The GP3 Series headed to France for Rounds 5 & 6 of the Championship on the 22-24 June. Mawson headed the Arden trio in Qualifying, setting the 10th fastest time. Teammates Gabriel Aubry and Julien Falchero set the 18th and 19th best times of the session heading into the first race of the weekend.
Saturday in the opening race of the weekend took place under bright sunshine as the race got underway. All three drivers got away well gained a position from where they started from.
Mawson was battling in the points from the off, having to resist constant pressure from the two ART drivers of Callum Illot and Jake Hughes – especially in the closing stages of the race.
In a rather stagnant race, Mawson managed to hold off his rivals behind to finish in 9th position – scoring two championship points, with teammates Aubry and Falchero finishing in 17th and 18th respectively.
Post-race, following scrutineering – all drivers were promoted two positions in the classification, meaning Mawson finished 7th and would start Race Two from 2nd on the grid, with Aubry and Falchero promoted to 15th and 16th.
Sunday’s partially reversed Race Two saw Mawson drop to 3rd at the start after a fast-starting Pedro Piquet hit the front. Mawson managed to hold his own in the final podium spot for the duration of the race, despite the front pair establishing a small gap ahead.
The Australian held on to the end of the race, crossing the line in 3rd position to take his maiden podium in the GP3 Series, as well as Arden’s first podium of the 2018 season.
Falchero endured a more challenging race, finishing the race in 15th position, with Aubry sadly being unable to finish the race following an opening lap incident.
The GP3 Series heads to the Red Bull Ring in Austria next weekend, in the second leg of a ‘Triple Header’ weekend of racing in the championship on the 29th June – 1st July.