Kaylen Frederick will return for a third Formula 3 campaign in 2023, switching to ART Grand Prix after a season with Hitech Grand Prix.
The American is the French team’s third and final signing for the 2023 season, alongside returnee Gregoire Saucy and Spanish F4 Champion, Nikola Tsolov and joins off the back of his strong season in the third tier to date, scoring seven points-scoring finishes in the first 10 races.
Initially making his F3 debut in 2021 with Carlin Buzz Racing, Frederick scored points in his rookie campaign before making the switch to Hitech for the 2022 campaign. After a promising start to the season, he struggled for points in the latter half of the year and finished 17th in the standings.
Participating in two days of post-season testing at Jerez with ART, the 20 year-old put in an impressive showing, finishing all four sessions inside the top 10 including topping Day 1’s afternoon running.
I am very happy to be joining ART GP for the 2023 FIA F3 season. It’s extremely exciting to be a part of such a prestigious team, and to see what the future holds for our collaboration. A big thank you goes out to my team and sponsors for making this possible, and to everyone at ART for welcoming us into their team. Our performance and relationship have been promising from our first on track outings and I can’t wait to build on this over the winter and throughout the coming season.
Frederick on his seat.
Kaylen confirmed the talent we thought he had during the Jerez tests, and we are confident in his ability to exploit his full potential with ART Grand Prix. English F3 champion, Kaylen already has the experience of managing a championship where you are racing in the lead and his qualities as a driver are undeniable. He will therefore be a double asset in a long and complex season, during which the team will aim to confirm its good results in 2022.
Carlin have announced Hunter Yeany as their first signing for the 2023 Formula 3 season, with the American making the move over from Campos Racing for next year.
Having made his F3 debut in 2021 with a two-round appearance for Charouz Racing System, Yeany’s full time move to the championship for 2022 was curtailed after he suffered a broken wrist during the Spielberg Sprint Race, forcing the 17 year old to miss out on seven races.
Bouncing back from the injury, he returned for the final round in Monza and followed that up with two days of running for Carlin at the post-season test in Jerez in late September.
Prior to moving over to the European racing scene, Yeany made a name for himself back on home turf. In 2020, he claimed the F4 USA Championship title in a dominant fashion, snatching eight wins and a further six podiums – on his way to being their youngest-ever Champion.
From there, he made the step up to Formula Regional Americas CHampionship, alongside gaining single-seater experience in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, as well as the GB3 Championship in the UK.
I’m really excited to announce that I will be racing with Carlin in Formula 3 next year. Carlin was the first team I ever tested with in Europe, so it feels like a bit of a coming home! Let’s rock it in 2023!
Yeany on his move.
We are really happy to be able to confirm that Hunter will join the team for the 2023 FIA F3 season. We thoroughly enjoyed working with Hunter in the post-season test, it was nice for us to have a driver with some experience of the FIA F3 car to give us some direction, so I look forward to continuing that relationship. We feel Hunter has far more potential than he has shown, especially because he missed a handful of races due to injury last year. I know that we will be able to hit the ground running come pre-season testing in Bahrain.
ART Grand Prix have confirmed that Nikola Tsolov will drive for the team in FIA Formula 3 next season. The Bulgarian drove for the French team during post-season testing at Jerez earlier this year and will now step up to F3 full-time.
Tsolov started racing in karting at 9 years old, winning the Bulgarian Republic Championship in back-to-back seasons in 2016 and ’17. Then in 2019, he claimed the WSK Open Cup the following year before going on to take second in the Italian Karting Championship and WSK Final Cup in 2021.
The Bulgarian then graduated to single seaters for 2022, dominating the Spanish F4 Championship, where he took 13 victories on the way to the title.
It’s a pleasure for me to be stepping up to FIA F3 next year with ART Grand Prix. They’ve been very successful in every championship they’ve competed in and a lot of F1 drivers have been a part of the team. So, I’m super happy to start our journey!
Tsolov on his seat.
Although it was his debut in F3 and with ART Grand Prix, during the Jerez test Nikola confirmed his ability to adapt quickly and well to a new environment as well as getting the most out of the car. His natural speed is reinforced by a great thirst for learning and by remarkable seriousness and determination for such a young age. Nikola fits the profile of the young drivers ART Grand Prix takes under its wing and, in the wake of the team securing the FIA Formula 3 with Victor Martins, we want to lay the foundations for a strong line-up, one that is capable of fighting for victory from the very first race of 2023.
Trident have announced that they have signed Leonardo Fornaroli for the 2023 Formula 3 season.
Completing their driver line-up, the Italian racer will be competing alongside Oliver Goethe, and fellow Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine graduate, Gabriel Bortoleto.
The 18 year old joins F3 off the back of a successful maiden FRECA campaign with the Italian team, scoring 15 points finishes in 20 races. His consistency was well rewarded, finishing eighth in the Drivers’ Championship and taking the honours as the rookie of the year.
Having made his single-seater debut in 2020, Fornaroli dovetailed his rookie season in Italian F4 with a three race stint in ADAC Formula 4. Returning for a second campaign in Italian F4 last year, he seized one victory, seven podiums and two pole positions on his way to fifth in the standings.
Progressing up to FRECA in 2022, he also made a three round appearance in the Formula Regional Asian Championship at the start of the year.
Featuring for Trident at the post-season test in Jerez, Fornaroli notched in over 180 laps across the three days and made two top six appearances during the second day of running.
I’m happy to continue my journey with Trident Motorsport, after this year’s success in Formula Regional with the team. I believe Trident is the best place to keep growing and learning and to be able to debut in Formula 3 with them is a great opportunity for me. For these reasons, I would like to thank Maurizio Salvadori and his team for the trust and confidence they have in me. I also would like to thank my family, my manager, my coach and my sponsors for their ongoing support and help.
Leonardo Fornaroli on his move.
Leonardo Fornaroli is without a doubt a promising young driver and we are proud to be with him in his debut in Formula 3. The path followed by Leonardo testifies the great work value made by Trident Motorsport to help young talents grow in minor categories with the goal of helping and preparing them for a future in Formula 1.
Trident have confirmed that Oliver Goethe for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 season. The German-Danish driver will be making the graduation to F3 after claiming the 2022 Euroformula Open title.
Goethe has already raced in FIA F3, making two appearances in Campos Racing colours across the Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps weekends. After securing eighth in the Budapest Sprint Race, he followed that up with a P4 finish in the Feature Race at Spa. Goethe also appeared at the post-season F3 test in Jerez, driving for Trident across all three days.
He started his single-seater career in Spanish F4, completing his first full season in 2020 and finishing the year fifth in the standings. He then moved to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2021 and followed that up with his title-winning Euroformula Open campaign in 2022.
Oliver Goethe is without a doubt a promising young driver. We are extremely proud to have him in our line-up for 2023 in FIA Formula 3 Championship and we look forward to a new season together. We were impressed by his debut in the category last season and by the excellent work done by the German-Danish driver’s technical staff during the postseason Test in Jerez last September. We welcome the new member of the Trident Motorsport Family with the certainty that we will build the right alchemy to reach important goals together.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager.
I am delighted to join Trident for my first full season in FIA F3. I drove with the team in Jerez, and it was a great experience. They are very professional and have achieved some great success in this championship. I know we are capable of some good results together, and I can’t wait to get the season started. Huge thanks to my sponsors and partners for their support so far and for being by side as I am taking an important step in my career. Thanks to ROFGO, Gulf Oil International, Tag Heuer, Venture Engineering, Pit Stop Monte Carlo, Bullet Sport Management, and of course my parents and my coach Stuart for all the help.
The FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 Championship promoters announce that German team PHM Racing will take over Charouz Racing System’s entries and assets from the 2023 F2 and F3 seasons.
Founded in 2021 by Paul H. Muller, PHM Racing took part in the Formula 4 Championship in the United Arab Emirates, the German ADAC F4 and the Italian ACI F4 Championship in 2022.
PHM Racing will be operated by Charouz Racing System in 2023, and the team will race under PHM Racing by Charouz in both Championships.
The German outfit will be making its first appearance when Formula 2 and Formula 3 return for pre-season testing at the Bahrain International circuit, on February 14th to 16th.
I would like to welcome to PHM Racing to Formula 2 and Formula 3. Although they are a young team, they are eager to prove they have what it takes to embrace the challenges of our championships. I would also like to thank Toni Charouz and everyone at Charouz Racing System. Toni has been a great partner throughout the years and Charouz Racing have been valued members of our paddock since 2018. They will operate PHM Racing in both categories next season, so the Charouz name will remain on the grid in some capacity for another year.
FIA Formula 2 Championship CEO, Bruno Michel.
Joining Formula 3 and Formula 2 is the next step in our evolution as a comprehensive development program for young driver talents. We are excited to offer drivers a team that can take them from karting all the way to the doorstep of Formula One.
Paul H.Mueller, owner of PHM Racing adds.
I’m really glad to announce this partnership with Paul and his team. PHM Racing is a quite new name in the motorsport landscape but they already showed how professional and competitive they can be in Formula 4 and I’m sure, with all our knowledge and support, that they can do as well in the FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 championships.
Toni Charouz, Team owner of Charouz Racing System.
Australian Christian Mansell will be making step up to FIA Formula 3 on a full time basis next year, as he joins Campos Racing for the 2023 campaign.
The 17 year old made his F3 debut this year with Charouz Racing System, competing across two rounds in Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps, with a best finish of 22nd.
He also participated in two days of the post-season test in Jerez behind the wheel of the Campos car, finishing inside the top 10 for the Spanish team in the opening session.
Mansell began his career karting in Australia and went on to step up to single-seaters in his home country in 2019. He made appearances in the New South Wales Formula Race Car Championship and Australian Formula 4 Championship before switching to the European racing scene for the 2020 F4 British campaign.
There he went on to score one win and five podiums on his way to seventh in the standings, alongside being crowned the Rookies’ Cup Champion. In 2021, he moved up to the GB3 Championship, achieving two wins and five podiums to claim third, alongside a three-round appearance in the Euroformula Open Championship.
Returning for a title-contending second stint in Euroformula, Mansell ended the 2022 season third, after securing three wins and 12 podium finishes.
To be joining Campos for FIA F3 in 2023 is such an incredible honour, and achievement. With a strong showing in the latter part of the season it gives me confidence I can do well in my opening year in FIA F3. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!
Christian Mansell on his seat.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Christian (Mansell) on behalf of Campos Racing. It will be a huge challenge for him as it will be his rookie season in the FIA Formula 3, which is an extremely competitive racing series. His previous results, a race winner in other championships, explain well he is a talented driver. Besides, due to his diabetic condition, Christian is an example to follow for everybody as he proves what you can achieve with commitment and determination, even at the highest motorsport level.
PRMEA Racing have announced that Williams junior, Zak O’Sullivan will be joining them for his second Formula 3 season, completing their driver line-up for the 2023 campaign.
17 year old O’Sullivan finished 11th in the Drivers’ Championship this year for Carlin with 54 points and two podiums – including a spectacular showing on home soil in Silverstone where he claimed his first F3 pole position.
He will be partnering Mercedes Junior, Paulo Aron and Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine Champion and Ferrari backed junior, Dino Beganovic as the Italian team aim to retain their Teams’ Championship title.
O’Sullivan’s single-seater career began in 2019 and has included plenty of success for the British race. In his first two years racing, he finished second in both the Ginetta Junior Championship and the F4 British Championship.
In 2021, he dominated the field on his way to the GB3 Championship title, racking up seven wins, 14 podiums and five pole positions on his way to glory – earning him a promotion to F3 in 2022 and a spot in the Williams Driver Academy.
Making his debut with PREMA at the post-season testing in Jerez, O’Sullivan finished five out of the six sessions inside the top 10 clocking in the third fastest time of Day 2’s morning session.
I am really excited to be joining PREMA for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 season. It will be a new environment for me, but PREMA’s history says all we need to know, so hopefully, we can have a good year together. The first impressions in testing were good, and the pace was pretty strong. I was still learning the car as there are a few differences, getting to know all the team and the engineers, and learning some Italian as well!
Zak on his new move.
We are particularly looking forward to working with Zak. We are impressed by what he achieved in his maiden FIA F3 season and his career so far. He will bring in his experience, which is something we always really value, and he already did an outstanding job in post-season testing. That will boost our preparations for 2023, and we are confident we will see Zak thrive in our environment. We are equally delighted to work with the Williams Driver Academy, and we are grateful for the trust they have put into us.
MP Motorsport have announced Mari Boya will be making his Formula 3 debut with the team next season, becoming their first signing for the 2023 campaign.
Boya will make the step up from the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine after two seasons in the category. The 18 year old scored his maiden podium in Valencia last year, before going on to finish 10th in the Standings in 2022.
During his first run behind the wheel of MP’s machinery at the post-season test in Jerez, Boya put in a solid showing, finishing inside the top 10 during the final morning session, and clocking in 225 laps across the three days.
After five years of karting, Boya made his single-seater debut in Spanish F4 in 2020 where he acheived three wins, 14 podiums and two pole positions on his way to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship as a rookie.
It’s a great feeling to know that this winter I will be gearing up for a vital next step in my career, moving up to FIA Formula 3 with MP Motorsport. It’s so good to be able to do that together with MP. Having worked so well with the team in 2020 and in recent months, I had no doubts in signing with them for my FIA F3 debut. I’m really looking forward to racing in front of all the Grand Prix teams, and can’t wait for the first round in Bahrain!
Mari Boya on his move up the ranks.
We are very pleased to welcome Mari to our FIA Formula 3 team. Although he will be new to FIA F3, he is very much a known quantity to us. In 2020, his first season in single-seaters with us in Spanish F4 was truly outstanding, and it was good to welcome him back into our FRECA team in the course of this season. He already showed much promise during the post-season tests. Now we are eager to use that as a platform to set him up for the strongest possible rookie year in FIA F3.
ART Grand Prix have announced that Gregoire Saucy will be remaining with the team for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 season. The Swiss driver has been with the French team for the past three years, graduating to F3 this season and finishing 15th overall.
Saucy has enjoyed success in the past with ART, securing the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2021 with eight race victories to his name.
Prior to that title success, the 22 year-old competed in German Formula 4 and Toyota Racing Series before linking up with ART GP in FRECA.
In 2023, I will celebrate my 4th anniversary with ART Grand Prix, a milestone I am very proud of. Knowing the team for this long is a plus because we know each other’s strengths and we know how to work on our weaknesses. I have already started on my mental and physical preparation so I can be ready for the first laps of 2023. I learnt a great deal in the first season of F3 and I will be using that to bring ART Grand Prix a second title, following the one in FRECA back in 2021. The Championship will be long and exciting, with new dates, and one of the keys will be to be consistent right from the onset. This is what we missed last season and I know that to achieve my title objective we will have to do what we did in 2021: score the maximum number of points when victory is not within our reach. I am very happy to continue working with ART Grand Prix and I can’t wait for the new season to start. I want to thank ART Grand Prix, Dominique Guenat, Richard Mille and my sponsors without whom this project would not have been possible.
Gregoire Saucy on staying with ART.
Grégoire has been a member of the ART Grand Prix family for three years and we could only congratulate ourselves on his personal and sporting qualities. In the wake of his title in the European Regional Formula by Alpine where he moved forward a step, he made a promising debut in Formula 3 by climbing onto the podium in Bahrain during his first weekend of racing in the series. Like the team, Grégoire has had his ups and downs, but he fought hard throughout the year and in 2023 his first year of experience in the discipline will be an asset to help him aim for regular victories.
HiTech Grand Prix have confirmed that Italian driver, Gabriele Mini will be competing with the team in next season’s FIA Formula 3 Championship.
Mini, took part in the post-season test at Jerez with the team, setting the fastest time on the opening day at the Spanish circuit.
His debut season racing in single-seaters was capped off with the Italian F4 title, which included foure wins and 12 podiums by the end of the campaign. The 17 year old has previously driven for Hitech, competing in the Formula Regional Asia series earlier this year, finishing fourth in the standings.
This season, Mini finished second in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, taking three wins and six podiums along the way.
After two seasons in FRECA, FIA F3 is the logical step for me and I’m delighted to be joining Hitech for the 2023 season. We already worked together last winter in Formula Regional Asia and enjoyed strong results. The team did a solid job last season fighting for the driver’s title until the last round so I’m confident they will perform at the highest level. Testing in Jerez last month went well and I cannot wait to be back in the car next year.
Mini on his new new seat.
I have been following Gabriele’s career for some time through Karting, then into F4. We had the pleasure to work with him earlier this year in Asian F3 with good results, seeing first-hand his commitment and talent. He has had an impressive season in FRECA and he was instantly up to speed during the FIA F3 post-season testing in Jerez, so we look forward to seeing him with Hitech in 2023.
FIA Formula 3 has announced the calendar for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship. With next season having a total of 10 rounds, all support events of the FIA Formula One World Championship and the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Teams and drivers will contest a total of 20 races across the 10 rounds, and over three continents. With two new prestigious tracks been added to the calendar, with Melbourne in Australia and Monte Carlo in Monaco.
F3’s fifth season will again begin at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 03 – 05 with the final round in 2023 taking place in Monza, Italy on September 01 – 03. The season will include one triple header and two double-headers.
Round
Date
Location
1
03 – 05 March
Sakhir, Bahrain
2
31 March – 02 April
Melbourne, Australia
3
19 – 21 May
Imola, Italy
4
25 – 28 May
Monte Carlo, Monaco
5
02 – 04 June
Barcelona, Spain
6
30 June – 02 July
Spielberg, Austria
7
07 – 09 July
Silverstone, Great Britain
8
21 – 23 July
Budapest, Hungary
9
28 – 30 July
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
10
01 – 03 September
Monza, Italy
It’s great news to be able to confirm the Formula 3 calendar for 2023 for hopefully another thrilling season. There is no doubt that in its fifth year we can expect drama, action and some of the most exciting battles on track to date. We’re looking forward to seeing the talent of the future take to the track at 10 rounds of the Championship, and visiting two exciting new venues in Melbourne, Australia and Monte Carlo, Monaco, for the first time.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
As the final two steps on the junior single-seater pathway, I am pleased that in 2023 FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 continue to race alongside the FIA Formula One World Championship. There is no better preparation than to compete on these gold-standard grand prix circuits, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the next generation of drivers take on a new challenge with the addition of a round in Australia next year.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President.
I am very pleased to present the 2023 calendar. It features two brand-new circuits, Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne and Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, which is really amazing. These two very prestigious tracks are the first street circuits to be added to the F3 calendar. They will offer the teams and the drivers an exciting new challenge, and I’m sure that the fans will love seeing the F3 cars race on both layouts. Formula 3 will be present at ten Formula One Grand Prix in 2023, one more than in 2022. The Championship will also visit three continents next year, more than any season previously. Despite the increase of the number of races, we keep specific attention to the teams’ budgets, and notably we will cover the freight costs to ensure that their budgets do not escalate.
PREMA Racing have announced that Dino Beganovic will be graduating to FIA Formula 3 with the team next year, off the back of his title-winning season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.
The 18 year old made his single-seater debut with the Italian squad in 2020, finishing third in Italian Formula 4. Moving up to FRECA the following year, Beganovic took one podium during his maiden campaign before returning for a second outing this season.
Dominating the start of the campaign, Beganovic claimed four victories on his way to being crowned Champion at the penultimate race in Mugello.
The Ferrari junior had a successful showing for PREMA in his first outing in F3 machinery during the post-season test in Jerez last month, clocking in the second fastest time of Day 1’s afternoon session.
I am extremely happy to be racing with PREMA, my team, in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship. It will be our fourth year together, and I’m very proud to continue working together. PREMA has an amazing history in Formula 3 and won at least one championship per year there. I think it is definitely a step in the right direction for my future and for the team, as we have been working for a long time together. Testing in Jerez put us in a good position with the preparations for next year, and we want to continue from that.
Dino Beganovic on his new seat.
We have been working with Dino since the very beginning of his single seater career, and we are elated to continue for 2023. We went through Formula 4 and Formula Regional with increasingly impressive results together, and his run in FRECA shows how competent and outstanding he has become as a driver. The 2023 season will be a key step in shaping the rest of his career and there is great promise. We are willing to support Dino in making a positive impact right from the start, and we will work as hard as possible throughout the winter months.
PREMA Racing has confirmed one driver for their Formula 3 2023 season, with Paul Aron making the step up to the series.
The Mercedes Junior driver, has driven for PREMA almost exclusively since his single-seater debut in Italian F4 back in 2019. Since then, he returned to the outfit for his Formula Regioanl European Championship by Alpine efforts in 2021 and ’22, most recently achieving a P3 finish in the drivers standings last season.
The 18 year old, currently sits third in the Championship on 176 points, with four victories and a further two podium finishes to his name in 2022.
As a member of the Mercedes F1 Junior driver set-up, Aron will complete the remaining races of the 2022 FRECA campaign before turning his attentions to F3 and the 2023 season with the PREMA team.
I am very, very happy, excited, and thankful to join a team like PREMA in the FIA Formula 3 Championship for the 2023 season. They proved themselves year after year, always having three cars on top and showing great pace. I am delighted to spend another year with them, and I am confident they will give me the best possible package to fight for the win. I am really looking forward to seeing what we will be able to achieve next year.
Aron said.
We are extremely delighted to continue working with Paul. We have always been aware of his winning potential, and we think he will keep producing impressive runs in the future, even in a very competitive and highly-challenging environment like Formula 3. It will be a learning year, but we are sure there will be many chances to challenge for high-profile results, so our goal is to push right from the winter preparations to be ready for 2023.
Trident has confirmed Gabriel Bortoleto as their first recruit for the 2023 FIA Formula 3 campaign, with the rookie joining off the back of a successful post-season test with the team in Jerez and is the first driver to be announced for next season.
Currently competing in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, the 17 year old has one win, three podiums to his tally across the first eight rounds. Earlier this year he also took home a victory in Formula Regional Asian Championship at Yas Marina.
Prior to stepping up to FRECA, Bortoleto finished fifth in Italian F4, claiming one win, five podiums and two pole positions along the way.
Topping the time sheets on Day 2 of post-season test for the Italian team, Bortoleto also recorded the fastest overall time from the three-day event around the Spanish circuit.
I am extremely delighted for the chance to compete in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship with a high-level team like Trident Motorsport. I would like to thank every member of the team for the warm welcome I have been given. I feel ready for a new chapter in my career and to move to a higher series in single-seaters. I will put my best effort to make the most of this great opportunity.
Bortoleto on his move.
We are proud to welcome a promising driver like Gabriel Bortoleto to our line-up. He needs no introduction as he has been extremely competitive since his karting days and is now collecting impressive results in the FRECA championship as well. We are sure that by joining the Trident Motorsport family, Gabriel will receive solid support from every team member and prove his value and qualities.
Maloney had a great launch off the line and got alongside Alexander Smolyar into Turn 1 to take the lead on the inside. Martins managed to clear Stanek into the first corner after making use of the tow.
A safety car was deployed on the opening lap after contact between Villagomez and Vidales at the second Lesmo with both ending up in the gravel and out of the race. The green flags were back out entering Lap 4 and race leader Maloney went halfway down the back straight.
The PREMA Racing drivers weren’t taking things easy against one another. Leclerc managed to re-pass Bearman on the first lap back to racing, using the exact move the Briton pulled on him at the start.
Isack Hadjar wasn’t having a good feature race and found himself well out of contention. He was relegated to 14th by Reece Ushijima on Lap 11 into Turn 1.
The Safety Car was back out on Lap 16 after Kush Miami and Brad Benavides crashed out of the second Lesmo. The debris and barrier repair required the red flag, with five laps of the 2022 season to go. As things stood at the red flag, Martins held the lead of the Championship with Maloney 2nd and Bearman third. As the drivers sat in the pitlane it was confirmed that the race would not restart whilst Martins was simultaneously handed a five second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
The classification was taken from count back which meant with Martins’ time penalty applied and a further penalty for track limits violation for Alatalo taken into account, the Frenchman finished P4, the 12 points for fourth ensured he had enough to seal the Driver’s Championship.
The full top 10 are- P1: Maloney, P2: Bearman, P3: Crawford, P4: Martins, P5: Leclerc, P6: Stanek, P7: Alatalo, P8: Edgar, P9: Hadjar and P10: Ushijima.
The Championship-
With the feature race results, Victor Martins takes the 2022 Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship on 139 points. Zane Maloeny and Oliver Bearman rounded out the top 3 in the standings on 134 and 132 points.
PREMA Racing secured the Teams’ Championship ahead of Trident in P2, and ART Grand Prix keeps third.
A massive congratulations to Victor! A well deserved Championship for the Frenchman, hopefully we get to see him graduate to Formula 2 next year! But overall, a massive congratulations to all the title contenders, amazing season by them all!
Oliver Bearman hit the ground running at Monza, finishing the opening session of the Championship-deciding weekend fastest of all. Isack Hadjar also looked quick out of the starting gates, ending up just a fraction off the top spot. Arthur Leclerc made it two PREMA Racing drivers in the top three in third.
With heavy rain overnight and into the morning, Free Practice got underway in damp conditions as drivers headed out onto the circuit. Rafael Villagomez was the first to suffer a spin, pirouetting out of Turn 2.
With half an hour to go, Juan Manuel Correa led the way on 1:50.513 narrowly ahead of Alexander Smolyar and Zak O’Sullivan. A virtual safety car was deployed briefly for the Jenzer Motorsport of Frederico Malvestiti, who had a temporary halt at pit exit.
Entering the final 10 minutes, the track hit the crossover point. Martins shot to the top by four tenths until Gregoire Sacuy and Oliver Bearman dipped into the 1:47s with five minutes to go.
Bearmans next lap was almost a second quicker as the track continued to dry out rapidly in the final moments. Vidales, Martins and then Edgar each the took the top spot in quick succession before Bearman restored his name to the top of the times on 1:44.873.
Qualifying-
Alexander Smolyar claimed pole position for MP Motorsport after a qualifying session interrupted by a significant red flag. Isack Hadjar crashed out of qualifying midway through the session which saw him end up 16th.
In the title race, Zane Maloney led the way, qualifying second for Trident ahead of teammate Roman Stanek in P3. Victor Martins, Arthur Leclerc and Oliver Bearman followed nose to tail, fourth,fifth and sixth on the grid with Jak Crawford ended the session eighth for PREMA.
The title contenders took two of the three top spots following the first laps, Stanek first ahead of Hadjar in P2. Leclerc slotted into seventh after a huge snaps of oversteer out of the second Lesmo.
As the third laps filtered through, Hadjar looked set to take the fastest lap with two good sectors. Through Parabolica, he ran wide, picked up gravel and then spun into the barriers and bringing out the red flag.
The full top 10 are- P1: Smolyar, P2: Maloney, P3: Stanek, P4: Martins, P5: Leclerc, P6: Bearman, P7: Alatalo, P8: Crawford, P9: Edgar and P10: Marti.
Day 2-
Franco Colapinto won the Monza Sprint Race from pole position, winning ahead of Oliver Bearman after the PREMA Racing man put in a great drive to secure P2. Collet, ended up P3 after holding off a number of threats behind for a podium result.
Martins, Hadjar and Leclerc all had contact at some point during the Sprint Race and fell down the order, it was Bearman though who secured the best result to give himself a real chance of the championship.
The Safety Car came out on lap 4 after Zak O’Sullivan came unstuck into Turn 1. Missing his braking point, he had to take avoiding action to steer clear of his teammate and tagged the barriers as a result.
Hadjar’s title hopes suffered another blow on the restart after he damaged his front wing in contact with Maini. He was forced to pit for a new one on Lap 10.
The full top 10 are- P1: Colapinto, P2: Bearman, P3: Collet, P4: Maloney, P5: Edgar, P6: Saucy, P7: Crawford, P8: Leclerc P9: Marti and P10: Martins.
Formula Motorsport Limited (FML) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Formula 1 Global Partner, Aramco to introduce the use of sustainable fuels in both championships from 2023.
It demonstrates how the FIA Forula 2 and Formula 3 Championships are pioneers in this important area of development, whilst continuing to bring the FIA Formula One World Champions of the future through the single-seater pyramid.
The agreement is subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council approval. It will form part of the wider sustainability strategy announced by the FIA and Formula 1 which will see the sport become net zero carbon by 2030.
By 2026, all FIA Championships will be required by regulation to power their cars with 100% sustainable fuels. A key milestone in the journey will be the introduction of a 100% sustainable fuel from the 2026 F1 season, alongside the next generation hybrid power units.
Sustainability is at the top of the global motor sport agenda, and it is vital to see this work not only going on in Formula 1, but also in Formula 2, Formula 3 and throughout the entire ecosystem. Our sport is developing and evolving rapidly and it will continue to lead the way, pioneering the technologies, including sustainable fuels, that will be crucial to tackle climate change. We are a key part of the solution to the problems we are facing worldwide, and the partnership is going to bring huge benefits to the sport and to the wider industry.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President.
Aramco is a leader in this space and, subject to the approval of the FIA World Motor Sport Council, will deliver our sustainable fuel ambitions, working closely with our colleagues in F2 and F3, who not only bring through the drivers of the future but offer a superb testing ground for the latest engineering in motorsport. In 2026, F1 will move to zero-emission sustainable fuel that offers a game-changing solution for the automotive sector and beyond. With the support of Aramco and all our manufacturers, we can accelerate the sector’s move to net zero.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO Formula 1.
Sustainability is a top priority in today’s world, and we have been working on making our sport more sustainable for some time now. The goal to switch to synthetic fuel can only be achieved through the partnership with a company of the scale of Aramco, which is determined to produce advanced sustainable fuel in the near future. It’s easier to implement such a significant change in F2 and in F3, as they are single-make categories with single suppliers. We’re very happy to undertake an innovation role – as we did last season with the introduction of the 18-inch tires now used in F1 – and take the first steps towards synthetic sustainable fuel.
Dominating the front row were two black and white ART Grand Prix cars, as Correa lined up on reverse grid pole ahead of teammate Saucy, whilst O’Sullivan and Collet lay in the second row.
In his Formula 3 race, Sebastian Montoya found himself sitting in P6 meanwhile title protagonists could be found up and down the field, with Hadjar in seventh ahead of Stanek and Crawford in ninth and tenth. The third ART of Martins lined up P11, whilst PREMA Racing’s Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc started in P13 and P20.
Collet, was ready for his opportunity to pounce on Lap 4 and take the race lead from Correa. Attempting to make the move stick around the outside of Turn 1, the Brazilian dipped his wheels across the kerbs into Turn 3.
Things began to settle down towards the mid point of the race as the medium Pirelli compounds began to fade, leaving those who managed the yellow-walled tyres the best with the upper hand towards the latter end of the 21 lap sprint race.
Approaching the final seven laps, Bearman’s defence came un-done with a wobble into Turn 4. The Ferrari Academy driver went over the kerbs and across the grass , dropping him behind Stanek.
The full top 10 are- P1: Collet, P2: Correa, P3: O’Sullivan, P4: Edgar, P5: Saucy, P6: Hadjar, P7: Martins, P8: Montoya, P9: Crawford and P10: Stanek.
Day 3-
Martins would have been rubbing his hands with glee as the ART GP driver nailed his getaway off the line, immediately going side-by-side with Maloney up the inside of Turn 1. The Trident driver attempted to cover him off but went wide soaring over the kerbs.
Futher back, Bearmans day went from bad to worse. A poor start saw the Ferrari Academy driver junior loosing three places at lights out, allowing Leclerc to close in on his teammate.
With the battles showing no sign of settling down, it wasn’t long until the Safety Car made its first appearance of the weekend Lap 4. Brad Benavides was caught out by William Alatalo’s braking point into Turn 2 and sending both into the gravel and then retire.
There was no doubt Martins was beginning to struggle. A rough looking left front tyre left him vulnerable to Colapinto behind but the Van Amersfoort driver couldn’t get past him.
The full top 10 are- P1: Maloney, P2: Martins, P3: Colapinto, P4: Stanek, P5: Hadjar, P6: Crawford, P7: Collet, P8: Montoya, P9: Edgar and P10: Bearman.
We now only have one round remaining next weekend, and we are in Monza, will we be finding out who is going to be our Formula 3 2022 Champion!
Victor Martins’ effort to reignite his fight for the title after a difficult weekend last time out in Spa, were given a boost after the ART Grand Prix driver led the way during the opening session in Zandvoort.
Laying down a benchmark of 1:25.688 ahead of the all-important qualifying, he went nearly four-tenths clear of the MP Motorsport duo, Caio Collet and Alexander Smolyar.
It was a leisurely start to the session with only five drivers setting a time during the opening 12 minutes, as Francesco Pizzi set a 1:18.014 to go half a second clear of his teammate David Schumacher.
Brand Benavides didn’t have the ideal start to the weekend off the back of his maiden points finish in Spa-Francorchamps, going off into the gravel at Turn 9 to bring out the Virtual Safety Car.
Qualifying-
Zane Maloney exuded confidence as he claimed his second pole position of his rook rookie season, whilst Victor Martins reignited his title hopes by securing a spot on the Feature Race front row.
After two virtual safety car appearances in practice, it was no surprise that a queue of cars formed along the pit lane as the lights went green, with the whole field eargely heading out early and try to get a banker lap in.
As the clock started to tick down to 16 minutes, it seemed the perfect time for Caio Collet and the rest of the field to head back out on track. But off the back of his maiden victory last time out in Spa, Maloney set about claiming his spot on the front row for the third consecutive race.
Lining up on reverse grid pole, Juan Manuel Correa will be hungry for his first podium finish of the 2022 season in Sprint Race. He’ll have familiar company on the front row in the form of ART teammate, Gregoire Saucy.
The full top 10 are- P1: Maloney, P2: Martins, P3: Crawford, P4: Stanek, P5: Colapinto, P6: Hadjar, P7: Montoya, P8: Edgar, P9: Collet and P10: O’Sullivan.
Zak O’Sullivan retained the lead from pole into La Source with teammate Benavides attempting to wrestle second from Juan Manuel Correa. With the two on the Kemmel Straight, the ART driver turned defence into attack, taking the lead but only momentarily.
Title rival, Victor Martins meanwhile had made his way up to 16th by the time the Safety Car was deployed but had jumped the start, he was handed a drive-through penalty as a result.
A wide moment, from Oliver Goethe heading into Stavelot left the Campos driver under pressure from the Trident duo of Roman Stanek and Zane Maloney. Stanek was able to clear the Monegasque driver for fifth but contact on the exit of Blanchimont between Goethe and Maloney resulted in a big crash for the pair, but thankfully both drivers were able to walk away from their cars.
Leclerc’s charge continued at the expense of Benavides, another DRS pass down the Kemmel Straight moved him up to fifth position and within range of Edgar as a result of the latter’s pending time penalty.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bearman, P2: Stanek, P3: Smolyar, P4: Edgar, P5: Leclerc, P6: Alatalo, P7: Vidales, P8: Benavides, P9: Hadjar and P10: Collet.
Day 3-
Having become the seventh different driver to take pole this season, Collet lined up on the front row along side Maloney whilst four of the top five in the Championship found themselves starting P20 or lower.
Maloney’s time out front didn’t last long as he was ordered to give the place back by his team. In the mean time, Goethe had gotten past Collet for P2, forcing the Trident to drop down to third behind the MP in order to return the position.
Disaster soon struck for title contender, Martins. The ART Grand Prix driver found himself collected in chaos ahead as Kush Maini overshot the corner sending him into the side of Pizzi, tagging Ido Cohen and Martins.
No sooner than the action resumed did the safety car return to the track after Gregoire Saucy and Josep Maria Marti touched wheels, resulting in the early retirement of a second ART car.
Having been handed a five second penalty for rejoining the track unsafely, Collet knew it was time to be strategic as he battled with Stanek for second.
As the penultimate lap began, it was Bearman’s time to strike as Goethe went too deep into Turn 1, the pair flew up side-by-side into Eau Rouge, but the Prema Racing driver cautiously decided to back out and go again one lap later.
The full top 10 are- P1: Maloney, P2: Stanek, P3: Bearman, P4: Goethe, P5: Edgar, P6: Collet, P7: Vidales, P8: Alatalo, P9: Smolyar and P10: Ushijima.
We don’t have long to wait till the next round, we are back next weekend and are in Zandvoort for Round 8, we only have two rounds left now…
Reece Ushijima left the rest well adrift after his 2:05.172s put him above anyone else on the grid. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver ended the session over a second clear of anybody else, with Campos enjoying a 2-3-4.
Jenzer Motorsport’s William Alatalo set the first representative time on a 2:09,590s but that was bettered by Carlin driver Brad Benavides with the American setting a 2:09.421s soon after.
Roman Stanek came to a halt on the Kemmel Straight with just over 10 minutes remaining of the session, briefly bringing out yellow flags before the Trident driver was able to get his car restarted to continue.
The full top 10 are- P1: Ushijima, P2: Goethe, P3: Vidales, P4: Marti, P5: O’Sullivan, P6: Stanek, P7: Hadjar, P8: Maloney, P9: Edgar and P10: Bearman.
Qualifying-
Caio Collet, put his foot to the floor to storm his way to his first Formula 3 pole position, mastering the wet to drying conditions in Spa-Francorchamps to become the seventh different driver to take pole in as many rounds.
There was no shortage of contenders in the fight for P1 in the fight for P1 as last-minute improvements mixed up the order but it was the MP Motorsport driver who reigned supreme, over two tenths clear of Maloney.
Downpours during the break between Practice and Qualifying forced the whole field to bolt on the wet weather Pirelli tyres and given the conditions it was no surprise that the track was immediately full of action.
The session soon ground to a halt with 19 minutes on the clock, as Jak Crawford found himself facing the wrong way. In his attempt to sprint his car around, the driver got caught out by the gravel trap and was forced into a frustratingly early end.
Even the appearance of the chequered flag didn’t mean that the order was final. Maloney leaped half a second clear of his teammate but there was nothing he could do to stop Collet’s final effort of 2:11.289.
The full top 10 are- P1: Collet, P2: Maloney, P3: Pizzi, P4: Goethe, P5: Stanek, P6: Edgar, P7: Smolyar, P8: Bearman, P9: Colapinto and P10: Benavides.
Caio Collet, brought home his first win in Formula 3 in an impressive fassion mastering the wet to drying conditions in a race of attrition that caught several of the title contenders out.
Starting fourth, the MP Motorsport driver made his presence known, slicing his way through the field and up into the lead before driving off into the distance to finish 8.7s clear of second place Franco Colapinto.
The celebrations continued for MP, as Kush Maini made it at a double podium for the Dutch team having carved his way up from P7 to P3 at the chequered flag.
As the spray faded and the tyres waned, the race turn into survival of the fittest as the field attempted to conserve their wet Pirelli compounds to the chequered flag with five laps remaining. Nobody seemed to be immune – Leclerc’s moment of oversteer saw him take a hefty whack over the red and white kerbs at Turn 4.
The full top 10 are- P1: Collet, P2: Colapinto, P3: Maini, P4: Hadjar, P5: Bearman, P6: Martins, P7: Saucy, P8: Goethe, P9: Stanek and P10: Maloney.
Day 3-
Maloney got a great launch but was immediately covered off by pole sitter. The Trident driver tried a move around the outside at Turn 1 but was unsuccessful. It allowed Bearman to get a great driver on the corner exit to make it three-wide into Turn 2.
Behind that trio, Maini climbed up to fourth but was closely watched by Crawford after the pair had cleared Gregoire Saucy off the line. The red and white PREMA claimed P4 on the run to Turn 4 whilst Reece Ushijima was on the move too, rising up to ninth after Lap 1 from P19 on the grid.
Championship leader heading into the Feature Race, Isack Hadjar meanwhile was going backwards. He dropped down to 18th after being forced to take avoiding action at Turn 2 on the outside of the corner.
Towards the end of the race, Correa was flying on his slick tyres and lapping seconds quicker than the race leaders. Edgar displayed just how much quicker the dry tyres were by unlapping himself from Maloney, Bearman and Crawford as they fought for second.
O’Sullivan was another to have swapped the wets for dry tyres down in 17th and was 10 seconds quicker than race leader Smolyar on Lap 22. He passed the ART Grand Prix car of Correa to be the highest placed driver on the slick tyres.
The full top 10 are- P1: Smolyar, P2: Maloney, P3: Bearman, P4: O’Sullivan, P5: Crawford, P6: Correa, P7: Maini, P8: Leclerc, P9: Collet and P10: Martins.
Now we have the summer break, but when we are back we have a triple header, which means the Formula 3 2022 season is coming to an end!
F3 action resumed bright and early this morning, and it was Jak Crawford who hit the ground running almost immediately. Entering the weekend off the back of his first victory in the Championship last time out in Spielberg, the PREMA Racing driver left it to the last second to knock Zane Maloney off the top spot by a tenth of a second.
Ideal conditions greeted the field of 30 at the Hungaroring. The session got underway with the field bolting on their sets of red-walled soft tyres, that they carried over form the previous round, and off the bat Josep Maria Marti got up to speed, laying down a 1:36.144.
Times continued to tumble as David Vidales, Juan Manuel Correa, Gregoire Saucy and Zak O’Sullivan all took turns at the top of the order before Alexander Smolyar followed by Kush Maini put MP Motorsport up into P1.
The full top 10 are- P1: Crawford, P2: Maloney, P3: Leclerc, P4: Hadjar, P5: Collet, P6: Smolyar, P7: Edgar, P8: Maini, P9: Stanek and P10: Villagomez.
Qualifying-
Alexander Smolyar secured pole position around the Hungaroring, avoiding a hectic conclusion to the session following a late red flag stoppage. Though time remained on the clock following a restart with three minutes to go, Zane Maloney was the closest anyone got to the MP Motorsport driver, ending the session second fastest 0.126s down.
The track fell quiet with 10 minutes gone, Collet leading from Isack Hadjar and Victor Martins. Debutant, Oliver Goethe climbed up to P6 on his second flying lap for Campos Racing but lost his time for exceeding track limits at Turn 4 dropping him down to P10.
None of the PREMA drivers had recorded a lap time in the opening half of the session due to deletions because of track limits violations. Purple sectors across the board from Arthur Leclerc which put him in P1 with a 1:32.912, whilst teammate Jak Crawford couldn’t quite match. Bearman meanwhile managed to go better than both to secure a PREMA 1-2-3.
The full top 10 are- P1: Smolyar, P2: Maloney, P3: Bearman, P4: Leclerc, P5: Saucy, P6: Maini, P7: Crawford, P8: Martins, P9: Collet and P10: Hadjar.
Christian Mansell is racing for Charouz Racing System this weekend in Budapest. The Czech team confirmed that Mansell would be competing in both Rounds 6 & 7 of the season in Budapest and Spa in place of Zdenek Chovanec in the #15 car.
The 17 year old, has been racing in EuroFormula Open this year and is currently second in the Drivers’ standings. He has secured multiple wins and podium finishes already this season, including runner-up results at both Hungary and Spa.
The Australian driver, who is racing under a British license said that he was looking forward to the challenge of jumping into a Formula 3 car and his hoping his experience would bode well around both upcoming circuits.
I’m super excited to be joining FIA Formula 3 with Charouz Racing System. This is a fantastic opportunity for me to put myself against an incredibly talented grid of drivers and get my name out there racing on the Formula 1 weekends. It will be my first time in the car so there will be a lot to learn from the start, but I like both circuits so I will be able to hit the ground running with those. I’m mega excited and can’t wait to get started this weekend in Hungary.
Mansell on his opportunity this weekend.
I’m really happy to welcome Christian in the team and I’m looking forward to see him in the car. He’ll need all of our support to get confident with a single-seater different from the ones he already raced with, but I’m confident that it will happen very naturally and very quickly given how talented he is. The fact that he already had experiences at both Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps is definitely an optimum starting point for his debut. The team and I are really excited to have him on board, I’m sure that he’s excited too and he’ll show everybody what he’s capable of.
Campos Racing has announced that Oliver Goethe will replace Hunter Yeany for the sixth round of the 2022 FIA Formula 3 season in Budapest this weekend.
Yeany was forced to withdraw from the previous round in Spielberg after sustaining a broken wrist in the Sprint Race. The American rookie still managed to finish the race but pulled out of the Feature Race the following day.
Seizing the opportunity, Goethe is determined to gain lots of knowledge and an understanding about the car at a track he is fairly familiar with.
After beginning his single-seater career in Spanish F4 in 2019, Goethe made the step up to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2021. Earlier this year he competed in the Formula Regional Asian Championship and won on his debut in the 24H GT Series, taking victory in his GT4 class at the Dubai 24H.
Currently, the Danish-German driver, who is racing under a Monegasque licence, sits at the top of the Euroformula Open Championship standing, with eight wins and four podiums to his name across the first five rounds including a victory in the Hungarian capital earlier this month.
I’m extremely excited to make my FIA F3 debut this weekend with Campos! I can’t wait to try out the car and compete amongst the best! It’ll be a great learning experience and I will make the most of it.
Showers overnight saw Practice commence around a slippery Red Bull Ring. Fortunately for the 30 drivers the rain held at bay for the whole session, as they took the time to make some exploratory laps on the wet tyres.
Immediately getting to grips with the challenging conditions, Trident’s Roman Stanek laid down a cautious but representative 1:30.622, before he and MP Motorsport’s Alexander Smolyar began to trade fastest times.
At the halfway point, it was clear the wet tyre had served their purpose as a dry line had started to form around the Red Bull Ring, taking a gamble, the first driver to switch over to slicks was Arthur Leclerc. Turning the timing screens purple, times tumbled as drivers began clocking in their best laps of the session, the change in conditions saw lap times over 10 seconds quicker than those at the start.
Arthur Leclerc finished the practice session on the top spot, with Smolyar finished 2nd and Jonny Edgar 3rd.
Now onto qualifying, HiTech’s Grand Prix, Isack Hadjar claimed his first Formula 3 pole position, going two-tenths clear of title rival and Championship leader Victor Martins who will join his fellow Frenchman on the front row.
Oliver Bearman bettered PREMA Racing teammate, Arthur Leclerc for P3, whilst Kaylen Frederick made it two Hitech’s in the top five.
There was no sign of the damp conditions that drivers dealt with in practice, but the wind had picked up from the morning session as Caio Collet was warned of a headwin into Turn 3.
Day 2-
Caio Collet covered off Correa to retain the lead into the first corner, whilst Franco Colapinto challenged Crawford for third. Further back it was as much as four wide entering Turn 3.
Correa got a run into Turn 4 and went around the outside of the MP Motorsport car to take the lead. Colapinto also managed to sneak through on Crawford in the same place before a Safety Car was deployed.
The Safety Car was withdrawn entering Lap 4, and it was three Tridents that were instantly wheel to wheel, as Zane Maloney and Roman Stanek scrapped, Jonny Edgar slipped up the inside of the pair of of them at Turn 4. Corrrea’s strong start was for nought as on Lap six he coasted to a halt front he race lead to leave Collet at the head of the field.
On the next lap, Oliver Bearman made a late dive down the inside of Stanek to steal sixth position, however his move opened the door for Leclerc at Turn 4 and both PREMA drivers were through on the Trident man.
But it was Jak Crawford who wins his first F3 race, Caio Collet in 2nd and Franco Colapinto finished 3rd rounding out the podium. The rest of the top 10 are: P4: Leclerc, P5: Stanek, P6: Frederick, P7: Edgar, P8: Martins, P9: Smolyar and P10: Hadjar.
Day 3-
A big challenge arrived for the grid for the Feature Race, as heavy rain at the Red Bull Ring saw the drivers face a contest of attrition on wet tyres, with standing water everywhere and spray creating a lack of visibility, it was up to maiden pole-sitter Hadjar to lead the field away in a rolling start.
Despite never started from the front row in Formula 3, Hadjar nailed his launch allowing him to hold off an attack from Championship leader Martins. However, an error saw the rookie run wide into Turns 1 and 9, allowing fellow Frenchman Martins to close in on him.
The pair’s duel wasn’t slowing them down, as they continued to pull a gap to the PREMA duo of Bearman and Leclerc behind. As predicted, conditions began to east and a drier line began to form along the circuit, with the field urgently searching for wet patches of tarmac in order to run the blue walled tyres to the end of the race.
Outside the points, the two Charouz Racing System drivers of Francisco Pizzi and Zdenek Chovanec made contact whilst Josep Maria Marti charge to try to claim his first points finish in F3 took a knock.
But it was Hadjar who took the win in Austria, Victor Martins finished 2nd and Oliver Bearman grabs another podium in the bag! The rest of the top 10 are: P4: Leclerc, P5: Maloney, P6: Stanek, P7: Colapinto, P8: Smolyar, P9: Alatalo and P10: Cohen.
We are back in less than 3 weeks for round 6 at Budapest, Hungary on the 29th to 31st July, where the championship is hotting up!
Holding his nerve until the final few minutes of the race, Isack Hadjar took the victory out of Victor Martins hands, with a breath-taking lunge around the ART Grand Prix driver on the penultimate lap was enough to secure his second Formula 3 win in his rookie season.
Martins was forced to settle for second after sustaining pressure from rookie, Reece Ushijima in the final few laps, a brilliant effort from the Van Amersfoort Racing driver, who started on reverse grid pole, paid off to seal his maiden F3 podium in third.
12th placed qualifier, Reece Ushijima had a little bit longer to wait to get off the line in his highest ever starting position. Ushijima had to led the field for a second formation lap after an issue for a slow Brad Benavides led to an aborted start.
Determined to make up for a disappointing Fridays, Martins wasted no time driving up the inside of Ushijima to snatch the lead of the race and the VAR racer found himself under a bit of pressure from Maini going side-by-side in the opening sectors.
But the full top 10 are- P1: Hadjar, P2: Martins, P3: Ushijima, P4: Maini, P5: Frederick, P6: Stanek, P7: Maloney, P8: Leclerc, P9: Bearman and P10: Crawford.
Day 3-
Zak O’Sullivan covered off Arthur Leclerc to retain the lead in the opening corners. Jak Crawford fought with Zane Maloney for third but was squeezed out by the Trident driver, allowing PREMA teammater Ollie Bearman to gain a run onto the Wellington Straight. The Briton tried to hang it around the outside, but Maloney made his Trident as wide as possible, heading into Luffield, Bearman didn’t back out which resulted in contact which spun the Bajan off track and down the order.
Looking at the front of the gird, Leclerc had fought back and with a two down Hangar Straight, swept around the outside of O’Sullivan into Stowe. Just as the move happened the Safety Car was deployed and Leclerc relinquished the position to the Brit.
O’Sullivan got a good restart, but Leclerc had clung with him and with DRS enabled on Lap 6, the Monegasque made a move and led the race. Hadjar and Crawford were fighting for fifth and the pair came to blows on Lap 8. Side-by-side out of the final corner and down the main straight, the duo entered Abbey with Crawford on the outside but just ahead, Hadjar narrowly clipped the rear right tyre of the PREMA driver, sending him off track and down to P8.
A slight collision between Gregoire Saucy and Roman Stanek required both to pit at the end of lap 9 for repairs. The ART GP driver was able to re-join but the Trident driver was out of the race. Another Safety car was deployed, following a crash for Rafael Villagomez at Copse. Contact with Nazim Azmna resulted in the front wing becoming stuck underneath the VAR driver’s car, sending him straight into the barriers.
With just three laps remaining, the top five was separated by just 1.5s, Bearman had been shaping up a move on Collet for several laps and finally made a lunge into Brookland on the penultimate lap for third.
However, Leclerc was untroubled and secured his third victory in F3 and his first of the 2022 season! O’Sullivan came home to finish 2nd, his first podium in F3 and infront of his home crowd. And Ollie Bearman finished the podium places, in front of his home crowd aswell.
The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: O’Sullivan, P3: Bearman, P4: Collet, P5: Hadjar, P6: Crawford, P7: Martins, P8: Edgar, P9: Vidales and P10: Ushijima.
We don’t have long to wait until we see F3 cars back on track, we are returning next week for Round 5 at Spielberg, Austria from the 8th to 10th July!
All three MP Motorsport cars were on track immediately to make the only practice session of the weekend. The track started to fill up slowly with just under half the field during the opening 10 minutes.
Barcelona Sprint Winner, David Vidales traded the top sport with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Franco Colapinto during the initial stages as representative times filtered through.
Championship leader, Victor Martins was pushing the limits at Copse corner, which saw him run wide and scraping the floor over the exit kerbs, loosing his laptime for exceeding track limits in the process.
Entering the final 10 minutes of the session, drivers started to search for a slipstream for the final fast laps. Despite almost dropping the car through several corners in the final sector, Hadjar wrestled his car across the line to post a 0.25s improvement to lover the benchmark to a 1:45.116.
But it was an MP Motorsport double punch as Kush Maini leading his teammate, Caio Collet first and second respectively. Kaylen Frederick managed to improve and push himself up in to 3rd.
Qualifying-
Zak O’Sullivan gave local fans an early celebration as he pushed it to the limit to secure his first pole position, as well as writing his name into Carlin history by securing the teams first pole in the championship. Meanwhile, Arthur Leclerc banished his qualifying woes to snatch second as Zane Maloney rounds out the top 3.
Collet was quick out of the box, becoming the first driver to set a flying lap, MP Motorsport were on the pace from the start as Collet’s 1:45.602 was momentarily bested by his teammate Maini before he regained P1.
Traffic and track limits coming in to play as Oliver Bearman set a blistering 1:44.873 which put him up in P1 before being deleted. Meanwhile, the Trident trio were on the charge as Maloney climbed up into third ahead of teammate Edgar, who was returning at his home race following a two-race absence.
As the clock ticked down to zero, a flurry of fast laps once again switched up the order as Leclerc jumped up to P1 but nothing could stop O’Sullivan from pipping the PREMA. Almost identical times in the opening sector mean that there was virtually nothing between the pair who ended the session separated by only 0.027s.
Lining up on reverse grid pole for Saturday’s Sprint Race, Maini has the perfect opportunity to secure a maiden rostrum finish in the opening race of the weekend.
Trident has confirmed that Jonny Edgar will be making his return to Formula 3 at Round 4 of the 2022 season after recovering from health issues, Edgar will be back driving for the team on home soil at Silverstone.
The Briton underwent a recovery process that has been successful and his progress means that he will be fit enough to race next week. Edgar last raced with the time at the first round in Sakhir but was forced to step away from racing to focus on his health.
His return means, that Oliver Rasmussen will depart but the Trident team thanked him for his work and wished him the best for the future and racing career.
Only missing out on a total of 4 races, Edgar already can’t wait to get stuck back into as well as thanking his medical team to return to the competitive championship.
I am extremely delighted to share this amazing news. I have no words to express how happy I am to welcome Jonny Edgar back and be able to follow him on track again. We are absolutely thrilled to know that the British racer, a Red Bull Junior driver, has finally overcome his health issues, winning a battle that will make him even stronger. Trident Motorsport will follow his return with its maximum commitment to help him recover the time he missed in two rounds he was forced to sit out from.
Giacomo Ricci, Trident team manager.
I am delighted to announce that I will be resuming my FIA F3 Championship campaign with Trident Motorsport next weekend at Silverstone. Following my Crohn’s diagnosis and period of illness, I have now improved sufficiently to make my return to racing.As well as my family and friends, I have so many people I would like to thank for making this possible, particularly Dr Helmut Marko and everyone at Red Bull, Trident Motorsport, Dr Phil Batty, Mr Mike Davison, Dr Ally Speight & his team at RVI Newcastle, Sam Village, Jeff Thorpe and The BRDC. Everyone has worked so hard to support me getting healthy again and their unwaivering support will always be appreciated.
Jordan's Track Talk 