Canadian set to intensify Euro F3 Championship challenge in the Netherlands

FIA European Formula 3 Championship leader Lance Stroll arrives in the Netherlands for the next three races that are staged this weekend (16-17 Jul) as undoubtedly the current dominant force in the series. The Canadian teenager has recorded four wins and three second places in the last seven races having started his Prema Powerteam Dallara F312-Mercedes from the front row of the grid on all but one occasion.Stroll begins the first race at Circuit Park Zandvoort on Saturday with a healthy 86-point championship lead but is fully aware that with 15 races to run, offering a maximum of 375pts, he must remain fully focussed and totally committed in an attempt to win a third championship title in as many years after claiming the 2014 Italian Formula 4 Championship and 2015 Toyota Racing Series.Lance, who has led the ultra-competitive series since mid-May, achieved three top-seven placings on his Zandvoort debut last year. Stroll has notched up 14 top-nine point-scoring finishes, including nine podiums, from this year’s opening 15 races. The 4.307km Zandvoort track is situated in the North Sea dunes, 30mins from the capital city of Netherlands, Amsterdam. The race track dates back to the 1930s and held the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix between 1948 to 1985.“I currently have a good championship lead but it’s not good enough – that advantage can easily disappear. There are another five weekends to go so it’s a case of staying totally focussed and taking one corner at a time, one lap, one race, one weekend at a time. I’m looking forward to returning to Zandvoort having really enjoyed my first races there last year. It’s real ‘old school’ and I like the fact that there is no run-off [areas] meaning if you make a mistake and go off, you have to pay for it – what I’d call a ‘man’s’ circuit. I’m gaining experience with every race but always looking to improve, aiming for more in each area to step up my game with the experience I gain with every race weekend.”