedes Arena, going inside for the tight left-hander and then completing the move by running around the outside on the right-handed exit.

The safety car appeared immediately, and at the restart Blomqvist had a hard look at passing Auer in the Mercedes Arena, but he ran wide, gifting the leading Mucke Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes an advantage of 1.4 seconds.

Within a few laps the gap was out to two seconds and, although Blomqvist made tiny inroads, his attentions then turned towards fighting off the sister Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen of Jordan King.

King had pulled off a great outside pass on the second Mucke car of Felix Rosenqvist at the Mercedes Arena on the opening lap to move up to third, and looked the fastest of the leading trio in the closing stages.

On the penultimate lap he lunged Blomqvist into Spitzkehre, and the Anglo-Swede steered wide to avoid any contact. Even so, third place secured him the runner-up slot in the championship ahead of Max Verstappen.

Rosenqvist spent most of the race fending off a stiff challenge from the Carlin machine of Antonio Giovinazzi for fourth. The Italian tried a move at Mercedes Arena with nine laps remaining but ran wide, allowed Rosenqvist some breathing space.

Verstappen could only progress to sixth from seventh on the grid, but did so via a scintillating wheel-to-wheel battle with champion Esteban Ocon, the duo literally millimetres apart as the Toro Rosso recruit made the move stick at Mercedes Arena halfway through the race.

Sean Gelael settled into a comfortable eighth place, any prospect of a challenge from behind disappearing when Gustavo Menezes, Ed Jones and Roy Nissany got embroiled in a war over ninth.

Jones had just wriggled to the front of this group when Menezes was given a drive-through penalty after stalling on the grid, forcing an aborted start and retaking his position on the grid, while Nissany took a detour through a gravel trap.

Jake Dennis, who had to start each race from the back of the grid due to engine-change penalties, fought his way through to 10^th, only to lose his solitary point to Dennis van de Laar on the final lap.

The safety car was caused when Tatiana Calderon clattered into Felix Serralles at Spitzkehre on the opening lap, the innocent Jules Szymkowiak also being a victim of the incident and having to pit for a new front wing.

Antonio Fuoco didn't even make the start - the Ferrari protege broke his right thumb in his shunt with Dennis in the second race, and is in the paddock with his hand very tightly bandaged.

RESULTS - 21 LAPS:

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER 33 ROUNDS: