Max Hart has moved from 15th to fifth in the drivers’ championship after a win and a second place at Hockenheimring, after qualifying an impressive third on Saturday as Target Competition found the sweet spot at the German circuit.

Hart’s first win came after a troubled start to the season, lacking pace in Portugal, and then running outside of the points in Belgium, the Irishman’s season has been turned around after his star performance in Germany.

Hart stayed on track, running the same front slicks/wet rear combination as most of the field, passing the spinning cars of Ruben Volt and Jimmy Clairet to snatch third as the rain came, before rising to second when Marco Butti’s MM Motorsport Honda spun off behind the safety car at the end of the final lap.

“The strategy was initially right, and then when the rain started to come, the right strategy was full wets which Jelmini got right and that paid off for him,” said Hart.

“It was certainly about staying out of trouble, as we saw in the first few laps, a lot of people were locking up and going off, so I needed to make sure that didn’t happen to me. When Marco came past me I saw he had good pace so I tried to follow him, and then in the last few laps the safety car came out when a few more cars came off.

“My handbrake became my best friend as I think I used that three or four times on the last few laps and that saved me quite a few times.

“I want to keep this momentum going, I’m up ten positions in the championship since Friday, so if I can keep this going it’s great for my confidence, and great for my sponsors.”