F2 and F3 present different awards to complete the 2023 season in a FIA Prize giving ceremony held in Monaco.
F2:
Aramco Advanced Fuel Best Performance Award Winners 2023: Richard Verschoor and Jack Doohan –
A brand-new award for the 2023 FIA Formula 2 and 3 Prize Giving Ceremony, the Aramco Best Performance Award pays tribute to the eye-catching races that stood out during this year’s season. Such was the level of competition in 2023, the inaugural trophy couldn’t be saved for just one driver, and it was Richard Verschoor and Jack Doohan that were each given separate trophies for their respective efforts in the Spielberg and Spa-Francorchamps Feature Races.
For Verschoor, his win came in glorious sunshine in front of a raucous Dutch crowd gathered at the Red Bull Ring. It was also in the wake of the tragic passing of fellow countryman Dilano van’t Hoff. The Dutch driver says that the events that transpired at Spa prior to the Austrian Feature Race was a hugely tough day, but that he raced in van’t Hoff’s memory, producing a sterling drive to victory on Sunday.
Taking advantage of a late-race Safety Car, Verschoor made his mandatory pitstop and switch to the soft compound tyres without losing much track position. From there, he guided his #22 Van Amersfoort Racing car past the likes of Victor Martins, Théo Pourchaire and eventually Frederik Vesti to take the lead of the race with a handful of laps to go.
He then resisted a final lap charge from Ayumu Iwasa to hold onto the lead and take a memorable victory, a year after losing a win at the same venue to post-race disqualification. “It was really a black day in the sport, we all lost a friend here,” Verschoor said in Monaco as he accepted his award. “On Sunday, I think it gave me the strength to do a very good race. It was a very special one.”
Doohan’s exploits included another unlikely turnaround as he transformed his Spa weekend from misery to triumph. With the majority of the grid caught out by a downpour in Qualifying that meant just a few drivers were able to get a laptime on the board in predominantly dry conditions, the Invicta Virtuosi Racing driver started Sunday’s race from P11 on the grid.
He too was the beneficiary of a well-timed Safety Car, making the switch from mediums to softs and coming out right behind leader Pourchaire. The Australian bided his time and made the overtake on Lap 23 before running away out in front to take the second of three Feature Race wins in his season.
“It was a really special day for me as well,” Doohan said on stage in Monaco. “We had quite bad luck in Qualifying, it was a hectic session with the rain as I was starting the lap. To come through and to get the win from P11, I had a bit of luck with the strategy but I think that was where we were meant to be anyway.”
2023 Anthoine Hubert Award winner: Victor Martins –
The Anthoine Hubert Award wasn’t the only trophy Victor Martins walked away from Monaco with at this year’s FIA Formula 2 Prize Giving Ceremony. The Frenchman was also the recipient of the Mecachrome Award for securing the highest number of fastest laps across the 2023 F2 campaign. Martins was the pace setter on Sundays a record number of times in 2023, ending up with the outright fastest lap in six different races.
His efforts were good enough to secure him fifth position in what was his rookie season, finishing the year as the highest-placed rookie in the Drivers’ Championship and helping ART Grand Prix secure their first Teams’ title in the process. Speaking in Monaco on Sunday night, Martins was hugely proud of his and the team’s achievements this year.
“ART and the car have helped a lot! We had a great season. This award shows just how fast we were throughout the season. It’s been a good one, a lot of ups and downs but we’ve been really fast all year long.” Martins was up on stage later in the night to collect the aforementioned Anthoine Hubert Award on what was a night of huge celebrations for the whole ART team.
Dallara Best Overtaking Manoeuvre winner 2023: Frederik Vesti –
There were plenty of contenders across the 14-Round 2023 FIA Formula 2 campaign, but Frederik Vesti was the recipient of the Dallara Best Overtaking Manoeuvre award this year. The Danish driver’s exploits during the Barcelona Feature Race earned him the plaudits at the official Prize Giving Ceremony in Monaco, recognised for an impressive three-wide pass on Dennis Hauger and Zane Maloney.
After making his mandatory pitstop and switching onto the soft tyres as part of his aggressive alternate strategy, Vesti set about making gains as quickly as possible. The PREMA Racing driver was quickly onto the back of the MP Motorsport of Hauger, who himself was lining up Rodin Carlin’s Maloney for a pass down into Turn 1.
It was Vesti though that was the driver in prime position, able to exploit all of the grip he needed to on the soft Pirelli tyres to get a great run out of the final corner onto the main straight. Flying down the pit straight on Lap 26, Vesti committed to the inside line on the very inside of the track while Hauger moved to occupy the middle of the track, leaving Maloney to defend on the preferred racing line.
With fresher rubber that was a step softer than his rivals, the PREMA driver was daring on the brakes and got his car ahead of both approaching the apex of Turn 1. Hauger didn’t give up the fight and stayed alongside Vesti through Turn 2, but with the inside approaching the long sweeping third corner, Vesti sealed seventh position on the road, making two crucial passes in the space of a few hundred metres.
It propelled him into a late fightback as he reached fifth place by the end. “There was some good racing this year and that’s exactly what Formula 2 does the best,” Vesti said as he accepted the award on Sunday night.
F3:
Gabriel Bortoleto celebrates Formula 3 Champion title and Aramco Best Rookie Award –
The driver of the moment, it was high time for Gabriel Bortoleto to celebrate a dream come true as he collected his Drivers’ Championship trophy and the Aramco Best Rookie Award at the 2023 FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 Prize Giving Ceremony. It had been a showstopping campaign from the Brazilian. Despite being a newcomer to the Championship with Trident, he had no hesitation in stamping his authority down from the get-go by securing back-to-back Feature Race victories in Sakhir and Melbourne.
Never relinquishing his hold on the lead of the Drivers’ Standings, the 19-year-old continued to dominate the order by being a consistent performer A further four podium finishes followed alongside an impressive 15 points-scoring finishes, only failing to score on three occasions. Ultimately taking the title following Qualifying in Monza, Bortoleto also became the third rookie to achieve the double. After collecting his Best Rookie Award and Championship trophy, he reflected on the momentous moment and credited those who had helped him on his journey so far.
“Formula 3 is one of the most difficult Championships in the world nowadays right. I think everyone that is in F3 is targeting to get to F1 one day and a lot of important names in Formula 1 have been through Formula 3 and won the Championship as well. So for me, it’s very special. To be the rookie of the season and also winning the Championship, it’s a very special thing for me. To have nailed it in the first year, it’s been incredible.
He added: “I don’t have any words. I can’t thank Trident enough – Giacomo, Maurizio, Rocco, Andrea and everyone for this special season, everyone in Trident for believing in my potential. It has been tough since the beginning, as a rookie coming into the season, they were very brave to believe in me and give me all the possibilities to win this Championship.
“If I’m here today it’s because of them and it’s also because of a lot of effort from my family, people around me that support me, Giovanni, the President of the Brazilian Federation and my girlfriend that is here as well, who has been with me for a very long time and is helping me.
In addition, he was presented with a €300,000 cheque from Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Mario Isola to help him with his progression to Formula 2, with his 2024 seat at Invicta Virtuosi Racing having already been announced. After having his first taste behind the wheel for them at the Yas Marina post-season test, Bortoleto cannot wait to get properly stuck in and given his success this year, he believes can impress once again.
“They showed very good potential in the last few years. Going to a new team for me, we did a test in Abu Dhabi which was very positive working with the team. Everything’s new, so I need to get used to it, but I’m looking forward to it. Putting a number or result down is something difficult because the car is new next year, but I know what with a lot of preparation from our side and the dedication that I see in the team, nothing is impossible.”
Mansell’s charge to the podium in Spa recognised with Dallara Award for Best Comeback of the Year –
In a weekend dominated by ever-changing weather, Christian Mansell stormed his way to the podium, rocketing up the order from P23 on the grid to P2 at the chequered flag in the Spa-Francorchamps Feature Race. It was a feat like this that captured many people’s attention and saw the Australian become the recipient of the Dallard Award for Best Comeback of the Year at the 2023 FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 Prize Giving ceremony.
One of the most exhilarating races of the season was already on a knife-edge from the get-go as a pre-race downpour left the field deliberating whether to opt for the slick or wet-weather tyres. Starting towards the tail end of the order after a disappointing Qualifying, the Campos Racing driver had nothing to lose by gambling on the blue-walled Pirellis, which proved to be the perfect call.
Recognising that he had the potential to be one of the fastest in the beginning stages, Mansell took full advantage, blistering past those ahead to fourth by the end of the opening lap. He then had to weigh up another tough call, whether to follow race leader Paul Aron into the pits to swap for slicks after a timely Safety Car appearance on Lap 4.
Holding his nerve and remaining out on track, the hard part of getting through the field was done, but second-place Mansell had one last car in his sights – Taylor Barnard. With five laps to go, he sat right on the Jenzer Motorsport driver’s tail and risked a move, as the pair almost made contact. Ultimately, he couldn’t find his way through, but that didn’t dampen his spirits after a heroic fightback to earn his second podium of the season.
“The night just got a lot better!” Mansell remarked. “It was mental and watching the video back, all the emotions come back as well. It was such a crazy race and after such a terrible Qualifying, to comeback and have that sort of result was so, so cool.”
Jenzer Motorsport’s Spa heroics rewarded with Mecachrome Best Team Strategy Award –
There was no shortage of memorable moments across the 2023 Fia Formula 3 season, but there was one historic performance that stood out. The penultimate round in Spa-Francorchamps was all about making the right call and Jenzer Motorsport and their trio of rookies certainly did that. With the Belgian circuit left slippery after a pre-Feature Race downpour, nobody was quite sure which way to go with their tyre choices. However, the Swiss team were firm in their belief to stick with the wet-weather tyres, a choice that saw them become the recipient of the Mecachrome Best Team Strategy Award.
Benefitting from the superior grip early on, Taylor Barnard breezed into the lead following Paul Aron’s pit stop behind the early Safety Car. With five laps to go, the Briton put together an expert defence from Christian Mansell and secured not only his first F3 win, but the team’s first since Yuki Tsunoda’s 2019 victory. Barnard wasn’t the only one to benefit from the call for wet tyres, with teammate Nikita Bedrin joining him on the podium, whist Alejandro García capped off the day with his maiden points in fourth.
Following on from the Prize Giving Ceremony, we caught up with Team Principal Andreas Jenzer to dive into the details of that fateful day. “Already on the race weekend and afterwards, we understood that we had given it 100% effort and that we had made 100% out of the weekend because it’s very difficult to get a weekend better than we got it,” he began. Holding his nerve and remaining out on track, the hard part of getting through the field was done, but second-place Mansell had one last car in his sights – Taylor Barnard.
With five laps to go, he sat right on the Jenzer Motorsport driver’s tail and risked a move, as the pair almost made contact. Ultimately, he couldn’t find his way through, but that didn’t dampen his spirits after a heroic fightback to earn his second podium of the season.
“The night just got a lot better!” Mansell remarked. “It was mental and watching the video back, all the emotions come back as well. It was such a crazy race and after such a terrible Qualifying, to comeback and have that sort of result was so, so cool.”
[Note: The story is as per press release]