Dean Stoneman admitted he was blown away by the support he got during his return to single-seater racing, after being one of the stars of the weekend in GP3.
Stoneman made his return to international racing with Koiranen for the Abu Dhabi event, having not competed in single-seaters since he was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the end of 2010.
The former Formula 2 champion had an outstanding weekend at Yas Marina, finishing just 0.293 seconds behind winner Tio Ellinas in race two. The Briton had finished in sixth place in the first race.
An emotional Stoneman, who admitted he had been unsure if he would ever return to international racing, dedicated the results to his family.
“That was awesome. To come here with so little time in the car and get on the podium is more than I was expecting,” said Stoneman.
“The race felt good and I didn’t suffer from the heat as I thought I might.
“This one is really for my family. I know there where times when we didn’t know if we would ever return to international racing again.
“I have also been blown away by the support I have received this weekend from messages from fans, to inside the F1 paddock and many other drivers; this has really means a lot.”
