From pole position to the chequered flag, Anthoine Hubert did not crack under Lance Stroll’s pressure to take his first win in FIA F3 in front of Prema Powerteam teammates Lance Stroll and Maximilian Günther in a race shook up by race incidents.
Anthoine Hubert started on pole position for the first time in his F3 career in front of Lance Stroll and Maximilian Günther. Fastest in qualifying yesterday, Callum Ilott served a ten-place penalty and another three-place penalty after this morning race, therefore started P15. Let’s also add that Nick Cassidy had been handed a five-second penalty at race 1, making him dropping down from P3 to P6.
After a difficult start, Hubert managed to keep the lead from Stroll after the first lap. George Russell putting a lot on pressure on Guan Yu Zhou for P5. Alessio Lorandi had a contact with Ralf Aron and had to retire. At the same time, his teammate Ryan Tveter pushed Ben Barnicoat on the wall, causing the safety car to come out. Barnicoat had to be carried out of his car before walking by himself.
After eight minutes of interruption, the race was green again. Hubert kept the advantage to Stroll. Like in the first race, the two Red Bull junior drivers battled for their places. Hubert and Stroll managed to build a gap to Günther. Niko Kari and Sergio Sette Camara could not keep it clean and had contact with each other, forcing Camara to retire and the safety car to come out.
At the restart, Hubert again nailed his restart while Nick Cassidy overtook Russel for P6. Russell kept losing places, two in the same lap down to P9. Cassidy touched Kari’s car who regained the track, impeding Russell who again lost a place to Jensen. Meanwhile, William Buller lost the grip in the hairpin and hit Van Amersfoort teammate Harrison Newey and Pedro Piquet. The two British drivers had to retire and the safety car was deployed again. David Beckmann could pit to change a punctured tyre.
Hubert kept the lead from Stroll at the restart, Cassidy could overtake Zhou for P5 from P19 on the grid. On the last, Cassidy overtook Joel Eriksson for P4.
Anthoine Hubert claimed his first win in Formula 3 flag to flag ahead of Lance Stroll and Maximilian Günther. Cassidy -who started P19-, Eriksson, Zhou, Ilott -who started P15-, Jensen, Russell and Aaron complete the top 10.
