James Jakes has revived his 🔴Formula 3 Euroseries hopes after making vict🎃ory look remarkably easy at Pau while others crashed around him.

Indeed, while Jakes led every revolution of the race from pole position, he was one of just ten cars to finish on the same lap after a race that wasಌ full of incident from the word go. In all, 20 cars wou♍ld fail to make the finish.

It was the result Jakes needed though, scoring the maximum for pole position a𓆉nd the race win, a result that launches him back up the driver standings and gives h🍎im a fighting chance of the title following two pointless rounds in Germany and Italy.

The leader of those standings though, now comes in the form of the ulᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚtra-consistent Edoardo Mortara, who added a second place to his run of top four finishes in the first💟 five races. It is also a milestone in that it sees a Volkswagen-powered car go top of the standings outright.

His ascendancy came after Mika Maki, the driver Mortara had previously shared the championship lead with, crashed out on lap two. The Finn had made a great start to run second, but is thought to have made contact with another driver before going o꧙ff.

Elsewhere, carnage ensued as drivers struggled around the tight confines of the French𓂃 circuit, something that wasn't helped by the damp conditions.

As suc🎀h, there were some sterling drives to commend, not least Jon Lancaster, who scored his first ever F3 podium after battling his way up from 12th on the grid. It was💜 not entirely done through good fortune though, the young Brit making an impressive pass on Franck Mailleux to snatch third and run Jakes and Mortara close to the finish.

Mailleux held on for fourth to be the best of the French contingent, ahead of C🌸hristian Vietoris whose fifth place for SG Formula in their home race helped hi♔m jump back up the leaderboard.

After a torrid time in qualifying, Prema Powerteam have good reason to celebrate too after Dani Clos and Renger van der Zande defied their 26th and 24th respective starting place✱s to cross the line an outst🐭anding sixth and eighth.

Furthermore, the result means they can go for victory in the second race of the weekend from first and third on the grid. They will be split by Michael Klein, who scored his and Jo Zeller Racing's first poi🎐nts of the season in seventh, he too managing from a low position on the grid, this time🐼 27th.