The Pau Grand Prix has a reputation as the most dramatic and, well, random round of the Formula 3 European Championship.

And its status this season as the opening event meant that everyone in the paddock had pretty much written off any hope of discovering who will be the major 2018 title contenders until round two at the Hungaroring.

But the beauty of the sinuous, narrow streets in the shadow of the snow-capped Pyrenees is that they highlight the driving styles, confidence and ability of the drivers.

About Marcus Simmons

Marcus Simmons is the deputy editor of Autosport magazine. As a child he was a regular on the chalk banks of Thruxton, before becoming an MSA timekeeper at the age of 17. Shortly afterwards, he started reporting for Motoring News and joined the staff in 1990.

After abandoning a parallel Formula First career – which had been as incident-packed as his childhood equestrian exploits – he moved to Autosport in 1996. Since then he has had two stints as a freelance and a brief spell as editor of Motor Sport magazine, during which the revered green cover was revived, before rejoining Autosport in 2008. He lives in Twickenham with his partner, two daughters, cat and guitars.