PREMA Racing have confirmed that Sebastian Montoya will be returning with the team for a second Formula 2 season in 2026 – completing their driver line up following the announcement of Mari Boya.
Montoya returns with the Italian team having had a strong rookie campaign and having had a strong rookie campaign, and heading into the final round, he has three podiums and finished the season 12th in the Standings.
Prior to that, the 20 year old had two full seasons in Formula 3, achieving several points finishes, including two podiums.
The Colombian driver is now set to continue with the team for a second season in F2, an opportunity his excited to have.
I’m really happy to be with the team again in 2026. I think the work we have done this year has been incredible, we had some ups and downs, but the biggest thing has been the learning process and how we’ve merged together. The work combines really well, and in the end, we all have one goal. I think the mindset for next year is just to keep our head down, keep pushing, and see what it brings. Montoya on the news.
We are thrilled to have Sebastian with us again in 2026. We are confident in his potential, and with the pace he has shown so far this year, we look forward to seeing him compete with more experience under his belt. This year, he proved his ability to learn and progress even in such a testing environment as in FIA Formula 2, and was a great team player all around. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have announced the signing of Mari Boya for the 2026 FIA Formula 2 season.
Boya makes the step up after a strong 2025 campaign in Formula 3, in which he fought the title having achieved five podiums in total, including a victory at the Silverstone Feature Race.
The Spaniard wound up third in the Standings before competing in the 2025 Macau Grand Prix, where he finished second.
The Aston Martin Driver Academy member will now step up to Formula 2 with PREMA, and speaking at the announcement, Boya expressed excited he was to get started with the team.
Super excited about joining PREMA for my rookie FIA Formula 2 season. Really eager to start working with the team. I feel I have a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things go. I’m particularly happy to have longer races than in F3, which I really like, and also pit-stops and tyre deg to deal with. Let’s hope for a good season. Boya on the news.
We are happy to welcome Mari to the team. If we look at his career, we see a strong progression, and in addition to his speed skills, we know he is a smart and hard-working driver. We are looking forward to seeing how these skills will mix with the team, and we are confident he will continue his form to bring home positive results. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have confirmed that Louis Sharp will be driving for the team in 2026 – completing their driver lineup following the announcement of Enzo Deligny and James Wharton.
Sharp is returning for a second campaign in Formula 3 after achieving several points finishes in his rookie season, on his way to finishing 26th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to that, the 18 year old achieved back-to-back title winning campaigns, securing both the 2023 British F4 and 2024 GB3 Championships.
The New Zealand driver will now return for another season in F3, and at the announcement, Sharp spoke of his delight at the opportunity to race for PREMA.
I’m very, very happy and excited for next season . PREMA has a very rich history of winning championships and developing drivers for Formula 1. To be able to say that I’m going to be a PREMA driver next year makes me proud, and already working with the team, I can see how motivated they are and how much they want to win. I’m really looking forward to having a strong season with them. I’m really proud to be here. Sharp on the news.
We think Louis is a really promising racer. He achieved great success at a very young age and showed that there is more to come from him. We are confident he will merge with the team well from the start and that he will be a great fit with how we operate. He has the potential to achieve impressive results in his second year in the series, and we are determined to maximize that potential as soon as possible. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have confirmed their second driver signing for the 2026 season, with James Wharton set to join the team.
Wharton is returning for a second season in Formula 3, following a rookie campaign where he achieved victory in the Spielberg Sprint Race and finished 18th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to that, the Australian driver raced for PREMA for three years, finishing as the runner-up in the 2023 Euro 4 Championship and the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.
In addition to that, Wharton won the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship. His Championship campaign included four wins and a total of eleven podiums across the 15 races.
The 19 year old is now set for another stint with the Italian team, and speaking at the announcement, Wharton expressed his delight to be back with PREMA.
Super excited to be back at my second home for the 2026 season. Going into testing is about getting comfortable with the car and back with the team, and to make full preparations to enter 2026 on the right foot and be able to start strong at home in Melbourne. I missed PREMA a lot. The family I have there is amazing, and everyone in the team is just exceptional people. Wharton on the news.
We are extremely happy to welcome James back to PREMA. We really enjoyed working with him since his very first steps in motorsport. We are proud of his journey, and we truly believe in his potential. To have him on board for 2026 makes great sense, and we are looking forward to seeing what the season has in store for us. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have confirmed their first driver signing for the 2026 season, with Enzo Deligny set to join the team.
Deligny is currently in the middle of a stellar campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, as he sits third in the Drivers’ Standings helped by his three wins.
Prior to that, the 17 year old finished fifth in the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship and fourth in the 2024 Macau Grand Prix.
As well as that, in his debut year in single seater racing back in 2023, Deligny finished fourth in the Spanish F4 Championship.
Deligny is now set to take the next step of his career in Formula 3 with PREMA, and is happy to be taking on his new challenge with the Italian team.
I’m thrilled to be joining PREMA Racing. It’s a great team with a lot of past achievements, and it has seen a lot of great drivers pass through its ranks. It’s a very good chance for me to learn and grow up in my rookie F3 year. I’m grateful to PREMA, my management team, and my family for this opportunity. Let’s have a good season together! Deligny on the news.
We are happy to welcome Enzo to our team. He has seen an impressive growth in the last couple of years, and we look forward to working together in 2025. The FIA Formula 3 Championship is extremely competitive, and it will be for sure a challenge, but we will keep working like we did this year and carry that progress into the next year. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
Doriane Pin will be returning to the F1 Academy grid, for her second season as the Mercedes junior looks to go one better this season.
Scoring three victories and an additional five podiums en route to becoming the Vice Champion this year, Pin will remain behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Academy entry operated by PREMA Racing.
The French racer will also benefit from additional track time, as she combines her second F1 Academy season with a second season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA). Alongside participating in select rounds of the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) over winter break.
Determined to fight for the championship in the Mercedes colours, the Iron Dame expressed her delight at continuing the partnership for a second season.
I am excited to continue this journey together with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and Iron Dames this year. After becoming Vice Champion in F1 ACADEMY in my maiden season, I am extremely motivated to go for the Drivers’ title in 2025. I will be pushing myself hard to improve over the winter and hopefully can enjoy an even stronger season this year. Pin on the news.
Doriane has enjoyed a very successful first season in single-seaters. Making the switch from GT and endurance cars is never easy, as both the driving style and skill set required is different. She has handled that change well, achieving success in several championships and competing strongly in F1 ACADEMY She has scored some notable successes and finishing second overall in her first season in the category is a superb achievement. Considering the progress she has taken this year and the experience she now has, we are confident that Doriane can fight for the F1 ACADEMY title in 2025. We, along with Iron Dames, are looking forward to supporting her as she does so and looking forward to a successful year ahead. Gwen Lagrue, Mercedes Driver Development Advisor.
We are proud of what Doriane accomplished in 2024 and we are delighted to continue working with her in 2025. Transitioning to a new environment in single-seaters, she was focused and determined as she climbed her learning curve while defying adversities. The results proved she has the potential to be a top competitor, and we cannot wait to see where she will be able to go from here. Rene Rosin, Team Principal of PREMA Racing.
Sebastian Montoya will graduate to Formula 2 next season with PREMA Racing the team have confirmed.
The Colombian driver joins Gabriele Mini for 2025, completing the Italian outfit’s line-up for next season.
Montoya completed in his second FIA Formula 3 campaign this year, finishing the season with six points finishes, including a P2 in the Spa-Francorchamps Feature Race.
The Red Bull Junior Team driver started his single seater racing career with PREMA in 2020, racing in Italian F4 with the team and finishing fourth overall the following year.
He then moved onto Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine for 2022 before making the step up to FIA F3 full-time in 2023.
I’m very excited to join PREMA for the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season. It was the first team I worked with and that makes it very cool to see how the team changed. It is one of the best teams in feeder series racing and now in the world. I’m delighted to join forces with it again and cannot wait to get it started. Montoya on the news.
It’s great to be working with Sebastian again. We really enjoyed the collaboration in Formula 4 and Formula Regional and now heading into the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship, we are sure there is good potential to be put to fruition. The step to F2 is never easy, but we are determined to prepare well together at home and in testing and build on that. Rene Rosin, PREMA Team Principal.
Gabriele Mini will step up to FIA Formula 2 in 2025 with PREMA Racing the Italian outfit have confirmed.
The Alpine Academy driver finished as runner-up in this seasons’ FIA F3 campaign, taking one win and four podiums across the season.
Mini has already driven in Formula 2 for PREMA, as he deputised for Oliver Bearman earlier in the year for Round 12 in Baku, He was able to secure a podium finish in the Sprint Race, ending up third on the rostrum.
Earlier in his career, Mini race with PREMA in Italian Formula 4 back in 2021 before reuniting with the team in F3 in 2024 after two seasons away.
The 19 year old is a member of the Alpine Academy and has been since the beginning of 2023. He also took part in the rookie test in Formula E with Nissan Formula E Team.
Very happy to be joining PREMA in FIA F2 and to keep working together for another season. We showed excellent potential and speed throughout the whole year in Formula 3. After the great run at Baku, I hope we will keep working that way to try and fight at the front end of the championship again. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I want to thank All Road Management, Alpine, and everyone involved. Mini on the news.
We are thrilled to continue working with Gabriele. We always kept him in very high regard, and after getting back with him for FIA F3, we are already looking forward to making the next step together. Having an early start was a great opportunity for both, especially because we have maximized it with some impressive results. Preparations for the year ahead have already started and the early signs are definitely promising. Rene Rosin, PREMA Team Principal.
Noel Leon will be moving to PREMA Racing for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season, the Italian team has confirmed.
The Mexican driver completed his rookie campaign this year with Van Amersfoort Racing and managed to earn four podiums and a further seven top 10 finishes across the year.
Prior to his step up to F3, Leon achieved the 2019/20 NACAM Formula 4 Championship title and the 2021 US F4 Championship the following year. He then went on to race in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2022, where he scored 3 points.
In 2023, Leon took part in the Euroformula Open Championship where he won the title. He grabbed 7 wins, 5 poles and 394 points.
Leon recently took part in post-season testing with PREMA at Jerez, achieving the 12th fastest time across the two-day event in Spain.
I am super happy and proud to join PREMA Racing for my second FIA Formula 3 season. I’m very thankful for their trust, and I can’t wait to start working with the team and prepare for the season. I will give my absolute best to fight for both championships. Leon on the news.
Noel put up some impressive showings this year, and we are happy to welcome him for the season. He has valuable experience in the series and great room for further improvement. Having already worked together in the Jerez test, we think he will be a good fit within our team, and we look forward to continuing the work. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have announced the signing of Brando Badoer for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season with the Italian also joining McLaren as a full-time member of their Driver Development programme.
Badoer will graduate to F3 after a strong 2024 campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine where he is currently fifth in the standings with seven podiums.
Not only that, he finished sixth in the 2023 editions of the Formula 4 UAE, Italian F4 and Euro 4 Championships, achieving several podiums across the three categories.
The 18 year old will now step up to Formula 3 with PREMA with the backing on McLaren as he is their recently signed member of the Development Programme, Badoer is excited for what is to come.
I’m really happy to announce that I will be racing with PREMA in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship. Working with all the people here is special, the chemistry is excellent and it makes the work really enjoyable on and off the track. We have had two positive seasons together and I’m looking forward to building on that and I’m sure we will have a good year. Badoer on the news.
Brando is a very interesting prospect, and we are delighted to give him an opportunity for 2025. We have kept an eye on him because we noticed his potential from F4 to FRECA, and we saw him make an impressive step this season. Formula 3 will be challenging, as it usually is, but he has the right attitude to quickly gel with the team and series PREMA Racing Team Principal, Rene Rosin.
We’ve kept a close eye on him over the past year and have been impressed with his performances as a rookie in the competitive Formula Regional championship, so it made sense to exercise our option and bring him into the programme full-time. We look forward to seeing him racing in papaya and supporting his development as he moves to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Prema Racing. Stephanie Carlin, Director of F1 Business at McLaren.
PREMA Racing have confirmed that Ugo Ugochukwu is set to make the step up to FIA Formula 3 with the Italian team next season – which is their first driver signing for the 2025 season.
After a trophy-laden karting career, the McLaren Driver Development programme member graduated to single seater racing in 2022, going on to finish third in the British F4 Championship.
Ugochukwu then had a successful 2023 with PREMA, winning the Euro 4 Championship while he also finished second in Italian F4 and third in the Formula 4 UAE Championships.
He then went on to race with PREMA again this year in the Formula Regional European Championship where he has achieved a podium and numerous points finishes.
Following the announcement, Ugochukwu, who previously took part at all three 2023 post-season tests with Rodin Motorsport, is now looking forward to making the step-up full time.
I’m really happy to announce that I will be racing with PREMA in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship. Working with all the people here is special, the chemistry is excellent and it makes the work really enjoyable on and off the track. We have had two positive seasons together and I’m looking forward to building on that and I’m sure we will have a good year. Ugochukwu on the news.
We enjoyed working with Ugo in the last two years from Formula 4 to Formula Regional, and we think he has great potential. We are convinced that he will be a great fit for FIA Formula 3 next year in terms of approach and driving style. We will soon start preparations and we look forward to helping him make a smooth and successful transition to the new series. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have confirmed that Gabriele Mini will replace Oliver Bearman for Round 12 of the FIA Formula 2 season. It will mark the Italian’s F2 debut.
Mini finished the 2024 Formula 3 campaign second in the standings with PREMA after narrowly missing out on the Drivers’ Championship to compatriot Leonardo Fornaroli.
He secured a race victory in the Monte Carlo Feature Race along with a further four podium finishes en route to P2 in the Standings.
The Alpine Academy driver said that he was looking forward to learning as much as possible about the car and the Championship across the weekend in Azerbaijan.
The 19 year old is expected to step up to an F2 seat next season, likely with Prema given both Mercedes-bound Antonelli and Bearman with Haas are both graduating to F1 for 2025.
He knows Prema very well as he competed for the team in the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championship in 2020, before he went on to link up with Hitech and ART as he competed in Formula Regional competitions.
He then continued on with Hitech for his maiden F3 season last year, but rejoined Prema for the Macau Grand Prix, a relationship which continued into the recently ended F3 season.
Very happy to be joining PREMA Racing for the FIA Formula 2 event at Baku. We had a strong season in 2024, and we have been fighting for the title until the last corner. Formula 2 is the main option for 2024 so it’s also very important to join early at Baku. It’s a good opportunity for me to learn with the new car and series. Mini on the news.
We cannot wait to see Gabriele make his FIA Formula 2 debut. It’s very rewarding to see him graduate to the top junior single-seater series after making his very first steps with our team back in 2020. It will be a useful opportunity for both him and the team. On the other hand, we want to wish Ollie the best in his second Formula 1 start and we look forward to having him back for the final part of the year. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
Temperatures were much cooler for the Sprint compared to Friday’s Qualifying and there was a mix of tyres on the gird, with 12 cars fitted with the Softs while the rest chose Hards.
Two of those drivers on the Hards were pole-sitter Verschoor and his fellow front starter Maini, and while they made good starts, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had fired up his tyres from P4 and went round the outside of the Invicta car at Turn 2 to take second.
His fellow drivers on the red tyres were also flying as Gabriel Bortoleto and Enzo Fittipaldi moved up to P6 and P7 respectively by overtaking Isack Hadjar.
By the end of Lap 5, Antonelli was over two seconds clear out front, while Maini was beginning to close in on Verschoor for P2, with Martins just behind.
On to Lap 7, and Fittipaldi was showing strong pace in his Van Amersfoort Racing car and overtook his fellow option tyre runner Bortoleto for P6, going round his compatriot’s outside at Turn 1.
But as the drivers set of on lap 11, what had been a lead of over two second for Antonelli had now been close to 1.6s. Further back, Maini had also created a gap of over two seconds to Martins, who was now defending from Dennis Hauger in the battle for P4.
Verschoor was now right on the back of Antonelli as they started lap 16, but the PREMA driver was resisting each attack. However, he could not hold on much longer, running wide at the final corner before locking up into Turn 1 allowing both Verschoor and Maini through.
Unfortunately for Antonelli, his lock up had proven costly as he was falling through the field with Martins, Fittipaldi, Hauger and Hadjar all making their way past before PREMA made the call to pit him for a set of Hards.
Back in the midfield, Paul Aron was looking to make up the positions he lost at the start as one of the prime tyre runners and went round the outside of Jak Crawford at Turn 2 for P12, despite the American’s attempts to take back the position at T4.
But as the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver was battling to get back into the points, his Championship rival Hadjar was up to fourth after overtaking Fittipaldi and Hauger on lap 21.
Fittipaldi was also struggling on his softs and after losing out to Hauger and Colapinto, he suffered a puncture on his left front tyre forcing him to pit.
By the final lap, Verschoor had built a two-second gap out front and crossed the line to take his fourth Formula 2 victory ahead of Maini, with Martins taking the final podium spot.
However… Richard Verschoor has been disqualified from the results, as the plank on his car was below the minimum thickness required and lost the race win.
So the new full top 10 are- P1: Maini, P2: Martins, P3: Hadjar, P4: Hauger, P5: Colapinto, P6: Aron, P7: Barnard, P8: Correa, P9: Crawford and P10: Bearman.
Day 3-
It was a slow start for pole-sitter, Paul Aron, made worse by his lock up that forced him to go deep at Turn 1, dropping him to seventh. But it was an outstanding getaway from Martins, who was in the lead before approaching the opening corner after starting fifth.
The Hitech Pulse-Eight rookie’s hope of eating into Isack Hadjar’s 20-points championship lead took an early dent despite the Campos Racing driver being forced to start from the pit lane after leaving for the grid late.
Martins was under pressure from front row starter, Enzo Fittipaldi with Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto just behind them, with Hard tyre runners Zane Maloney and Antonelli in fourth and fifth respectively.
A Safety Car was required moments later when Aron, looking to dive down the inside of Hauger, carried too much speed into Turn 2 and went into the back of Maloney, causing both drivers to spin into a stop.
This allowed several of the soft tyre runners, such as Martins, Bortoleto, Fittipaldi, Hauger, O’Sullivan, Bearman and Hadjar to pit for hards and complete their mandatory stop.
The action resumed on lap 8 with Antonelli leading the way ahead of Verschoor and Kush Maini, the trio yet to pit. The Italian was in good form though, building up a lead of over three seconds to Verschoor by lap 13.
Just behind, Martins now on the better tyre in P4 and putting pressure on Maini. The ART driver was up to third on lap 15, going down the inside of the Invicta driver at Turn 1, with Bortoleto doing the same moments later on Amaury Cordeel for P6, Fittipaldi following through shortly afterwards.
Martins’ next target was Verschoor, and he was within DRS range of the Trident by lap 18 and dived down his inside at Turn 1 to move up to P2. But as he looked to close the six and a half second gap to Antonelli, the Safety Car was called upon with Cordeel having crashed at Turn 4.
Racing resumed on lap 27 of 37, with Martins leading away Bortoleto but they were quickly under pressure from Antonelli who got past both Hauger and Fittipaldi before reaching Turn 3.
Following the Safety Cars, the race became one against the clock and with under nine minutes to go, Antonelli used the DRS to his advantage and passed Martins on the main straight to take the lead.
Further behind, Verschoor was also on the charge and went round the outside of Hauger at Turn 2 to take P5 before getting past Fittipaldi on the next lap at Turn 1.
Onto the final lap, Antonelli had built up a lead of 12s before crossing the line to take his first Feature Race victory of the season, with Martins in second place. Verchoor made a last lap overtake on Bortoleto to take P3 with Fittipaldi.
The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Martins, P3: Verschoor, P4: Bortoleto, P5: Fittipaldi, P6: Hauger, P7: Maini, P8: Miyata, P9: Barnard and P10: Villagomez.
Joshua Duerksen set the pace on the wet weather tyres in free practice, ending the session quickest of all for AIX Racing. The Paraguayan set a 1:58.064 to finish the session on top, with Josep Maria Marti second for Campos and teammate Taylor Barnard in third.
Championship leader, Paul Aron was the first underneath the two-minute mark, setting a 1:59.526 on the wet tyres to go fastest in the opening 10 minutes.
Zak O’Sullivan and DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford then set identical times, though the ART Grand Prix driver recorded his 1:59.884 first to claim P2, with the American third.
With just over 15 minutes remaining of the session, Andrea Kimi Antonelli went to the top briefly before teammate Oliver Bearman took over, going quickest after setting a 1:59.474 leaving the top three separated by just 0.052s.
Franco Colapinto prompted plenty of drivers to return to the track on slick hard tyres, though they all struggled with the surface still damp around most of the circuit.
All that tried the white-walled tyre struggled to find the necessary grip, with late yellow flags courtesy of O’Sullivan running through the gravel at Stowe before rejoining the track, with Marti repeating the off just moments later.
Qualifying-
Isack Hadjar took a hugely important pole position at Silverstone, as the Campos Racing driver led the pack on a 1:39.368, capitalising on an error by title rival and championship leader Paul Aron that left the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver down in 12th following a spin.
ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins making it an all-French front row , while Dennis Hauger found a late improvement to secure P3 with his final lap.
Home favourite Oliver Bearman, recorded the initial time to beat, 1:40.918 putting him a tenth clear of Invicta Racing’s Kush Maini in the early running, until Aron split the pair to go P2, 0.040s down on the PREMA.
Hauger was next go quickest, 1:40.554 but that was beaten twice over. Zane Maloney slotted into P2 just behind Maini who moved up to first on his next lap. Aron then found time to go fastest on a 1:40.181 with 20 minutes remaining.
Getting his first lap on the second set of tyres underway, Aron suffered a spin at Turn 1 which left him with major flatspots as everyone else improved. Title rival Hadjar leapt up to provisional pole with a 1:39.368 in the Campos car.
Having been inside the top 10, Maloney lost a time for track limits to leave Aron in P10, but an improvement from Ritomo Miyata in the Rodin Motorsport car bumped the Championship leader out of the top 10.
Hadjar peeled into the pitlane with a minute and a half to go while the majority continued on their way for a final attempt. Maloney put himself back into the top 10 on his final attempt, going ninth-fastest for Rodin, though he was one of the only improvements in the final minute.
The full top 10 are- P1: Hadjar, P2: Martins, P3: Hauger, P4: Colapinto, P5: Bearman, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Crawford, P8: Maini, P9: Maloney and P10: Antonelli.
Day 2-
After a formation lap behind the Safety Car, racing got underway with a rolling start with heavier rain closing in quickly. Antonelli retained his lead but teammate Oliver Bearman was battling Gabriel Bortoleto in the opening corners and the pair made slight contact, leaving the Brit with a broken front wing.
Bortoleto was undeterred and rounded Jak Crawford on the outside of Copse and into Maggots with a brave move for P4. Torrential rain arrived to close out the first lap as Antonelli built up a 2.5s lead over Maloney in second.
With damage to his front wing, Bearman dropped down the order, losing places to Franco Colapinto, Dennis Hauger and Victor Martins in the space of half a lap. A virtual safety car was then deployed on lap 3 to recover the endplate of Bearman.
As racing resumed, Paul Aron caught his title rival napping to secure P10 from Isack Hadjar on the approach to Maggotts and Becketts. Zak O’Sullivan relegated the Frenchman to 12th into Abbey at the end of the lap, before Hadjar then ran off the road at Turn 1.
After a brief pause in action to allow the rain to ease off, racing resumed entering lap 7, with another rolling start and once again, Antonelli kept hold of the lead.
On lap 8, contact between Marti and Championship leader Aron left both out of the race, while in a separate incident, Hadjar found himself in the gravel following a spin at Copse. This then brought out another Safety Car.
Racing got back underway on lap 13 with Antonelli leading comfortably once more while Bearman made a pass on Hauger at Turn 4 to secure eighth. Colapinto then moved ahead of Hauger into Brooklands and cleared Bearman after the Briton ran through the gravel at Copse dropping him to 18th.
O’Sullivan was on the move next on lap 14, rounding Colapinto on the outside of Copse for seventh position to continued his charge through the pack. Onto lap 16, and the Brit was attacking his teammate but contact between the pair at the loop left Martins spinning O’Sullivan with damage, putting them both out of the race.
Back to racing conditions again and Roman Stanek had been had been hustling Miyata for eighth and the Trident driver secured P8 from the Rodin driver with three laps to go.
Heading into the penultimate lap, Colapinto looked to have cleared Crawford for fifth around the outside of Stowe, but the DAMS Lucas Oil driver fought back into Abbey to retake the spot.
Onto the final lap and the all-Invicta battle for the last spot on the podium could hardly be split, the pair almost colliding several times on a frantic final tour.
Up ahead though, Antonelli was uncatchable and the Italian won his first F2 race by over eight second to Zane Maloney in second.
The full top 10 are- P1: Antonelli, P2: Maloney, P3: Bortoleto, P4: Maini, P5: Colapinto, P6: Crawford, P7: Hauger, P8: Stanek, P9: Barnard and P10: Miyata.
Day 3-
Wheelspin for Hadjar allowed ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins to take the lead while Oliver Bearman got a perfect launch in his PREMA car to rise up to second from fifth on the grid. Both MP Motorsport drivers fell back however, dropping from third and fourth to eighth and ninth, Franco Colapinto leading Dennis Hauger.
Crawford profited to take those two spots for P4, as Gabriel Bortoleto took fifth around the outside of Maloney at Copse corner. That move came just before a lap 1 safety car for the stranded Andrea Kimi Antonelli, stationary at Turn 3 after a spin in the opening exchanges following contact with Kush Maini.
Racing then resumed on Lap 3, but the Safety Car was back out almost immediately after a spin for Joshua Duerksen coming through Woodcote.
Fighting Championship leader Paul Aron for position, the AIX Racing driver got onto the grass that left him spinning into the gravel, but he tagged the right rear of the Hitech en route, which left the Estonian with a puncture and forced to pit.
Hadjar had been close to Bearman’s rear wing, and he got the move done for second place with DRS down the Hangar straight on lap 8. Both pitted at the end of the lap for their switch to the hard tyres.
After a flurry of pitstops, Hadjar closed down compatriot Martins and the ART driver was under serious threat from the Campos behind him. With DRS on lap 12, Hadjar almost pulled off a pass around the outside of Stowe but had to concede the place after running wide over track limits.
Ending lap 18, Hadjar went side-by-side with Martins through the Vale chicane in an attempt to pass but couldn’t get the move done. The Alpine Academy Junior ran wide at the final corner to re-open the door and then went off at Turn 1 to allow Hadjar through.
The ART driver then lost places to Crawford and Maloney in the process as he rejoined at Turn 3, while the American profited from their battle to take the lead of the race from Hadjar entering the Wellington Straight.
Onto Lap 25, Bortoleto was able to clear Bearman into Stowe for eighth position as the fight for the points continued.
Colpainto was back ahead of Martins and into sixth with five laps remaining but his progress stalled out with three to go as those ahead pushed on in pursuit of Crawford.
Despite his best efforts, the American couldn’t pull the gap to Hadjar, who claimed his third victory in 2024 and the lead of the Drivers’ Championship with it.
The full top 10 are- P1: Hadjar, P2: Maloney, P3: Crawford, P4: Colapinto, P5: Martins, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Bearman, P8: Fittipaldi, P9: Hauger and P10: Marti.
It was a great start for Lindblad, as the PREMA driver won out in a three way battle with pole-sitter Leon ans Zagazeta heading into Turn 1 to take the lead.
Zagazeta initially got ahead of Leon, but the Van Amersfoort Racing driver fought back through at Maggotts and Becketts to move up to P2. The Jenzer Motorsport rookie them came under attack from Christian Mansell heading into Stowe but managed to stay ahead.
Mansell though then lost a position on lap 3 as Rodin Motorsport’s Callum Voisin was showing strong pace to move past the ART Grand Prix driver for fourth at the entry to Luffield.
The Virtual Safety Car was needed moments later after Santiago Ramos suffered a puncture following a slight collision with Tommy Smith, with a piece of his tyre needing to be cleared from the racing line near Copse.
The action resumed on lap 5, but the safety car was almost immediately deployed after Max Esterson and Oliver Goethe collided on the entry to Copse, sending both through the gravel and into the barrier. Both drivers walked away from the incident, and they were back underway at the end of lap 7, however there was another collision as Tim Tramnitz and Luke Browning made contact going through the loop.
Alex Dunne was on the move and got ahead of Charlie Wurz for P6 going down the inside at Stowe, before making his way past Mansell for fifth on lap 11. Onto the next lap, and Dunne had dropped back behind Mansell and Wurz to seventh and was looking to retake the position from the Jenzer rookie, but the collided on the Wellington Straight.
Racing resumed on lap 14 with Lindblad two and a half seconds clear of Leon in the lead. Having resisted an earlier attack from Voision, Zagazeta was now outside DRS range of the British driver.
Just behind in the battle for fifth, a DRS train had formed behind Mansell which included his ART teammate Nikola Tsolov, Gabriele Mini, Sami Meguetounif and Sebastian Montoya. Montoya though, having started P17, was on a mission and dived down the inside of Meguetounif for P8 at Turn 3.
Onto the final lap, and Lindblad was now well over six seconds clear out in front as he crossed the line to win on home soil. Leon finished in second while Zagazeta achieved his first Formula 3 podium by finishing third.
The full top 10 are- P1: Lindblad, P2: Leon, P3: Zagazeta, P4: Voisin, P5: Tsolov, P6: Mini, P7: Montoya, P8: Meguetounif, P9: Van Hoepen and P10: Fornaroli.
Day 3-
It was a dramatic start to the day as light rain prior to the race getting underway promoted 28 of the 30 drivers to switch to the wet tyres, with Rodin Motorsport’s Voisin and Piotr Wisnicki the only ones to stick to slicks.
But as the cars rounded the track on the formation lap, the rain stopped causing several drivers to pit for Hards prior to lights out.
Pole-sitter, Luke Browning made a strong start from pole on his wets, while Leonardo Fornaroli was on the charge as he made his way past Trident teammate Sami Meguetounif before going round the outside of Max Esterson at Maggots and Becketts for second.
But a Safety Car was required as Cian Shields stopped by the side of the track at Turn 3, just as his HItech teammate Browning was told that more rain was expected.
We were back racing on lap 3, as Voisin put his slick tyres to use, going round the outside of Esterson at Turn 3 before getting past Fornaroli down the Wellington Straight. He then took over the lead of the race from Browning on the run down to Copse corner.
Voisin, who had a five second lead at one stage, was then handed a 10 second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in his overtake on Esterson.
But we were back racing on lap 8 and this time around it was the wet tyre runners making the moves with Browning and Fornaroli getting past Voisin in the first sector. Tramnitz was a major winner in this situation as having pitted for the wets he came from the back to P7 ahead of Hitech debutant James Wharton.
Another Safety Car was required on lap 9 though after Joshua Dufek spun at the exit of Stowe, causing Alexander Dunne and Sebastian Montoya to crash into the barriers as they looked to avoid the AIX Racing car.
We had now entered the final 15 minutes of the race and with the pack now bunched up together, PREMA came on the radio to tell Mini, now in P23, that the rain was stopping soon.
As racing resumed, Browning extended his lead over Fornaroli to over one second, while Leon went round the outside of Esterson at Stowe to take P3.
With 10 minutes to go, it looked like we had reached the crossover point with slick tyre runners Voisin, Lindblad and Mini slowly beginning to make their moves through the field.
With seven minutes left, those on dry tyres started to make their moves with VAR telling Leon that they were quicker by one second a lap. Voisin was up to fourth, Lindblad was sixth and Mini was eighth.
Entering the final five minutes, Voisin got past Browning down the Hangar Straight to take back the lead he had lost earlier. But with the penalty hanging over his head, Lindblad and Mini, who were fighting for P2 just behind him were effectively battling for the lead.
The three drivers were flying at the front as Voisin crossed the line in P1, but with his penalty, he dropped to third. This promoted Lindblad to first giving him a clean sweep of wins, a Formula 3 first in which a driver has won every race during a single weekend with Mini in second.
The full top 10 are- P1: Lindblad, P2: Mini, P3: Voisin, P4: Smith, P5: Wisnicki, P6: Goethe, P7: Fornaroli, P8: Browning, P9: Bedrin and P10: Leon.
Isack Hadjar was fastest of all in the Spielberg free practice session, after he completed a lap of 1:16.441 to set the pace ahead of qualifying.
The Campos racing driver was over two-tenths clear out front of Hitech Pulse Eight’s Paul Aron in second and DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford in third.
It was PREMA Racing’s Oliver Bearman that led the way early on though thanks to a time of 1:17.011, putting him 0.076s clear of MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger in second.
The fastest time continued to change hands and next to top the timesheets was Paul Aron. The Hitech driver’s time of 1:16.680 put him two-tenths in front of ART Grands Prix Victor Martins.
Fresh from his Feature Race victory in Barcelona, Crawford looked to be continuing that fine form as he went up to second, 0.162s off Aron’s leading time.
The Red flags were waved moments later after AIX Racing’s Taylor Barnard pulled over to the side of the road on the main straight.
With the track then clear, the session resumed to green flag conditions and Crawford once again improved on his best effort.
Campos’ Hadjar then took over at the top of the leaderboard on a 1:16.624 eclipsing Aron’s time by just 0.056s. The Frenchman then extended his lead out front on his next flying effort, this time setting a lap of 1:16.441.
No one could improve late on, which left Hadjar with the fastest time ahead of Aron and Crawford.
Qualifying-
MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger sealed his second pole position of the season after a close battle with AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen in a dramatic Spielberg Qualifying.
The Norwegian driver completed a lap of 1:15.487 to lead Duerksen by just 0.008s, as Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top three.
It was Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar that led the way in the early stages though, an opening time of 1:15.828 put him over two-tenths clear of Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Paul Aron in second.
While most went for cool down laps, others continued to push but no one could trouble the top two. Returning to the pitlane, Hadjar had smoke coming from the rear of his car, with the issue ruling him out the remained of the session.
With five minutes left, the final few laps started and after leading the rest of the field around the track, Hauger went to the top of the timesheets with a 1:15.487.
The Paraguayan improved further on his next flying lap to go within 0.008s of top spot, but in the end Hauger held on to pole position with Bortoleto in third.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Hauger, P2: Duerksen, P3: Bortoelto, P4: Colapinto, P5: Aron, P6: Barnard, P7: Hadjar, P8: Marti, P9: Bearman and P10: Maini.
Day 2-
It was a superb start for Bearman as he took the lead from pole-sitter Kush Maini on the run up to Turn 1. The Invicta Racing driver then ost another place to Marti later in the lap.
By the end of lap 3, Bearman was now over two seconds clear of Marti. The Spaniard was also out of DRS range of Maini in third who was coming under attack from Taylor Barnard, Paul Aron and his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto.
At the start of lap 6, the gaps were starting to close, as Marti had moved to within a second a half of Bearman, while Maini was now within DRS range of the Campos rookie.
Barnard though was beginning to loose touch with Maini in the battle for P3, and the AIX Racing driver then dropped down to fifth after Aron dived down his inside at Turn 3. Back at the front, Bearman’s margin had gone with Marti now within DRS range of the Briton, with Maini just behind as they started lap 9.
At the halfway stage of the race, Joshua Duerksen made his way past his AIX Racing teammate Barnard after diving down his inside on the entry to turn 3.
Maini was beginning to struggle on lap 20 and fell out of DRS range of Marti up ahead. The Invicta driver then lost his place on the podium to Aron at the exit of Turn 3 on the next lap, with teammate Bortoleto following the Estonian through at the next corner.
But this allowed Bearman and Marti to escape on the road with Aron and Bortoleto now over a second away from the top two fighting for the final spot on the podium. The battles had also started further back as Duerksen lost P7 to Hauger on lap 24.
By the end of lap 26, Bearman had extended his lead to over one second to Marti while Bortoleto was all over the back of Aron. Just behind them, Maini lost out to the two MP drivers Colapinto and Hauger and dropped to seventh.
Onto the final lap, and Bearman extended his lead to nearly two seconds before crossing the line to take victory ahead of Marti, while Aron held off Bortoleto to take his seventh podium of the year.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bearman, P2: Marti, P3: Aron, P4: Bortoleto, P5: Hauger, P6: Crawford, P7: Maini, P8: Duerksen, P9: O’Sullivan and P10: Martins.
Day 3-
There was drama before the lights even went out, as pole-sitter Dennis Hauger at the start of the formation lap, alongside Kush Maini and Jak Crawford, forcing the three drivers to start from the pitlane.
This then left Duerksen as the lead car on the grid and he made a fast start ahead of Bortoleto with Colapinto in third and Championship leader Paul Aron in fourth.
Colapinto was the lone driver in the top five to start on the softs and he was coming under pressure from Aron and Isack Hadjar who were on supersofts. Further up the road, Duerksen and Bortoleto were now battling for the lead with the Brazilian making the move down the inside at Turn 4 on Lap 4.
On lap 6, Josep Maria Marti lost P6 to sprint race winner, Oliver Bearman, the Prema racer getting past at the exit of turn 3. Moments later, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed with Zane Maloney stopping on track. After his Rodin Motorsport car was cleared, racing resumed with a number of supersoft runners then pitting for the softs.
That included Marti, Duerksen, Bortoleto, Taylor Barnard, Richard Verschoor and Andrea Kimi Antonelli – with the latter stalling in the pitlane dropping him to the back of the field.
Onto lap 18 and Aron had now got past Duerksen, and further up the road, Bortoleto was now right on the back of Marti in the battle for what would turn out to be the lead of the race. The Brazilian driver dived down the inside of his fellow rookie at Turn 3 to take the position.
Enzo Fittipaldi was having a strong day as he made his way past his Van Amersfoort Racing teammate Rafael Villagomez and Trident’s Roman Stanek with Duerksen his next target in P9.
The battle between the two Campos drivers then resumed on lap 32, just as the leader Colapinto made his mandatory pit stop. The MP rookie came back out in P8 behind a squabbling Fittipaldi and Duerksen. But he quickly overtook both of them at Turns 3 and 4 on lap 35, putting him up to fifth and just under three seconds behind Aron.
Out front, Bortoleto’s lead over Hadjar was over three and a half seconds, with the Frenchman coming under pressure from Marti, Aron and a flying Colapinto.
The Argentine took P4 from Aron at Turn 4 on Lap 38, before moving past Marti on the next tour. Onto the final lap, he overtook Hadjar for second but there was no catching Bortoleto, who crossed the line to take his first Formula 2 victory.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bortoleto, P2: Colapinto, P3: Hadjar, P4: Fittipaldi, P5: Aron, P6: Durksen, P7: Cordeel, P8: Barnard, P9: O’Sullivan and P10: Crawford.
It was as you were at the start with Trident’s pole-sitter Santiago Ramos leading teammate Sami Megueounif away with the home favourite Boya in third.
But there was plenty of battling in the midfield with Christian Mansell, Gabriele Mini, Luke Browning and Nikola Tsolov going four-wide down the main straight, with the Australian driver taking 13th ahead of his rivals.
Ramos and Meguetounif were now squabbling for the lead at the start of Lap 3, but the Trident pair then collided at Turn 1. The Frenchman spun off while the former was forced to pit with a puncture.
This promoted Boya into the lead ahead of Dunne and Goethe, but the Safety Car was quickly called upon with Callum Voisin and Nikita Bedrin stopping on track after colliding at the same corner.
The action resumed on lap 7 and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Neol Leon was on the move again. The Mexican driver got past Arvid Lindblad at Turn 5, putting him sixth after starting in P13.
As lap 10 got underway, Dunne was now right on the back of Boya, with Goethe just behind. They had separated themselves from the field as Martinius Stenshorne made the move past Laurens van Hoepen for P4, with Leon later following him through to fifth.
On lap 14 of 21, a DRS train had now been formed from Boya in the lead to Sebastian Montoya in the final points paying position – the Colombian having gone from P27 on the grid to P12.
But it was soon to be bad news for the Campos driver after he made slight contact with Mini at the exit of Turn 4. The Prema driver sustained a puncture causing him to lose control of his car which sent him into Montoya, with both ending up in the gravel and the Safety Car was called upon once again.
However, with so few laps remaining, the Safety Car was withdrawn at the end of the final lap to leave Boya unchallenged to cross the line for his first victory in the championship.
The full top 10 are- P1: Boya, P2: Dunne, P3: Goethe, P4: Stenshorne, P5: Van Hoepen, P6: Leon, P7: Fornaroli, P8: Beganovic, P9: Lindblad and P10: Tramnitz.
Day 3-
It was as you were at the start with Mansell getting a strong launch from pole to lead Lindblad and his ART teammate Nikola Tsolov.
Oliver Goethe though was the one driver to lose out in the early exchanges as he dropped from fifth to eighth, promoting Luke Browning and Leonardo Fornaroli.
Mansell was coming under pressure from Lindblad for the lead and the PREMA Racing driver’s attack finally paid dividends on lap 5 as he went round the outside of Mansell at Turn 1 to take the first position.
Approaching the halfway stage of the race, Mansell was now over a second and a half behind Lindblad, with Browning being told to make the move past the ART driver.
Goethe was able to get past van Hoepen for P6, with the Dutchman now coming under pressure from Martinius Stenshorne.
On lap 17, Lindblad was now well over three seconds clear out front while Mansell had escaped from DRS range of Browning. The Hitech driver was now coming under pressure from Tsolov and Fornaroli as they battle for the final spot on the podium. The Trident driver then made his way past on lap 22, going round the outside of Tsolov at Turn 1.
Fornaroli now set his sights on Browning up ahead, the gap between the pair just a second. Tsolov though was beginning to struggle on his tyres, losing out to Goethe for P6 on the next lap.
Browning and Fornaroli went wheel-to-wheel for P3 on the penultimate lap and further behind, Stenshorne and van Hoepen were doing the same for P7. However, the McLaren junior and ART rookie collided at Turn 4, leaving both with punctures.
On to the final lap and Fornaroli went around the outside of Browning at Turn 2 to take P3, just as heavy rain hit the track.
The full top 10 are- P1: Lindblad, P2: Mansell, P3: Fornaroli, P4: Goethe, P5: Browning, P6: Tsolov, P7: Dunne, P8: Beganovic, P9: Leon and P10: Ramos.
Tsolov got the launch he needed to retain first, but Tramnitz was able to leapfrog the ART of van Hoepen to take second into Turn 1.
Further back and coming through Casino Square, contact between the third ART of Christian Mansell and PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad put both into the wall. Their clash left the AIX Racing car of Joshua Dufek, MP Motorsport driver Alex Dunne and Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Cian SHields unable to avoid a collision behind.
It brought out the Safety Car before the first lap was completed, but with five cars needing to be cleared a red flag followed.
Racing got back underway entering lap 4 with a rolling start and Tsolov retained his lead comfortably over Tramnitz.
The gaps fluctuated between those in the top 10 in the early phases of green flag racing, as Tsolov was able to repel Tramnitz thereby preventing the MP driver from gaining the DRS advantage.
Lap 13, the race was run for Kacper Sztuka, who stopped on the inside of Turn 1 with a puncture after contact with Var’s Sophia Floersch, bringing out a Safety Car once again. It was a short interruption and racing action then resumed going onto Lap 16, and Tsolov re-launched into a decent lead.
Over the line to start lap 20, the gap was up to 3.5s over Tramnitz, who had van Hoepen and Leon charging and within a second in the fight for the podium positions.
The full top 10 are- P1: Tsolov, P2: Tramnitz, P3: Van Hoepen, P4: Leon, P5: Loake, P6: Boya, P7: Beganovic, P8: Browning, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Goethe.
Day 4-
Mini got a good launch to hold onto the lead over Mansell into Turn 1 as Browning followed the pair in third position. Further round the opening lap, Jenzer Motorsport driver Charlie Wurz was left in the barriers at Portier after contact with Rodin Motorsport’s Piotr Wisnicki to bring out a Safety Car.
Racing got back underway entering lap 3, with Mini retaining the lead over the chasing pack but with Mansell was right in his wheel tracks.
Joseph Loake proved overtaking was possible around the Principality, diving to the inside of Mari Boya’s Campos Racing car at La Rascasse on lap 6.
With the opening third of the race run, Mini still had Mansell for company in second, unable to break out of DRS range to the Australian driver, while Browning had dropped several seconds back in third.
ART’s Laurnes van Hoepen was on the move next, making a brave dive to the inside of Van Amersfoort’s Noel Leon at Mirabeau to move into 10th.
Lap 20, and there was three-car collision at Turn 5 involving Leon, ART driver Nikola Tsolov and Sami Meguetounif. The Trident driver was left out of the running, the other pair rejoined but not before the safety car was deployed.
Tsolov had attempted a pass on the inside but tagged the VAR driver into a spin, leaving Meguetounif nowhere to go in avoidance. The Safety Car was withdrawn entering lap 23, and Mini got a good enough restart to keep Mansell behind him.
Loake attempted another pass on Boya, but with the door firmly shut on him at the Turn 6 hairpin, MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz profited to seize eighth position.
Mini repelled the last gasp challenge from Mansell to secure his first victory of the season and his second Feature Race triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo.
The full top 10 are- P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Tramnitz, P9: Loake and P10: Goethe.
PREMA’s Gabriele Mini led the opening session of the Monte Carlo weekend on a 1:27.400 in a session heavily disrupted by Red Flags.
Overcast conditions gave way to rain, ensuring the Italian’s early laptime remained quickest ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli and teammate Dino Beganovic.
There were rumbles of thunder as the session got underway though the drops of rain didn’t warrant a move away from dry tyres. Rodin Motorsport’s Joseph Loake was the first driver of the weekend to use the run-off area at Sainte Devote before rejoining the track.
But moment’s later, AIX Racing’s Tasanapol Inthraphyvasak went off into the barriers at the same place to bring out an early Red Flag. With running resumed 32 minutes remaining of the session.
However, another Red Flag quickly followed as Rodin’s Callum Voisin repeated the same incident as the first red flag at Turn 1 to half the session.
The field went back out onto track with 24 minutes remaining as Mini still led the way with a 1:27.400 for PREMA. Rain began to fall though just as the first flying laps began and it was Sami Meguetounif that this time found the barriers.
With 13 minutes left of practice, the green light was back on and drivers ventured back out fitted with wet Pirelli tyres as the rain intensified, preventing any further improvements.
Day 2-
Group A-
The even numbered cars hit the track first with Oliver Goethe of Campos Racing leading the first 15 runners out onto the circuit.
P2 in the championship, Luke Browning set the first benchmark to beat laying down a 1:26.170. That was bettered by championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli right away, as he put in a 1:25.963 in the Trident.
Browning went quicker as the track continued to improve, recording a 1:24.532 on his next effort to return to P1. Whilst Fornaroli couldn’t get back on terms as he filtered through half a second down on the Brit’s lap.
With three minutes to go Browning found more pace to bring the time to beat down to a 1:24.230, Having gone purple in sector one, Gabriele Mini moved up into P2.
Under a minute left of qualifying and Boya was pushing to the absolute limit and tagged the inside wall at Turn 15, undoing his effort having gone fastest in sector one.
Browning had been up on his time and a fastest middle sector put him on course for an improvement. But exiting Turn 16 he tapped the wall, damaging his suspension and forcing him to abandon his lap.
Mini obliged and set the provision pole time moments later on a 1:23.942, 0.288s quicker than Brownings earlier time.
Group B-
Just at the flying laps were about to get underway, the Jenzer Motorsport car of James Hedley went into the barriers at Turn 1, losing his front win and bringing out the red flags.
Once the session resumed, it was Dino Beganovic that laid down the initial time to beat a 1:25.569, 0.249s quicker than next-best Mansell in the ART car.
Further improvements from the PREMA duo of Beganovic and Arvid Lindblad took the pace down to a 1:24.9 in the Briton’s favour, that was until Mansell leapfrogged the pair with a 1:24.921.
Joseph Loake popped his Rodin Motorsport car up to P2 as the drivers began to push the limits further approaching the closing stages.
Into the final two minutes of qualifying and Lindblad went quickest of all in the first sector, while teammate Beganovic was purple in the middle sector. Just before the Swede could finish his lap, the Red Flags were out as Sebastian Montoya and Charlie Wurz were off at Turn 1.
The full top 10 overall is – P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Loake, P9: Leon and P10: Tramnitz.
F1 Academy has announced that American racer Courtney Crone will join the grid as the Wild Card entry for Round 2 of the F1 Academy season in Miami, in a deal that will see her team up with reigning Teams’ Champions PREMA Racing and shoppable entertainment retailer QVC.
The Wild Card initiative, introduced to help strengthen the talent pool in the regions where F1 Academy races, sees Wild Card entries presented by partners at select rounds of the calendar.
Crone will take to the track at the Miami International Autodrome in a QVC-branded livery and race suit as the series takes its place alongside Formula 1.
The 23 year old driver’s preparation for the entry began two weeks ago in Zandvoort as she got behind the wheel of an F1 Academy car for the first time as part of a two-day Official test event.
Hailing from California, Crone started racing karts at 3 year old and has achieved success in multiple racing disciplines including Sprint Cars, LMP3 prototypes, speedway motorcycles, and most recently Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
The Wild Card entries are designed to promote regional talent and show young women in all our race locations that there is a clear pathway into our sport for anyone who is committed and talented. We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the Wild Card since it was introduced in Jeddah and I’d like to thank QVC for supporting our vision and joining us to present our Wild Card entry, Courtney Crone, for the second round of our season alongside Formula 1 at the Miami Grand Prix. Susie Wolff, MBE, F1 Academy Managing Director.
It’s a huge opportunity that F1 ACADEMY is giving drivers through Wild Card entries, especially in America. It can be difficult for young girls from outside Europe to know how to get into international series like this, and the support that I’ve been given by F1 ACADEMY, and the PREMA Racing team, has been hugely positive for me. I’d also like to say thank you to QVC for their support of the Wild Card initiative here in Miami. I think this is an amazing opportunity to grow both this series and the sport. Courtney Crone, speaking about being the F1 Academy Wild Card.
QVC is a leader in live shoppable entertainment, bringing our customers — largely women over the age of 50 — to unexpected places to discover new finds and experiences. Our new Age of Possibility campaign is all about supporting our customers to live their best and most empowered lives. F1 has been innovating and influencing live sports for more than 70 years. The launch of the all-female driver category, F1 ACADEMY, is a testament to their commitment of elevating women in the sport and we are proud to support this vision and Courtney Crone in the race. Annette Dunleavey, VP, Brand Marketing from QVC said.
The top five remained the same at the start with pole-sitter van Hoepen covering off Stenshorne to retain the lead. His ART teammate and home favourite Christian Mansell stayed in third ahead of the Red Bull-liveried cars of Oliver Goethe and Lindblad.
However, van Hoepen and Stenshorne quickly became embroiled in a multi-lap battle for the lead on lap 3. But this battle brought the rest of their rivals into play, with the top 10 only covered by three seconds.
On lap 6, Mansell was now coming under attack from Lindblad with the PREMA driver taking P3 at Turn 9. Just behind the pair, Goethe lost P5 to his Campos teammate Mari Boya at the same corner.
In the battle for points, Dino Beganovic was on the move in other PREMA car and quickly dispatched Fornaroli at Turn 12 for 9th, the Trident driver then ran wide onto the gravel, dropping him to 15th.
Back at the front, Stenshorne had built a gap of over two and a half seconds to van Hoepen, but the ART driver was then overtaken by Lindblad. As the race moved past the halfway stage, Beganovic was now coming under attack from Sebastian Montoya. The Campos driver made the move past on the run down to Turn 1, with the Swede then losing another position to Charlie Wurz two corners later.
Van Amersfoort Racing’s home hero Tommy Smith collided with the rear of Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak at Turn 1. The Thai racer was out of the car and the race whilst the Australian continued on.
Back to green flag racing, Beganovic made the move past Wurz for P8 at the popular Turn 9. The Austrian ran wide at corner exit, losing further positions to drop him down to 13th.
The full top 10 is – P1: Stenshorne, P2: Lindblad, P3: Van Hoepen, P4: Boya, P5: Goethe, P6: Mini, P7: Dunne, P8: Montoya, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Mansell.
Day 3-
Fornaroli led away from pole, staying ahead of the PREMA pair of Mini and Beganovic. But there was plenty of action at the back of the pack as MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz suffered a puncture after colliding with Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak.
The PHM AIX Racing driver then hit Sophia Floersch and despite both being able to continue to the pitlane, they were both forced to retire with damage.
We were back to green flag conditions, with the top three remaining the same, Luke Browning and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top five with the pair pouncing on the PHM AIX’s Nikita Bedrin to move up the order.
On lap 11, there was more bad news for the Australian fans as Christian Mansell lost two places at Turn 11, with Jenzer Motorsport’s Charlie Wurz and Campos’ Sebastian Montoya overtaking the ART Grand Prix driver.
Beganovic after being given the all clear to overtake Mini for second, and he did just that on lap 12, making his way past at Turn 9. The PREMA driver then quickly got within DRS range of Fornaroli.
Mini’s struggles continued as by the end of Lap 13, he lost another position at Turn 9. A lap later, Beganovic took the lead from Fornaroli at the same corner. Elsewhere, Campos Racing teammates Mari Boya and Sebastian Montoya quickly got past Bedrin, moving them up to fifth and sixth.
The top three were now covered by just a second a half with Fornaroli well within DRS range of Beganovic as the drivers set off on lap 18. Mini was however beginning to show strong pace and closed in on Browning for third.
The full top 10 is: P1: Beganovic, P2: Fornarolli, P3: Mini, P4: Browning, P5: Wurz, P6: Montoya, P7: Boya, P8: Bedrin, P9: Goethe and P10: Mansell.
Doriane Pin quickly got up to speed around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit topping the timesheets in the opening Free Practice session of the 2024 F1 Academy season.
Keeping pace with the PREMA Racing car, Alpine’s Abbi Pulling secured second only two tenths behind. Williams driver, Lia Block made the most out of her final effort leaping up to P3.
Once the lights went green to signal the start of Round 1, the 16 car field ventured out on the medium tyres. Pin set the initial benchmark at 2:09.664.
Times quickly tumbled with both Maya Weug and Bianca Bustamante going top of the leaderboard before Pin once again went fastest with a 2:06.050.
Pushing it to the limit, track evolution meant there was plenty of pace still to be found. Pulling went over a tenth ahead of Pin, but the French driver quickly regained the time to beat, becoming the only driver inside the 2:04s, finishing 0.212s clear of Pulling.
The full top 10 are- P1: Pin, P2: Pulling, P3: Block, P4: Marti, P5: Weug, P6: Lovinfosse, P7: Chambers, P8: Schreiner, P9: Hausmann and P10: Edgar.
Qualifying-
From start to finish, Doriane Pin was the driver to beat in the first qualifying session. Setting a 2:03.472 with six minutes remaining, the Mercedes driver hold on the top spot remained firm, taking both pole positions by 0.785s and 0.684s.
Abbi Pulling and Ferrari’s Maya Weug were locked in a battle for second, with the Alpine driver beating out the Dutch driver for a spot on the front row for both races.
10 drivers bolted out the pits at lights out and immediately set about getting the medium tyres ready underneath them. Pin was the first to get a time on the board, before Pulling went top.
Campos Racing’s trio opted to play the waiting game, holding off their outlaps until 18 minutes to go. It seemed to pay off as Nerea Marti slotted inside the top three on her second effort.
MP Motorsport driver Dennis Hauger made a solid start to this weekend’s action in Jeddah setting the fastest time in free practice.
Hauger led the way for most of the session but completed a lap of 1:43.793 late in the proceedings to lead his nearest rival, Kush Maini by over a tenth.
The Norwegian and the rest of the 21 drivers were quickly out on track setting fast laps on the medium tyre as they looked to get up to speed around Jeddah in the 45 minutes of practice time ahead of Qualifying.
With 15 minutes of running in the books, Hauger had set the benchmark time thanks to his lap of 1:45.558 with Enzo Fittipaldi in second 0.197s behind. Moments later Fittipaldi’s Van Amersfoort Racing teammate Rafael Villagomez brought out the Red Flags after the Mexican driver crashed into the barriers at Turn 17.
The drivers were back on track setting laps with a quarter of the session remaining. The track was now offering more grip which Hauger used to his advantage to improve on his pace-setting efforts twice, before completing a final lap of 1:43.793 to end the quickest of all.
The full top 10 are- P1: Hauger, P2: Maini, P3: Martins, P4: Bearman, P5: Crawford, P6: Verschoor, P7: Correa, P8: Maloney, P9: Antonelli and 10: Bortoleto.
Qualifying-
Oliver Bearman had been targeting a rebound from Sakhir and secured pole position in style in a head-to-head against Kush Maini. The PREMA driver set a 1:42.217 to beat the Invicta Racing driver to pole by just 0.025s. Jak Crawford made a late improvement to secure third on the grid for DAMS Lucas Oil.
At the start, two preparation laps gave way to the first flying efforts, and it was Bearman who set the pace to beat with a time of 1:43.207. Despite having two purple sectors in one and two, Kush Maini filtered through in P2.
There was a larger gap after the top two, with Richard Verschoor leading the next group of runners. The Dutchman set a decent first effort in his Trident as his time of a 1:43.774 saw him go third-fastest.
A return to the pits for fresh tyres gave way to more fast laps and Roman Stanek of Trident was the first to record an improvement, taking provisional pole with a 1:42.747.
Aron then provided the next best effort, lowering the time to beat until Bearman delivered a 1:42.217 to take the top spot. Into the final three minutes and the drivers began their next set of push laps. Crawford lifted his DAMS into third. Bearman bailed on his final lap leaving Maini to finish just 0.020s down.
The full top 10 is – P1: Bearman, P2: Maini, P3: Crawford, P4: Martins, P5: Fittipaldi, P6: Antonelli, P7: Hauger, P8: Hadjar, P9: Verschoor and P10: Aron.
However… Ollie Bearman has now been withdrawn from F2 this weekend as he makes his F1 debut for Ferrari to replace Carlos Sainz who has appendicitis.
Hitech Pulse-Eight driver, Luke Browning picked up from where he left off in pre-season testing, where he ended practice as the fastest driver with a time of 1:47.828s.
Installation laps opened practice, but it was a long wait until the teams and drivers ventured out of the pitlane for serious running. Joseph Loake of Rodin Motorsport led the way with 15 minutes left.
That was until Fornaroli came through to secure the top spot with a 1:48.599, just as a Virtual Safety Car was deployed. Mini suffered a spin at Turn 4, beaching his car in the gravel trap as the VSC quickly became a Red Flag.
Practice resumed with six minutes left of running time and everyone was eager to make the most of it. Browning and Fornaroli exchanged fastest efforts until the British driver crossed the line, with Beganovic being another late improver, moving up to third late on.
Qualifying-
Dino Beganovic claimed pole position for PREMA Racing, setting a 1:46.431 to take the first P1 of the season. The Swede driver left it until the final moments to leap up the times.
After several warm up laps, Max Esterson hit the front for Jenzer Motorsport, setting a 1:47.573 to lead early on, 0.047s ahead of Trident’s Leonardo Fornaroli.
Mari Boya was next to go quickest overall, setting a 1:47.307 though that was quickly beaten. Fornaroli returned to the top of the timesheets, with Beganovic moving up to second.
Once again, the field boxed for the final time and were back out for the final flying laps with six minutes left. Green and purple sectors began to fly and Christian Mansell put ART Grand Prix to the top with a 1:46.843 for the rest to beat.
The full top 10 are- P1: Beganovic, P2: Browning, P3: Mini, P4: Meguetounif, P5: Ramos, P6: Fornaroli, P7: Tramnitz, P8: Mansell, P9: Lindblad and P10: Esterson.
Ferrari Driver Academy member, Maya Weug has been announced as PREMA Racing’s third driver for the 2024 F1 Academy season with the reigning Drivers’ and Teams’ Champions the first to finalise their roster.
Born in Spain, 19 year old Weug started karting aged seven, she went on to become Vice Champion in the Spanish Championship in 2015, before going on to make her debut in the European Karting Championship two years later.
She became the inaugural winner of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars programme and broke new ground, becoming the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021. The same year, Weug made her single seater debut in Italian and German F4, achieving points in her sophomore campaign with a best result of sixth.
Joining the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine grid. Weug went on to claim one rookie victory alongside several top 10 finishes.
I’m super excited to get back on track this season! I’m sure it will be a great season working together with such a prestigious team as PREMA in the second year of an interesting category like F1 Academy. It is a great honor to represent Ferrari again this season and I can’t wait to continue the hard work with the Academy and PREMA to prepare the season the best way possible!
Weug on the news.
We deeply respected Maya as a competitor, and we were always impressed by her potential and achievements. We are really delighted to finally get her on board for the second season of F1 Academy, and we think we will do a great job together. Our lineup is really promising, with three outstanding racers and the support of three great Formula 1 teams. We are proud of the trust we received and cannot wait for the season to start.
Doriane Pin has been announced as the newest member of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme, with the 20 year old representing the German team in the 2024 F1 Academy season.
Competing for PREMA Racing and supported by Iron Dames, Pin switches over to single-seaters after enjoying tremendous success in endurance racing. Starting her career in karting in 2016, she went on to win the 2019 French Championship female category before progressing to the Le Mans Cup in 2021, where she scored five podiums.
2022 proved to be a breakthrough year for the Frenchwoman. Dominating the Ferrari Challenge Europe, she secured nine wins out of 14 races on her way to being crowned Champion. Not only this, her victory at the 24 Hours of Spa and achieving a historic win in the GTE-AM Class at the European Le Mans Series season-finale.
Making the step up to the FIA World Endurance Championship grid for 2023, Pin became the first woman to win the coveted ‘Revelation of the Year’ Award. Last year also saw her get her first little taste of single-seaters, finishing second in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship with one win to her name.
I am incredibly happy to join the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme and to represent the team in F1 Academy this year with PREMA Racing. A new chapter begins, and I am proud to make this next step in such a prestigious team and with the Iron Dames project. I am grateful for their trust and honoured to race for their colours. Moving into single-seaters was a clear objective for my career, and to be in this environment is a great approach. I am working very hard to reach the top level of this sport and I cannot wait to go racing.
Pin on the news.
Doriane is an exciting talent and we’re pleased to begin our participation in F1 Academy with her as our chosen driver. We have kept a close eye on her development in recent years as she has consistently impressed. The fantastic support of Deborah Mayer and the Iron Dames organisation has enabled her to display her abilities to this point; she has taken full advantage of that opportunity with determination and skill. We now look forward to working in conjunction with Iron Dames, PREMA Racing, and F1 Academy, to support Doriane as she takes the next step in her career.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal.
It’s extraordinary for a young woman of 20 to join the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, one of the most prestigious teams in Formula 1. Since her entry into the Iron Dames project in 2021, Doriane has been a demonstration of talent, determination, and exceptional maturity. Becoming a member of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Junior Programme is a promising step in her young career. As F1 Academy has developed, lining-up for its second season promises to be an interesting challenge for her. This is also a wonderful and very positive symbol of the resonance and impact that the Iron Dames project can have in nurturing and blossoming talent. We are proud and delighted to be able to continue to support Doriane as she takes her dream as far as possible.
PREMA Racing have retained Oliver Bearman for the 2024 Formula 2 season, announcing that their partnership with the Ferrari Academy junior will continue for a third consecutive campaign.
Bearman’s relationship with the Italian team began in 2022, where the Brit scored one win and eight podiums on his way to finish third in Formula 3. Graduating to the second tier last year, he delivered an impressive rookie campaign, earning four wins and three pole positions to finish sixth overall.
The 18 year old has already made history on his path up through the single seater ladder since his debut campaign in 2020. In 2021, he became the first driver to clinch both the ADAC and Italian F4 Championship titles before earning a promotion to Formula 3.
I’m really happy to be joining PREMA Racing again in Formula 2. I’ve come a long way as a driver and as a person these two years thanks to them, and I’m excited to continue the work we have been doing into next season.
Bearman on the news as he looks on to build on the rapid progress he has made with the team.
It is great to have Ollie back with us for another year after the great seasons he had with us so far. The way he adapted, improved, and developed is outstanding, and we cannot wait to see what this progress will take us further down the road. We also think that the experience he had this year will help him and the team in adapting to the new car. It’s definitely going to be an interesting and promising experience.
Tina Hausmann has become the third driver announced for the 2024 F1 Academy season, as Aston Martin have revealed that the Swiss racer will representing them in the all-female series next year, competing for PREMA Racing.
Hausmann, first began karting aged seven, going on to compete in the Swiss Rotax Mini and finishing fourth in the OK-Junior series before progressing to Germany’s DKM and ADAC Masters Championships.
This season saw her graduate to single seaters, earning a podium on her debut weekend in the Formula Winter Series and going on to finish 10th in the Standings. Furthermore, she claimed overall victory in the Italian F4 Championship’s female category.
Additionally, Aston Martin Driver Ambassador Jessica Hawkins is expanding her role with the team, becoming their Head of Racing for F1 Academy. In September, Hawkins became the first woman to drive a modern F1 car in almost five years.
As part of her new role, Hawkins will be working closely with Hausmann to provide mentorship and support both on and off the track.
F1 Academy is an incredible opportunity for me; it’s an amazing series that I’m proud to be a part of. I know I’ll learn so much that will really help me as a driver, including the experience I’ll gain from racing at seven new tracks in front of big crowds. It’s going to be a whole new world, but I’m so excited to get started. Representing the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team in the series is a huge honour. My first day at the AMR Technology Campus showed me just what an incredible team it is. I am already so comfortable there and can feel everybody’s full support. Having Jessica Hawkins as a mentor is a real benefit, too; she has so much valuable advice to share. Inspiring the next generation of female drivers is something that’s incredibly important to us both. I’m also very proud to be competing with PREMA Racing. PREMA is a team that every young driver hopes to race for – they’re the best at what they do – and I know that they’ll help me develop as I continue in my motorsport career. There is so much to look forward to, and I want to thank everybody who has made it possible.
Hausmann on the news.
We are extremely delighted to move one step closer to the 2024 season by announcing Tina as a driver for the upcoming series. She showed great promise moving her first steps in Formula 4, and we are convinced that with the support of our team, F1 Academy and the Aston Martin Formula One Team, she will make more progress to become a high-profile contender.
ART Grand Prix has confirmed that Williams Driver Academy star, Zak O’Sullivan will join the team for the 2024 Formula 2 campaign. The Briton has signed with the team after finishing the 2023 FIA F3 season as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship.
Competing with PREMA Racing in F3 this year, O’Sullivan notched up four race wins throughout the 2023 campaign, the highest number of victories during the season.
The 18 year old, has been climbing the junior motorsport pyramid in quick fashion, switching from the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2019 to British F4 in 202, achieving runner-up finishes in both campaigns. In 2021, O’Sullivan secured the GB3 Championship title, with seven race wins and 14 podiums comprising his impressive record that year.
Promotion to FIA F3 with Rodin Carlin followed in 2022, and he earned two podiums and a pole position during his rookie campaign, finishing the season 11th overall. Swapping to PREMA in ’23 he went from strength to strength, going on to finish second in the Championship.
I’m exciting to be joining ART for my rookie F2 season. I’m really looking forward to getting started. The team have a great depth of experience so can’t wait to get going in the Abu Dhabi tests with them.
O’Sullivan on the news.
I’m delighted about the collaboration between Zak and ART Grand Prix. He’s a driver we’ve been following for a long time, and he has consistently elevated his level of performance. His background and mindset align with ART Grand Prix’s mission of supporting young drivers to the highest levels of motorsport. It’s with pleasure and honour that we welcome a member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy. With proper winter preparation, his racing approach and adaptability should enable him to compete at the front.
Sebastien Philippe, ART Grand Prix Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have announced that Red Bull Junior, Arvid Lindblad will round out their line-up for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 campaign, joining returnees Dino Beganovic and Gabriele Mini at the Italian outfit.
Lindblad makes the step up off the back of a successful first full season in single-seaters. After finishing fifth in the F4 UAE Championship, the 16 year old took six wins, 10 podiums and two pole positions on his way to securing third in Italian F4 alongside claiming fourth in the Euro 4 Championship.
The British born racer, enjoyed plenty of success in karting, achieving the WSK Super Masters OK Junior in 2020 and followed that up with the WSK Euro Series title the next year. From there, he made his single-seater debut in 2022 with a three-round appearance in Italian F4 where he earned a best result of seventh, before partnering up with PREMA for the dual campaign this year.
Lindblad has already gotten his first taste of F3 machinery during the six days of post-season testing. Getting 414 laps under his belt, he netted four top 10 finishes, including the sixth-fastest time of the opening afternoon in Imola.
Super excited to be continuing with PREMA for 2024 in FIA Formula 3. We had a great year in Formula 4 together, leading and competing for both Championships for the whole season. PREMA has been very strong in F3 this year, and that’s why I’m really excited and honoured to have the opportunity to continue and move up the ranks with them. We had positive post-season tests together with good progression and steps made, and I can’t wait for the season to get started.
Lindblad on the news.
We were deeply impressed by Arvid this year, and we think he has the potential to succeed a Formula 3 level as well. We will work as hard as possible to ease his transition to such a challenging environment and allow him to be successful as soon as possible. Our driver line-up for 2024 is now complete, and I could not be happier with the team we put together.
Jordan's Track Talk 