To be with ART Grad Prix and in the F3 Euroseries is a big step in my career and I’m very excited to be
with the best team!

It will be my very first year in the series, it’s a tough one and there are a lot of talents out there.
I always want to be first but you have to be realistic and my aim will be to try to learn as much as I can,
to try to win races and hopefully to be the best rookie of the year.

My team-mates will be Jules Bianchi (France), Adrien Tambay (France) and Esteban Manuel Gutierrez (Mexico).

Best regards,
Valtteri

First tests of the autumn were driven in October at Hockenheim, Germany
and I got a lot of touch to the car at rainy and cold Hockenheimring.
The tests were driven with the German Mücke Sport team.
The team was very satisfied to the test day.

The next tests were driven in early November in France at the Magny-Cours
track with a French team, ART-Grand Prix and their car.
I was driving at the Magny-Cours for the first time and already
at the forenoon I was slightly faster than the other driver.
We tested during a rain.
In the afternoon we got to test almost an hour in dry circumstances!

The ART team tests continued November 20 th in Dijon, France.
The track was once again, new for me and I found myself being a bit slower
than Bianchi and Vietori testing together with me at forenoon.
During the afternoon, Dijon curves began to fall into place
and I was 0,2 sec faster than my team mates.
The team was happy about the day because it was the first Formula 3 test
driven on dry track and I beat drivers that have driven the Euroseries
for one season already.

The next tests were 26 th -27 th November in Le Mans, France.
On the spot there was, among others, England’s Formula Renault 2.0
Champion Adam Christodolou. During the first test driven on dry track I was
a second faster than the other guys. I drove with new tires 0,2 sec
under the past summer’s Euroseries pole position time.
Second test day was driven on dry track in the morning and
I improved my best time with 0,6 sec and was over a second faster
than the others. Afternoon’s tests were driven in drizzle and
I was 3 seconds faster than the others.
The team was once again quite satisfied with the day.

I was in full flow and good speed in Nogaro, France tests
on 4th-5th December.
The first day was driven in rain, and on the second test day
we got to drive few hours on dry.
The order was: Bianchi, Bottas, Hartley, Tampay, Mäki…

The tests continued on December 9th in Albacete, Spain.
I was the fasted driver of the rainy day. The following day,
I was one of the fastest drivers of the session driven with old tires.
Unhappily I had a braking mistake at the end of the test session and
it ended in driving off the track. The reparation took that much time that
I didn’t have any time to use the new tire set.
The team was however happy with the test day, driven on dry track.

The Formula 3 is a great car to drive. It has good wings and both
the aerodynamics and brakes are better than in the Formula Renault car.
ART-Grand Prix team has won several European Championships in recent years -
and lately last season – so it’s my number one choise when choosing a team for
the season 2009…

Best regards,
Valtteri

I was the second fastest driver on Friday at the Eurocup tests in Barcelona. In the forenoon I was the fastest one. Top three of the tests: Ricciardo, Bottas, Caldarelli…

Qualifications and Superpole, Saturday forenoon

I was the fastest driver of my own group
at the qualifications.
In the Superpole, we didn’t quite manage to make
the car suitable for half-dry conditions,
and so my starting positions for the races were 11th and 6th.

Race 1, Saturday afternoon

My starting position to the race 1 was 11.
My start went well and I succeeded to
rise up quickly – lap by lap – near the leading battle.
The car functioned well on half-dry, and I won the race
before Hegewald and Caldarelli.

Race 2, Sunday

I started from the 6th place and the start went OK.
I managed to keep my position during the first laps.
I also rose up a couple of positions during the race,
and at the finish line I was 4th.

That was enough for me to win the European Championship 2008!

The team did an amazing job during the whole weekend
and together we wanted to win the European Championship.
Thank You to the Motopark Academy staff members and especially to
the team manager Timo Rumpfkeil – what an amazing team!

Best regards,
Valtteri