Jordan's Track Talk

Category: Formula Three

  • F3 – RND 7 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    As rain began to fall before lights out, all bar Gregoire Saucy started on slicks. Pole sitter Sebastian Montoya kept the lead from pole, while Taylor Barnard surged up to second as he passed Jonny Edgar around the outside of Turn 1.

    Colapinto then passed both in one move, diving down the inside at Village to go from fourth to second. A scruffy run through Maggotts and Becketts allowed Barnard to slot back into second.

    With DRS enabled, Bortoleto was able to put pressure on Mini ahead in fifth position, the Brazilian driver was through on the Hitech driver as he forced a lock-up from the Italian driver into the Vale Chicane.

    The heavy rain arrived on lap 8 and the Safety Car was deployed with all the drivers running slick tyres. Dino Beganovic took the opportunity to pit for wet tyres whilst the rest of the grid remained on track.

    With positions one to 10 still on dry tyres and those behind on wets, the Safety Car was withdrawn entering lap 13, with Barnard right on the rear wing of Montoya, the pair made contact at Turn 1.

    After his spin, Montoya was back into the points and eighth, as he passed both of the PREMAs down the Hangar Straight with three laps to go.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Colapinto, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Mansell, P4: Collet, P5: Mini, P6: Barter, P7: Fornaroli, P8: Montoya, P9: Cohen and P10: Marti.

    Day 3-

    Fornaroli covered off his teammate to retain the lead into Turn 1 while Gabriel Bortoleto made immediate progress up to fourth position, going around the outside of Mansell into Turn 3.

    Further ahead, Marti cleared Goethe to take second position, albeit briefly. The Trident driver was able to retake the place with a great pass around the outside of Stowe later on.

    Luke Browning made contact with Hugh Barter out of the final corner, leaving the Hitech driver with a broken suspension. It resulted in his retirement from the race and brought out the Safety Car. Edgar was also out of his home event on lap 1 after contact with Collet on the opening lap.

    On lap 17, rain began to fall and Robert Faria went off into the barriers at Woodcote. He was out of the car ok and the Safety Car came back out. As the rain intensified, Tommy Smith was the only taker for wet tyres with three laps remaining, rejoining in 28th position.

    Van Amersfoort Racing’s Collet was able to make great progress despite running the slick hard tyres, taking multiple positions on the penultimate lap to rise up to the points positions.
    Teammate Smith was able to take full advantage of conditions on the wets, going from 28th to 12th in the space of a lap and a half.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Goethe, P2: Fornaroli, P3: Marti, P4: Aron, P5: Mansell, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Mini, P8: Colapinto, P9: Saucy and P10: Montoya.

  • F3 – RND 7 – Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Luke Browning started his and his team’s home event in fine form, setting a 1:45.794 to lead the way in Free Practice.

    With the Championship leader, Gabriel Bortoleto following closely in second position and Dino Beganovic in third making him the highest-placed PREMA driver.

    Sebastian Montoya got the weekend rolling with a 1:48.957 and the initial time to beat. Leonardo Fornaroli and then Franco Colapinto quickly beating that.

    There was contact between Kaylen Frederick and Zak O’Sullivan at Turn 16 as traffic began to build up and drivers searched for clean air. The Briton was able to continue in the session, but the ART Grand Prix driver was out after sustaining suspension damage and recovering to the pitlane.

    Browning continued to lap quickly, lowering his best time to a 1:45.946 before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed to recover debris left by the earlier contact.

    Back to green flag conditions with 12 minutes left, and there were very few improvements as Bortoleto moved himself up to second on a 1:46.075s.

    Qualifying-

    Leonardo Fornaroli headed up a Trident 1-2 around Silverstone, taking his maiden Formula 3 pole position with a 1:45.520.

    Fornaroli’s teammate, Oliver Goethe followed in second after making a late improvement, whilst Josep Maria Marti led the Campos Racing effort in third.

    Gabriele Mini set the early pace with a 1:46.619 which was swiftly beaten by teammate Luke Browning. The Tridents of Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Goethe crossed the line to split the two Hitech drivers, with the top three covered by just 0.120s.

    The track filled up once more after a swap to fresh tyres with less than 10 minutes remaining of Qualifying.

    Mini, Browning and Aron each improved on their next efforts but only the Estonian driver got to within a quarter of a second of Fornaroli’s provisional pole time.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Fornaroli, P2: Goethe, P3: Marti, P4: Mansell, P5: Bortoleto, P6: Aron, P7: Mini, P8: Browning, P9: Colapinto and P10: Barnard.

  • F3 – RND 6 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Marti retained his lead off the line, but Oliver Goethe didn’t pull away cleanly as he dropped down from fourth to 27th, where as Aron was flying and got up to third by the end of the first lap.

    On Lap 2, Trident’s Gabriel Bortoleto dropped down to 14th having been in ninth after a slow exit out of Turn 3 but the Brazilian was quick to start his fightback, taking 13th from Mari Boya and then 12th from Dino Beganovic.

    The Safety Car was deployed on Lap 11 after contact between Oliver Gray and Rafael Villagomez at Turn 4. The VAR driver was spun around following contact with the Rodin Carlin car, where the Brit had nowhere to go to avoid him.

    Aron had closed on Marti gradually lap after lap following the restart and on Lap 18, he cleared the Spanish driver into Turn3 3, fending off Mini in the process who’d put them all three-wide entering the corner.

    Collet dived to the inside of Marti at the final corner on the penultimate lap to move himself into third, and O’Sullivan capitalised on his lost momentum to pass Marti for fourth.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Aron, P2: Mini, P3: Collet, P4: O’Sullivan, P5: Edgar, P6: Marti, P7: Frederick, P8: Beganovic, P9: Montoya and P10: Bortoleto.

    Day 3-

    Gregoire Saucy held onto pole from lights out whilst Bortoleto had to fend off pressure from Paul Aron to keep hold of third. Further back, Gabriele Mini had slight contact with Luke Browning at Turn 4. The Hitech driver was sent across the gravel and was left out the race, which prompted a safety car on lap 2.

    Racing got back underway entering Lap 5 with Saucy able to build up a small gap to Dino Beganovic behind him. The ART driver couldn’t escape the one-second DRS window though, and the Swede was through for P1 on Lap 7 under breaking at Turn 4.

    Aron made a late dive down the inside of Bortoleto at Turn 3 to take third position on Lap 10. One lap later he tried the same on Saucy but had no room to make it stick.

    In the fight for the lead, Bortoleto was able to slipstream his way past Beganovic for P1 into Turn 4 on Lap 13, while Aron was finally forced to out for a new front wing due to contact.

    Further back, Caio Collet and Sebastian Montoya made progress up the top 10, passing Kaylen Frederick to take fifth and sixth places.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Collet, P4: Colapinto, P5: Beganovic, P6: Edgar, P7: Mansell, P8: Barter, P9: Marti and P10: Fornaroli.

  • F3 – RND 6 – Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Gabriel Bortoleto hit the ground running in Spielberg, setting the track record with a 1:19.410 to top the free practice session for Trident.

    The Brazilian driver was 0.148s quicker than Jenzer Motorsport’s Taylor Barnad, while Gabriele Mini left it late to take third for Hitech Pulse-Eight.

    Once the tyre preparation laps were complete, Paul Aron set the initial benchmark to beat with a 1:21.998 on his first effort. The Estonian’s 1:21.205 was three-tenths quicker than PREMA Racing teammate Dino Beganovic, who had a heart-in-mouth moment shortly after.

    With just over 16 minutes remaining the red flags were out after Sebastian Montoya beached his Hitech car in the gravel trap on the outside of Turn 7.

    Once the session resumed with 12 minutes remaining, everyone returned to the track. ART Grand Prix’s Saucy was the first in the queue with prime track position and set a 1:20.306 for the rest to beat.

    Qualifying-

    ART Grand Prix’s Gregoire Saucy secured his first Formula 3 pole position in Spielberg after a dramatic qualifying session around the Red Bull Ring. PREMA Racing’s Paul Aron had ended the session fastest of all but dropped to P4 after exceeding track limits.

    His demotion moved Saucy up into P1 and PREMA teammate Dino Beganovic onto the front row. While Championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto secured third place in his Trudent.

    With patches of rain on the weather radars, everyone was out immediately at the green light. Caio Collet led the way as the rest jostled for Track position and the Van Amersfoort driver set the first time to beat.

    With 15 minutes gone, Beganovic headed up Aron, Gabriel Bortoleto, Josep Maria Marti and Gabriele Mini in the top five. After everyone returned to the pits to fit a fresh set of the soft Pirelli tyres, the track was busy once again with under 10 minutes remaining.

    There were improvements throughout the field, but nobody could leap ahead of either PREMA driver prior to the final two minutes of the session.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Saucy, P2: Beganovic, P3: Bortoleto, P4: Aron, P5: Collet, P6: O’Sullivan, P7: Colapinto, P8: Goethe, P9: Frederick and P10: Mansell.

  • F3 – RND 5 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Reverse pole sitter, O’Sullivan instantly defended the inside line, giving compatriot Browning a slip stream down into Tyrn 1. Despite that, Browning had to yield to his fellow Williams junior on the exit of Turn 2.

    A fast starting Paul Aron rocketed up from P8 to P5 by the time the Safety Car was deployed at the end of the opening lap after Rodin Carlin’s Ido Cohen found the barriers at Turn 9.

    Racing resumed on Lap 5 and O’Sullivan bolted away early through Turn 12, allowing him to pull clear from Browning. After qualifying down in P18, Gabriele Mini was on the charge, the Alpine junior was brave on the brakes, diving past Christian Mansell through Turn 7 for 12th.

    Running in P4, Saucy ran wide out of the final corner, opening the door for Aron to get through. Unable to fight back out of Turn 1, the ART Grand Prix driver was left vulnerable to those behind and lost places to both Sebastian Montoya and Gabriel Bortoleto, dropping to seventh.

    Mini and Mansell’s earlier battle reignited on Lap 16, but this time the pair made contact. It sent Mansell spinning off at Turn 2 to bring out a second Safety Car. Mini was then awarded a 10 second time penalty for the collision.

    The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Browning, P3: Fornaroli, P4: Bortoleto, P5: Aron, P6: Colapinto, P7: Boya, P8: Marti, P9: Saucy and P10: Barnard.

    Day 3-

    Despite getting a strong launch from pole, Marti was forced to immediately dive to the inside to cover off Taylor Barnard. Making an impression on his first front row start and benefiting from the slip stream.

    After scoring his maiden podium in the Sprint Race, Luke Browning’s race came to an early end on the opening lap. Contact with Leonardo Fornaroli down into Turn 4 left the Hitech Pulse-Eight pulling up with broken suspension to bring out the Safety Car.

    Marti opten to make the jump early on Lap 7, trying to pull away from Barnard through Turn 12. The Briton was all over the Campos just after the restart but couldn’t sustain the pace and dropped out of DRS range by lap 10.

    In the battle for the final points, Sprint Race winner Zak O’Sullivan made an ambitious overtake attempt on Oliver Goethe around the outside of Turn 13. It put the pair three-wide with Gregoire Saucy on the start of lap 19.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Marti, P2: Colapinto, P3: Beganovic, P4: Bortoleto, P5: Aron, P6: Boya, P7: Montoya, P8: O’Sullivan, P9: Barnard and P10: Mansell.

    Unfortunately Formula 3 is not back until July… we will be returning for Round 6 in Spielberg, Austria on the 30th June to 2nd July.

  • F3 – RND 5 – Day 1

    Free Practice-

    Taylor Barnard took the top spot in Free Practice in Barcelona. After most opted to remain in the pitlane early on, the Jenzer Motorsport driver set a 1:28.831 to lead the way before a late red flag disrupted his rivals attempts to improve.

    With only a third of the running remaining, representative times began to be set. Luke Browning got his first attempt on the board with a 1:30.181, which was immediately bettered by teammate Sebastian Montoya with a 1:29.241.

    Barnard then put Jenzer Motorsport to the top of the timing sheets, breaking into the 1:28s to lead Caio Collet by 0.020s and edge a tenth ahead of fellow rookie Dino Beganovic.

    Turn 9’s fast nature proved to be a challenging point for several drivers. Piotr Wisnicki was the first Red Flag of the weekend, spinning off into the gravel at the top of the hill.

    Qualifying-

    Josep Maria Marti gave the Spanish fans plenty to celebrate already this weekend as he secured his maiden Formula 3 pole position on home soil.

    The Campos Racing driver’s 1:27.587 beat Jenzer Motorsport’s Taylor Barnard and Franco Colapinto from MP Motorsport by two and a half tenths.

    Keeping things neat and tidy, Leonardo Fornaroli briefly bagged the fastest lap, but Paul Aron quickly shot up into P1 with a 1:28.369 going over a tenth quicker than the Trident driver.

    With banker laps in the bag, drivers peeled into pits to change on to a fresh set of hard tyres and returned to the track with 18 minutes remaining.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Marti, P2: Barnard, P3: Colapinto, P4: Beganovic, P5: Aron, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Montoya, P8: Boya, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Saucy.

  • F3 – RND 4 – Day 3 & 4

    Day 3-

    Marti maintained the lead off the line to break away from Fornaroli, who found himself forced to go on the defensive from Taylor Barnard.

    The Safety Car was deployed on the first lap following contact into the opening corners at Sainte Devote where Jonny Edgar got sent into the barriers. His MP Motorsport teammate Mari Boya also suffered Turn 1 contact, resulting in retirement also.

    Out front, Marti looked untroubled, steadily building his advantage lap-by-lap. The Spaniard pulled over five seconds clear in six laps through the middle phase of the race. This left Fornaroli driving on his mirrors as Saucy closed up to the back of him, with Colapinto staying close to the Swiss driver also.

    As the chequered flag flew, Marti secured victory by an impressive 8.1s margin to Fornaroli with Saucy third. Colapinto made up one place to take fourth as Barnard added more points to his rookie tally with his best ever finish in fifth.

    Bortoleto hold on to sixth ahead of the HiTech Pulse-Eight duo of Montoya and Browning. Collect earned two points in ninth and Aron rounded out the top 10.

    Day 4-

    After earning his first Formula 3 podium in the Sprint Race, Leonardo Fornaroli didn’t get the chance to bring home more points again after the Trident driver stalled on the grid on the formation lap.

    When the five lights went out, Mini got a decent launch off the line to keep Beganovic behind. Fifth placed Collet immediately tried to put the pressure on Browning, but the Van Amersfoort Racing driver had to ease off as he ran out of tarmac.

    Ido Cohen lost his Rodin Carlin on entry to Turn 12, whilst battling with his teammate Oliver Gray and ended up in the barriers, triggering the Safety Car.

    Sebastian Montoya’s attempts at shaping for a move on Collet for fifth ended in heartbreak for both. With the Brazilian suffering from tyre degradation, the Red Bull Junior had great traction out of Turn 1 but made contact with Collet’s rear left tyre on the run up the hill.

    The final stages saw Beganovic pull back into Mini’s one second DRS window, but there was nothing the Swede could do to stop him holding on to claim a maiden victory.

    Despite Browning closing to within three tenths on the final lap, Aron managed to secure his second F3 podium. Bortoleto strengthened his hold on the Championship lead in fifth ahead of Colapinto and Zak O’Sullivan. Barnard’s penalty demoted him to eighth ahead of Marti and Greogoire Saucy, who rounded out the top 10.

  • F3 – RND 4 – Day 1 & 2

    Day 1-

    Gabriele Mini made the most of a drying Monte Carlo circuit to head the field in Formula 3’s first session around the Principality. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver put his previous experience to good use, clocking in a 1:26.686 in the final jam packed seconds of Free Practice.

    Fellow returnees, Franco Colapinto and Gregoire Saucy benefited from a late switch to the slicks to round out the top three.

    Before the session started, a heavy downpour threw a curveball the drivers’ way, making the challenge of learning the Monaco streets even more difficult. Campos Racing’s Christian Mansell was the first to get a representative time on the board, but they continued to tumble with every lap of the 3.337km circuit.

    Although a dry line had begun to form, there were still plenty of areas to catch the field out. Browning brought the time to beat down to a 1:39.879 before the Red Flag appeared, a spin for Jonny Edgar left the British racer facing the wrong way and in need of recovery.

    Day 2-

    For the Championship’s first appearance in the Principality, the 30 car grid was divided into two groups with 16 minutes each. Group A consists of even-numbered cars and Group B the odd.

    Gabriele Mini put together a masterclass to claim his second pole position of his rookie Formula 3 season. Waiting until the last second of Group B, the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver wrestled pole away from Group A’s Dino Beganovic by over six tenths.

    The full top 10 for Sunday’s Feature race are: P1: Mini, P2: Beganovic, P3: Aron, P4: Browning, P5: Collet, P6: Montoya, P7: Bortoleto, P8: Colapinto, P9: Barnard and P10: Fornaroli.

  • Luke Browning joins Williams Academy

    Williams Racing has announced that British racer, Luke Browning has joined the team’s Driver Academy.

    Following on from the signing of Franco Colapinto earlier this year, Williams have bolstered their Driver Academy by signing the Formula 3 racer.

    The 21 year old, is currently racing in F3 with Hitech Pulse-Eight squad and has scored 14 points from the first two round in Bahrain and in Australia.

    Browning has been signed after he won the GB3 Championship in 2022, scoring five wins and a further eight podiums while race with Hitech. He also won the 2022 Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

    His signing means the Williams Driver Academy now consists of five members – four of whom are currently racing in Formula 3.

    Browning is set to work on the Williams simulator in Grove throughout the year, taking part in a personalised programme, as well as embedding with the team trackside at select race weekends.

    I’m really looking forward to being a part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy. A huge thank you to everyone at the team for the opportunity to shoot for the stars. To be welcomed into the family is a dream come true, the heritage of this team is phenomenal. I can’t wait to see where we can go, our journey starts here.

    Browning on the signing.

    We’re pleased to have Luke join the Driver Academy. He’s a highly talented driver with several major achievements already under his belt, including the 2022 Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, the 2022 GB3 Championship, and the 2020 British F4 Championship. Everyone at Williams Racing is looking forward to working closely with Luke throughout the year as he competes in FIA Formula 3 with Hitech Pulse-Eight. He’ll have the opportunity to develop his abilities while providing useful feedback through simulator work at Grove.

    Sven Smeets, Williams Sporting Director.

  • F3 – RND 2 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Franco Colapinto was victorious in an event-filled Sprint Race, winning from P6 on the grid. The MP Motorsport driver put an impressive move on pole-sitter Sebastian Montoya at Turn 9 to take the lead early on.

    Zak O’Sullivan made a late-race pass on reverse pole-sitter Montoya to take second. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver held on for a podium in third as the race ended under the Safety Car.

    But after the race was complete, Franco Colapinto lost the Melbourne Sprint Race victory following a post-race inspection found a technical infringement on his car.

    Pieces of bodywork were found to be outside of the regulatory limits, contravening Articles 1.2 and 2.5 of the Technical Regulations. Modifications to the geometry of the parts in question are prohibited by the rules outside of basic repairs.

    MP Motorsport drivers, Mari Boya and Jonny Edgar have also been disqualified from the race for the same technical infringement as was found on Colapinto’s car.

    It means that PREMA Racing’s Zak O’Sullivan inherits the victory, promoting Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Sebastian Montoya to 2nd and Paul Aron to 3rd.

    The full top 10 after the disqualifications are: P1: Sullivan, P2: Montoya, P3: Aron, P4: Mini, P5: Beganovic, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Fornaroli, P8: Saucy, P9: Mansell and P10: Frederick.

    Day 3-

    Gabriel Bortoleto made it two Feature Race wins in Formula 3 out of two, keeping Gregoire Saucy at bay for his second victory of the year. The Trident driver led every lap from pole position, leading through two safety car restarts in what was a measured performance.

    Saucy was on the podium for ART Grand Prix for the first time this season in second, finishing just 0.5s down on the winner. Gabriele Mini was third for HiTech Pulse-Eight.

    On Lap 2, Franco Colapinto claimed seventh from Luke Browning on the run to Turn 3 but his joy was short-lived. The MP Motorsport driver made brief contact with the Brit completing the move and sustained a puncture, which sent him into the barriers at Turn 5 and out of the race.

    Josep Maria Marti was on a charge, he went from 30th to 21st on the first lap alone and he was battling Campos Racing teammate Mansell for 12th.

    Contact between Ido Cohen and Rafael Villagomez out of Turn 4 the following lap spun the Rodin Carlin man into the barriers, bringing out the Safety Car once more. The Van Amersfoort Racing man was handed a 10 second time penalty for the incident.

    Once we went back to racing conditions on Lap 16 and Marti was on the move again clearing Goethe into Turn 4 to take 11th position, that then became 10th on Lap 18 after he put a brave move on Jonny Edgar going around the outside at Turn 9.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Bortoleto, P2: Saucy, P3: Mini, P4: Fornaroli, P5: Sullivan, P6: Aron, P7: Marti, P8: Browning, P9: Barnard and P10: Mansell.

    Formula 3 is not back now until the 19th to 21st May for Round 3 in Imola. However they do have in-season testing on the 13-14th April in Barcelona.

  • F3 – RND 2 – Day 1

    Formula 3, is in Australia for the very first time. Let’s take a look at how Day 1 went.

    Free Practice-

    Zak O’Sullivn hit the ground running in Melbourne, topping the opening session of the weekend for PREMA Racing, the Brit set a 1:33,470 at the end of the session.

    MP Motorsport’s Mari Boya, leapt up the timing sheets late on with a 1:33.528 putting him second ahead of Gregoire Saucy, who bounced back from an off-track moment.

    Saucy had an off-road excursion at Turn 4, running through the gravel on corner exit before rejoining in his ART Grand Prix car. The red flag was out with just over half an hour remaining following a crash for Jonny Edgar.

    Practice resumed with 20 minutes of the session to go. A brief yellow flag for Campos Racing’s Hugh Barter was thrown at the final corner after he ended up sideways.

    Qualifying-

    Gabriel Bortoleto left it as late as possible to take pole for the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race. The Trident driver had been on provisional pole until several late efforts demoted him, but the Brazilian rebounded to seal P1 on his final attempt.

    Gregoire Saucy ended up second for ART Grand Prix, while Gabriele Mini had to settle for third in his HiTech Pulse-Eight car.

    With all 30 cars out of the pitlane, it was a busy Albert Park Circuit but only temporarily. A shunt for Josep Maria Marti brought out the red flags with six minutes gone.

    The second red flag of the session came with four and a half minutes to go. ART Grand Prix’s Kaylen Frederick hit the wall out of the corner, but the American was okay afterwards. Back to green and with time for one final attempt, everyone was immediately back out for one final attempt.

  • F3 – RND 1 – Day 2 & 3

    Day 2-

    Josep Maria Marti bided his time well to make a move stick on reverse pole sitter, Franco Colapinto as he took home glory in the first sprint race of the season, claiming his maiden victory in the Championship.

    A frenetic opening race to the year as the Campos Racing driver kept close to the Argentian early on, as the field navigated two Safety car restarts.

    After battling with Marti over second during the opening stages, Caio Collet kept himself out of trouble in the rest of the race to take home P3.

    The first safety car was due to Rafael Villagomez battling Gabriel Bortoleto, as they made contact pitching the Van Amersfoort car into the wall.

    The time behind the Safety Car meant that tyre degradation was less of a concern. PREMA’s Aron and Dino Beganovic continued to chop and change in the battle for fourth.

    Day 3-

    Gabriel Bortoleto brought home his first Formula 3 victory on his debut weekend in the Championship, meanwhile a time penalty and late Safety Car appearance relegated pole-sitter Gabriele Mini to eighth.

    Starting second on the grid, Bortoleto assumed the lead early on, before fellow rookie Mini dispatched for him for the lead on Lap 10.

    Keeping within touching distance of the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver, the Trident was in a prime position to benefit when the Safety Car bunched the field back together and was promoted to the win.

    Oliver Goethe ensured a strong haul of points for Trident, taking his maiden podium in second, whilst Dino Beganovic showed what he was made off getting his elbows out to slice his way through to third.

    The Safety Car was deployed on Lap 7 following contact at the hairpin between MP’s Mari Boya and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Tommy Smith. The Australian resumed but Boya was forced to pull off track and retire.

  • F3 – RND 1, Day 1

    Round 1 is here, and we have had cars back on track finally! So here is a round up from all the action on Day 1.

    Practice-

    Gabriel Bortoleto began his Formula 3 campaign in fine form as he topped the timing sheets in the opening Free Practice session in Sakhir.

    The Brazilian looked at home in his Trident car as he set a 1:47.775 to go 0.075s clear of Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Gabriele Mini – an all rookie top two.

    As the clock approached 23 minutes, a flurry of cars headed out of the pits to put their times on times on the board, which saw Bortoleto for a swift moment become the driver to beat ahead of Mini.

    The top three from qualifying are: P1: Gabriel Bortoleto, P2: Grabiele Mini and P3: Gregoire Saucy, one thing to keep an eye on is track evolution as its expected to be a major factor in Qualifying.

    Qualifying-

    Gabriele Mini began his F3 career in fashion as he stormed to his first pole position of his championship debut. The HiTech Pule-Eight driver’s late effort of 1:47.055 couldn’t be matched as less than half a second separated the top 17 runners.

    It was clear the field were pushing to the limit as Bortoleto took to the top spot however he became the first of many drivers to fall foul of track limits.

    Times continued to tumble, as Mini launched himself half a second clear of Collet. Laying down a 1:47.118, then with three minutes remaining the Alpine junior delivered another lap which was a 1:47.055.

    The order then continued to change, as the trio of PREMA cars rose up into the top six. And Bortoleto being a man on a mission to then launch himself up into second after the track limits violation.

    The top three were: P1: Gabriele Mini, P2: Gabriel Bortoleto, P3: Gregoire Saucy. But looking toward the sprint race, Williams junior, Franco Colapinto grabs reverse grid pole as he qualified 12th.

  • Browning completes the F3 2023 grid

    HiTech Pulse-Eight have confirmed Luke Browning will complete the team’s 2023 line-up. The Brit joins Sebastian Montoya and Gabriele Mini.

    He steps up to FIA Formula 3 following a successful season that culminated in his winning of the 2022 GB3 Championship. He claimed five victories on the way to the title as well as winning the BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award.

    Browning made his racing debut in saloon car racing before moving to British F4 in 2019. His second season in the Championship brought title success, taking six poles, seven wins and 16 podiums in total.

    A full GB3 campaign followed in 2022, he claimed the title with Hitech. Moving to FIA F3 with the same team, the 21 year old says that the continuity will help him hit the ground running in Bahrain.

    I’m excited to announce I’ll be taking the step up to FIA Formula 3 with Hitech. We had a fantastic season in GB3 last year. These past 12 months I have really developed as a driver with their guidance and professionalism. I am very thankful to the people who continuously believe in me and have made this possible. I am under no illusions how competitive FIA F3 is and stepping into the car for the first time in February will be a steep learning curve before we head to Bahrain. I feel confident with everyone at Hitech that I can hit the ground running!

    Browning on his new seat.

    We are delighted to welcome Luke to our team in FIA Formula 3. We had a fantastic year with him in GB3, securing the driver’s title with five wins, and we are confident his experience will be of great value to the team.

    Team Principal, Oliver Oakes.

  • F3 Pre-Season Testing

    Day 1-

    Morning– Everyone was out of the garages immediately, but it was Tommy Smith who was the first to put a laptime on the board for VAR, with the Australian’s 1:51.521 was the only time on the board in the opening hour.

    With just over half an hour remaining, the track began to fill up. Nikita Bedrin was the first beneath the 1:50s, but plenty followed. Gregoire Saucy managed to better the Jenzer Motorsport driver’s time, beating it fractionally with a 1:51.155.

    Luke Browning was the busiest driver of the session, logging 29 laps in the Hitech Pulse Eight.

    The top three are: P1: Gregoire Saucy, ART Grand Prix, P2: Taylor Barnard, Jenzer Motorsport, P3: Zak O’Sullivan, PREMA Racing.

    Afternoon– A much faster start to the afternoon followed, with all teams bar Hitech Pulse-Eight immediately out on track. Gabriel Bortoleto set the early pace on a 1:49.366. It put him 0.241s ahead of Collet in P2.

    With just under an hour and a half remaining, Gabriele Mini went fastest and then beat his own time to go onto a 1:48.453.

    PREMA made a leap up on the table as the grid entered the final 45 minutes of running, Paul Aron closed to within 0.033s of Mini’s table-topping time before going P1 with a 1:47.889.

    Saucy lowered the time to beat to a 1:47,563 inside the final 10 minutes as plenty of personal best times filtered through, but the ART driver remained fastest to the chequered flag.

    The top three are: P1: Gregoire Saucy, ART Grand Prix, P2: Paul Aron, PREMA Racing, P3: Josep Maria Marti, Campos Racing.

    Day 2-

    Morning– Sophia Florsch led the way out of the garages for the morning session. Gabriele Bortoleto put in a 1:47.808 to go quickest in the opening minutes. Gregoire Saucy slotted in two-tenths behind and Taylor Barnard third.

    The ART Grand Prix driver didn’t take long to retake the top spot with a 1:46.697. But with an hour and a half to go, the only red flag of the morning session after Alejandro Garcia stopped on track at Turn 6.

    Once the track went back to green, Dino Beganovic, Grabiele Mini and Bortoleto could hardly be split in second, third and fourth places respectively.

    The top three are: P1: Gregoire Saucy ART Grand Prix, P2: Dino Beganovic PREMA Racing, P3: Gabriele Mini Hitech Pulse-Eight.

    Afternoon– Hunter Yeany led the way for the afternoon running, as Josep Maria Marti topped the timing sheets early on. The second red flag of the day was shown, due to Saucy stopping out on track but the session was soon underway.

    Marti broke into the 1:49s to extend his advantage at the top, before a second red flag of the session was for Oliver Gray. The session then went back to green with an hour 45 minutes remaining.

    Times began to improve once more as the sun began to set, with Bortoleto returning to the top of the timing screens with a 1:48.388. Mini then moved back into P1 with just over half an hour left, with teammate Sebastian Montoya joining him in second.

    The top three are: P1: Gabriele Mini Hitech Pulse-Eight, P2: Gregoire Saucy ART Grand Prix, P3: Sebastian Montoya Hitech Pule-Eight.

    Day 3-

    The extended session got underway with Rafael Villagomez taking the top spot in the early laps, but it didn’t take long for Saucy to return to the summit.

    Bortoleto was next to take over P1, going just under a tenth clear of Saucy with a 1:47.417 less than an hour gone. Paul Aron moved PREMA Racing inside the top three as the first hour elapsed. Hugh Barter and Dino Beganovic were spearated by 0.004s in fourth and fifth.

    Approaching the halfway stage of the final day, ART Grand Prix kept their drivers busiest, logging over 80 laps. Saucy remained second ahead of Kaylen Frederick and Nikola Tsolov, ninth and 10th respectively.

    Race runs became the focus for everyone, with the grid logging the mileage on multiple lap runs. It continued that way as the clock ticked into the final hour. Caio Collet broke the 50 lap barrier first, with 30 minutes remaining.

    The top 3 are: P1: Gabriel Bortoleto Trident, P2: Gabriele Mini Hitech Pulse-Eight, P3: Gregoire Saucy ART Grand Prix.

  • Cohen returns to Carlin

    Rodin Carlin has finalised its 2023 line-up with the announcement of Ido Cohen, the 21 year old will line-up alongside Hunter Yeany and Oliver Gray.

    His move to Carlin will be a reunion after he raced for the team during his 2020 Euroformula Open campaign and completed his rookie FIA Formula 3 season with the team in 2021.

    He claimed two podium finishes in Euroformula Open on the way to finishing seventh in the Standings, as well as finishing the ’21 F3 campaign 24th.

    Cohen then spent his second FIA Formula 3 campaign at Jenzer Motorsport last year. The Israeli achieved a best finish of ninth which came in the Spielberg Feature Race.

    I’m very happy to back with everyone at Rodin Carlin again. When I went back for my seat fit, it was like going back to family. The team have made some positive changes since we were last racing together and I’m excited to see everything come together again when we get on track next week in Bahrain.

    Cohen on his seat.

    We’re delighted to welcome Ido back to the team. We have a great working relationship together and a good understanding of what Ido needs to feel comfortable in the car. Combined with Ido’s experience in the championship, we look forward to making a positive start to the season in pre-season testing

    Stephanie Carlin, Team Principal.

  • PHM Racing recruit Roberto Faria

    PHM Racing by Charouz have locked in the second of their three drivers for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 season announcing that Robert Faria will be racing for the German outfit.

    The Brazilian joins the grid for his fifth season of single-seater racing after making his debut back in 2019 where he finished 11th in the British F4 Championship.

    The following year saw him dovetail a half-season return to British F4 where he scored two podiums in the opening two rounds, alongside a four-round stint in the British F3 Championship.

    Sticking with GB3 Championship in 2021 and 2022, the 19 year old went on to take two consecutive fifth placed finishes in the Standings, achieving one win and a further 14 podiums.

    Faria already has plenty of mileage in the F3 car under his belt, having completed 213 laps during post-season testing in Jerez last year.

    I’m really delighted to join PHM Racing by Charouz in the FIA Formula 3 on their new project. It feels like a dream coming true. Even without knowing most of the circuits in the calendar I’ll do my best to deliver great results and to show the team why they have put their trust in me. I cannot wait to start racing in Bahrain.

    Faira on his new seat.

    Roberto ‘Beto’ Faria is one of these young passionate Brazilian talents with raw speed, ambition and demanding focus. His testing was promising, but now, we need to bring him into the working attitude, which is necessary to succeed in FIA F3. So the balance of speed and patience should affect good results through the season. In GB3 UK he was several times on the podium and finished 5th overall.

    Roland Rehfeld, PHM Racing Team Manager.

  • Sophia Florsch returns to F3

    Sophia Florsch will be making her return to FIA Formula 3 this season, as she signs with PHM Racing by Charouz. It will be the first time since 2020 that she has driven in the championship.

    Florsch has plenty of single-seater experience after her graduation from the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2016. She finished her first two seasons of ADAC Formula 4, 19th and 13th before she moved to European F3 in 2018.

    P7 in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2019, led her to move to FIA F3 for the 2020 season with Campos Racing.

    Since leaving F3, Florsch has accumulated plenty of experience in sports cars, racing in the Le Mans 24 Hours in each of the last three years, as well as racing in DTM and the World Endurance Championship.

    I am really excited and very happy to return to FIA Formula 3 this season with PHM Racing by Charouz. My goal has always been to race with the best of the best. Since the beginning of my career, I have been working very hard towards this goal every day with my team in the background.

    Sophia, on her return to F3.

    I have lots of respect for Sophia’s decision to come back to Formula sports and to take the challenge in this competitive field. She is very experienced in professional Racing in various classes and has a very professional attitude and working style. The racing world so far helped her to become even more ambitious and focused than many other male drivers. That’s another fact, why we start with Sophia. With our new campaign as PHM Racing by Charouz, we will do our best to support her on her path to the top.

    Team Manager, Roland Rehfeld.

  • Barnard completes Jenzer line-up

    Jenzer Motorsport have announced that Taylor Barnard completes their all-rookie driver line-up for the 2023 Formula 3 campaign.

    The British racer makes the step up off the back of finishing runner-up in the German ADAC Formula 4 Championship, with five wins and a further five podiums to his name.

    Banard made his single-seater debut in 2020 with a partial campaign in Italian F4 before making a full-time switch to German F4 the next year. 2022 saw the 18 year-old finish ninth in Formula 4 UAE, which he followed up with a dual campaign in both Italian and German F4, finishing eighth and second respectively.

    The Brit got his first taste of F3 machinery during the post-season test in Jerez last year, recording four top 10 finishes, including topping the final session of running.

    Ahead of pre-season testing in Sakhir in a fortnight’s time, Barnard is currently competing in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship where he currently sits second, with two race wins and two further podiums.

    I am very happy to continue working with Jenzer Motorsport after a successful test in Jerez. We’ve made good progress over the winter and I’m more than pleased to start the FIA Formula 3 season! This is by far the biggest step in my career and it will be a challenge, but definitely one I’m up for! I would like to thank everyone at PHM Racing for this great opportunity that will make it possible for me to drive at Jenzer Motorsport in 2023.

    Barnard on his new seat.

    We got to know Taylor as a very bright driver who doesn’t need long to feel good on a new track. This ability will be a huge asset for him given the limited track time in FIA F3 racing events. Taylor immediately shows strong pace and a quick adaptation, although of course it is clear that there is a learning curve for him to do, too. In any case, we are looking forward to the new season together with our drivers very positively.

    Team Principal, Andreas Jenzer.

  • Bedrin steps up to F3

    Jenzer Motorsport have confirmed Nikita Bedrin as their second driver for the upcoming F3 season, with him becoming the 15th rookie announced for the 2023 grid.

    The 17 year old made the step up to single-seaters in 2021 following a successful karting career, in which he claimed the WSK Super Masters Series OK class title in 2020. The following year saw him compete in the UAE, German ADAC and Italian F4 Championships.

    Returning to all three for second consecutive season in 2022, Bedrin finished fourth in the Standings in both F4 UAE and ADAC F4, achieving one win and a further five podium finishes in the German Championship.

    Bedrin had his first chance to get to grips with the F3 machinery during last year’s post-season test, clocking in 184 laps across the three days in Jerez.

    I’m very happy to have the opportunity to drive in the FIA F3 Championship! It is a big and important step. I’m ready to accept the challenge and make the most of it! I want to say a big thank you to PHM Racing for making it possible for me to drive at Jenzer Motorsport and for giving me this chance and believing in me. I can’t wait to start and I’m really looking forward to it!

    Bedrin on his 2023 seat.

    Nikita is young, talented and ambitious. We will work with him on his consistency and think he can surprise with very good results. In the post-season test in Jerez last autumn, he already did well with the powerful FIA F3 racing machine, which was new to him. We are looking forward to the season with him and are happy to start soon.

    Team Principal, Andreas Jenzer.

  • Jenzer sign Garcia

    Alejandro Garcia will be racing with Jenzer Motorsport in the FIA Formula 3 Championship this year. The Mexican driver is the first of the team’s three drivers to be confirmed for the upcoming season.

    The 19 year old graduated from karting to single-seater racing in 2018, competing in the NACAM Formula 4 Championship and securing three podium finishes as a rookie.

    A switch to Spanish F4 in 2020 followed and he competed in a further season there in 2021. Last year, Garcia raced in the Euroformula Open Championship, ending the campaign seventh in the Drivers’ Standings.

    He also took part in FIA F3 post-season testing with Jenzer last year, notching up 174 laps in Jerez.

    I am very pleased to be racing in FIA Formula 3 with Jenzer Motorsport this season. I am really looking forward to work on my development as a driver to achieve good results throughout the season, I am really looking forward to make the most out of what will surely be a challenging season, with a steep learning curve. I would specially like to thank my Sponsors, Family and Management for this opportunity and I can’t wait to get started with official testing in Bahrain!

    Garcia on his new seat.

    Alejandro is a rookie in FIA F3 this season, and as we know well from experience, this can be hard at times. Alejandro’s step into this ultra-competitive environment will be a big challenge. We will work hard together and look forward to be on track in Bahrain.

    Andreas Jenzer on signing Garcia.

  • Campos sign Hugh Barter

    Campos Racing have confirmed Hugh Barter will be graduating to FIA Formula 3 this season with the Spanish team. The 17 year old is the second driver confirmed as part of Campos’ 2023 line up.

    Barter will be continuing his journey with Campos after racing with the team in the Spanish F4 Championship last year. He claimed six wins and seven further podium finishes whilst in the French Formula Academy, he won 10 races. Barter finished both campaigns second in each respective series.

    He took part in post-season testing last year with Campos, getting his first laps in the FIA F3 car on days two and three. He totalled 63 laps across both days.

    Ahead of testing and the first round of the 2023 season in Sakhir, Bahrain, Campos Racing Team Principal Adrian Campos said that Barter was a talent and would be able to fight in the Championship quickly.

    We are proud to continue working with Hugh (Barter) after a 2022 season with plenty of success. The Formula 3 championship is yet a more difficult challenge but we feel confident as he is a very talented driver with excellent skills. We really hope he will be able to quickly learn with our support and experience in order to end the season fighting for top results.

    Adrian Campos on Barter.

    I’m very happy to announce that I’ll be doing F3 with Campos Racing this year. It’ll be good to keep the relationship going after a strong season with them in Formula 4 so I look forward to it. I would also like to thank my main sponsor Platinum High Integrity Technologies Limited because without them it would not be possible.

    Barter added on.

  • Montoya steps up to F3

    Sebastian Montoya will be joining HiTech Grand Prix for his first FIA Formula 3 campaign this season. The 17 year-old is part of the Red Bull Junior Team, freshly signed ahead of the 2023 season.

    The Colombian made two appearances last year across the Zandvoort race weekend with Campos Racing and tested with HiTech in Jerez in last year’s post-season test.

    Montoya graduated from karting in 2020 to Italian Formula 4. he finished the season 11th in the standings and competed in six races in ADAC Formula 4. The same programme followed the next year, improving to fourth in the Italian Championship in 2021, taking two pole positions and nine podiums across the season.

    In 2022, Montoya competed in the Formula Regional Asian Championship ahead of the European season beginning, winning twice and finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Standings. His step up from F4 to Formula Regional European Champioship by Alpine with PREMA Racing was a tough one, but he ended the season 13th on 44 points.

    During 2022, his two F3 appearances in Zandvoort with Campos where he acquitted himself very well, finishing both the Sprint and Feature races in eighth position.

    We will all work together to have a great year and fight at the front consistently. I just want to say thank you to my family and everyone else involved. Let’s bring on the season and give it everything.

    Montoya on his seat.

  • Gray steps up to F3

    Carlin have announced that British Formula 4 Vice-Champion, Oliver Gray will step up to Formula 3 with them for the 2023 campaign, with Williams confirming that the young Brit will continue as part of their Driver Academy for another year.

    Last year, the 17 year old finished as runner-up in the F4 British Championship with Carlin, claiming an impressive 16 podiums, two wins and two pole positions in his only second season of single-seater racing.

    Prior to making his debut in cars, Gray enjoyed karting success in the UK and Europe. He achieved the 2019 Motorsport UK Kartmasters and British Karting Championship titles at the X30 junior level, alongside taking the Vice Champion honours in the IAME Euro Series.

    Graduating to single-seaters for the 2021 British F4 season, he took two wins and two pole positions on his way to finish seventh in the standings. As well as making a two-round appearance in Italian F4 – earning him a spot in the Williams Driver Academy.

    I’m super excited to be making the step up to F3 next season. I’m indebted to my sponsors and for the belief that Williams and Carlin have shown in me. Hopefully this will be the first year of a two-year programme in F3, so the aim this season will be to really learn as much as possible about the car, circuits and tyres, all of which will be new to me. To be able to embark on that with the team at Carlin is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get going.

    Gray on his new seat.

    Ollie was a complete pleasure to have in the team last season and we really believe in his potential. It’s a big step up to FIA F3, which is an incredibly competitive championship so it will be a steep learning curve. Making steady but recognisable progress with every event will be the aim, and Ollie has the attitude and talent to be able to do that.

    Carlin Team Principal, Trevor Carlin.

  • Collet completes VARs line-up

    Caio Collet will be joining Van Amersfoort Racing for his third season in Formula 3, as the Brazilian racer makes the switch from MP Motorsport.

    The 20 year old, first made his F3 appearance in 2021, scoring two podiums, including one on debut in Barcelona.

    After a successful rookie season, Collet put in more strong performances in 2022 earning sprint race wins in Budapest and Zandvoort where he went on to finish eighth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to his move to F3, Collet secured the 2018 French F4 title in his maiden season in single-seaters. There he achieved an impressive 11 podium finishes which included seven victories.

    The following year saw him finish fifth in Formula Renault Eurocup, claiming six podiums along the way. He then returned for a second campaign in 2020, Collet took five wins and seven further podiums on his way to finish second in the Championship.

    Exciting times are coming as I am extremely motivated to get started with Van Amersfoort Racing. During their first year in F3, the team proved to everyone how much potential they have. From my side, I am very confident going into the new season. I have used the winter period effectively and feel ready, more than I ever did. I have set high goals for myself, and the team is as motivated as I am to take the maximum out of this year, so let the games begin!

    Collet on his move.

    Caio has shown in the past how fast and talented he is, making it extremely exciting to have him as part of our F3 driver line-up this year. Caio brings valuable experience to the team, which will help us to grow at an even higher pace than last year. Clearly, he is determined to perform strong this year, and so do we as a team. Our motivation levels are really high, the least said, and our crew is very much looking forward to working with an experienced driver as Caio!

    Rob Niessink, VAR CEO.

  • Williams sign Colapinto

    Franco Colapinto has become the latest signing to the Williams Driver Academy.

    The Argentine competed in his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign last year, finishing 9th in the drivers’ championship with Van Amersfoort after several stand-out performances across the season, including his debut in Bahrain.

    The 19 year old captured the Spanish F4 title in his first full season of single-seater racing in 2019, where he took 11 race wins. He drove in both Formula Renault Eurocup and Toyota Racing Series in 2020, finishing third in both series with three victories and 17 podiums combined.

    For his second FIA F3 season, Colapinto switches from VAR to reunite with MP Motorsport. The 19 year old took part in the post season test with the team last year, achieving 248 laps at Jerez and ending the test with the fastest time on the third and final day.

    It’s a real honour to join Williams Racing as an Academy Driver. They are one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history and I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of my fellow countryman Carlos Reutemann. It’s an incredible opportunity for which I am forever grateful. Thanks to everyone at Williams for putting their trust in me. I am also excited to announce that I will be back with MP Motorsport for the 2023 FIA F3 season. I really enjoyed my time with the team in Eurocup and FRECA and we achieved some great results together. The goal is to reach even higher this time. My first year in FIA F3 was all about learning and I will use all the knowledge I’ve gathered to aim for the title next year. I am grateful to everyone who made this possible. Bullet Sports Management, YPF, ROFGO Racing, and of course, my beloved country Argentina. Thank you for all the support. I can’t wait to get the season started.

    Colapinto on joining the Academy and his new seat.

    We’re delighted to welcome Franco to the Williams Racing Driver Academy. His career achievements since starting karting highlight Franco’s natural ability behind the wheel and what he’s capable of in the years to come. He had a standout rookie season in Formula 3 with several strong performances that led to podiums and wins. We look forward to working closely with Franco to support and nurture his development as a driver.

    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director at Williams Racing.

  • Colapinto switches to MP Motorsport

    Franco Colapinto has switched to MP Motorsport for his second campaign in FIA Formula 3.

    A standout performer of the 2022 season, as Colapinto scored pole position on his and Van Amersfoort Racing’s debut weekend in Sakhir before going on to take two wins and a further three podiums.

    Having made his single-seater debut in 2019, Colapinto immediately set out to make his mark by achieving the Spanish F4 title at the first time of asking.

    Progressing up to Formula Renault Eurocup the following year with MP, the Argentinian secured third in the standings. Embarking on a campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with the Dutch squad in 2021, he closed his season in sixth with two wins and two further podiums.

    Alongside his running in FRECA, he gained additional experience in endurance racing, taking home a victory in the European Le Mans series LMP2 class and finishing seventh in his first 24 hours of Le Mans.

    I’m so pleased to have signed with MP for my second season in FIA Formula 3. I only have fond memories of my years in Formula Renault and Formula Regional with the team, a cooperation that resulted in many wins and pole positions. I’m eager to resume the run of success that we have had and fully intend to expand on it. Next year is going to be great!

    Colapinto on his seat.

    It’s so good to be able to welcome Franco back into the MP fold. He’s been outstanding in his two years with us, and in his other two seasons since his promotion from karts Franco was always among our most daunting rivals! With a first season of FIA F3 under his belt, he now carries the weight needed for a consistently frontrunning campaign – and we’re here to help him achieve that.

    Sander Dorsman, MP Motorsport Team Principal.

  • Villagomez sticks with VAR

    Van Amersfoort Racing has confirmed that Rafael Villagomez will be racing with the team in 2023 in his third FIA Formula 3 campaign.

    Villagomez began his single seater career back in 2020, winning the Richard Mille Young Talent search and racing in British and French F4, consistently scoring points in both that season.

    Graduation up to Euroformula Open in 2021, with VAR brought four podium finishes and P8 in the championship, he also paired that campaign with his rookie season in FIA Formula 3, driving for HWA Racelab.

    Last season, his focus was solely on a follow-up F3 campaign, and he will be sticking with VAR for this year’s Championship.

    I am really excited about competing in Formula 3 again. Both myself and the team have grown a lot last year and it’s great to be able to continue working together in 2023. I have used the winter period to fully prepare myself physically, and I am really excited to be already racing in January in FRMEC. It feels like this is the best approach to get fully ready for the season and I can’t wait for it to finally kick off again!

    The 21 year old said.

    It is great to continue working with Rafael this upcoming season. Rafael is very dedicated to his goals, which makes him an absolute pleasure to work with. Having a driver in the team for multiple seasons has clear benefits. Due to the intense contact, you grow stronger as a team, which ultimately is key for performing well on track. Our crew is very committed to support Rafael in progressing both on- and off the circuit and all are fully dedicated to book strong results this season!

    Rob Niessink, CEO of Van Amersfoort Racing.

  • Edgar switches to MP Motorsport

    Jonny Edgar will be returning for a third Formula 3 season, making the switch from Trident to MP Motorsport for the 2023 campaign.

    The 18 year old finished his sophomore season strongly, scoring four top five finishes in the final six races to take 12th in the Standings, despite missing two rounds early on due to health problems.

    Edgar already has four years of single-seater experience under his belt, where he progressed up to Italian F4 in 2019 after a successful karting career. From there, he stormed to the 2020 ADAC Formula 4 title, claiming six wins, 11 podiums and five pole positions across 21 races.

    Making his F3 debut in 2021, for Carlin the British racer took five points-scoring finishes before moving to Trident the following year.

    First linking up with MP during post-season testing in Jerez, Edgar clocked in 259 laps across the three days and will be continuing his partnership with the Dutch team alongside Spanish rookie, Mari Boya.

    I’m really happy to become part of the MP family for 2023. The team are proven race winners in FIA Formula 3, a fact that they have consistently showed over the past few seasons. It was great to get a headstart with the team at Jérez and meet up with Mari and all the guys. This year has been difficult with my health issues, but I have fought back and really worked on my fitness in the car. So now I’m relishing the thought of a fresh attack on FIA F3, as it feels like unfinished business to me. I can’t wait to get going!

    Edgar on his new seat.

    We are truly pleased to welcome Jonny in our FIA F3 team. He is an outstanding driver with loads of natural talent, his titles in karting and Formula 4 vouch for that. We look forward to having a hand in rebooting his promising career by providing him with a competitive F3 car. We enjoyed working with him at Jérez and aim to help him convert all of his obvious raw speed into strong results. Bring on 2023!

    Sander Dorsman, MP Team Principal.

  • Smith joins VAR

    Tommy Smith will be making his Formula 3 debut for Van Amersfoort Racing next year, as the Dutch team confirms the Australian racer as their first signing for the 2023 campaign.

    The 20 year old steps up off the back of his first full season in the GB3 Championship, where he took a maiden victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

    A consistent performer, Smith would finish eighth and seventh in the standings across his two seasons in the Championship. Alongside this, he gained further experience in both the 2019 Toyota Racing Series and the F3 Asian CHampionship, finishing 10th in his sophomore Asian F3 campaign at the beginning of 2020.

    After almost a year out, Smith dovetailed a full season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with a three round appearance in the GB3 Championship. Remaining in GB3 for the 2022 season, the Australian went on to achieve 18 points-scoring finishes in 24 races, including one victory and a further podium finish.

    I am absolutely thrilled about this opportunity. Having raced in both FRECA and GB3 championships, stepping up to the FIA F3 feels like the right next move. I’m certainly aware that it will be a challenging season in which I will have to learn and adapt continuously, but I am convinced I am taking on this challenge with the right team. VAR’s achievements already in their first year competing in FIA F3 are a clear indicator of their level of commitment, and I look very much forward to get started with them and the championship!

    Smith on his move to F3.

    We are excited to have Tommy as part of our driver line-up. He is new to the FIA F3 Championship, but Tommy’s time spent in FRECA and GB3 will certainly help him to pick up quickly. Tommy is very eager to learn and quickly book progress. He showed this positive attitude already in the past and that will help both Tommy and the crew to jumpstart the season. We look very much forward to supporting him in this important next step of his career!

    Rob Niessink, Van Amersfoort CEO.