Christchurch teenager Marcus Armstrong has won his maiden Formula Three championship race in Hungary, with a lights-to-flag finish.
The Prema Racing driver dominated, after starting from pole position for the reverse grid 22-lap sprint race at the famous Hungaroring at Mogyoród.
He ended up completing the race in just over 35 minutes, beating Italian Leonardo Pulcini by 12s.
The result was an excellent way to bounce back from finishing in eighth place in Saturday's feature race.
Armstrong held off a stern challenge from Pulcini on the first lap, as both drivers fought for position in the opening turns.
"It was an interesting first few corners," Armstrong told the F3 website. "My start was good, so Leo's start must have been pretty spectacular, because he was alongside me at the first corner.
"He did quite a decent job to get round and go side-by-side with me in turn two, but I just put my foot in and kept the position.
"From there, it was a pretty straightforward race - try not to burn the tyres too much. I actually enjoyed it, just driving around.
"It was like I had the whole track to myself. It was good."
Fellow Kiwi Liam Lawson, racing for MP Motorsport, finished ninth.
After the race, Armstrong stood atop the podium, while an instrumental version of 'Gold Defend New Zealand' played around the Hungaroring.
The result was Armstrong's fourth podium finish of the season, which sees him sitting fourth in the standings, with six races remaining.
The Formula Three championship is the third tier of formula racing, as a pathway towards Formula One.
The championship now heads for the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps at Stavelot, Belgium, later this month for round six at the Belgian Grand Prix.
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