Isack Hadjar took the feature FIA F2 race win in Belgium to extend points lead, as Callum Voisin wins disrupted F3 race.
F2:
Paul Aron held firm from Pole into Turn 1 to lead Bortoleto but down the Kemmel Straight, Isack Hadjar was able to slipstream his way by the Invicta driver to go up to second at Les Combes. Zane Maloney had a slow start from sixth on the grid and fell down the order into the first corner, putting him middle of Oliver Bearman and Josep María Martí. The PREMA Racing driver was tapped into a spin and collected the Campos of Martí, leaving both out of the running.
Franco Colapinto also came to a halt at Malmedy and was an early retirement, with a Safety Car deployed to recover all three cars. Racing resumed going onto Lap 4 and Aron got the restart he needed to retain the lead, but the Safety Car was back out right away after a crash for Victor Martins and Rafael Villagómez at Malmedy.
The Van Amersfoort Racing driver was left wide at the second part of Les Combes in his battle with Taylor Barnard, dipping into the gravel and pitched into a spin. He spun into the path of a helpless Martins, who collected the VAR, and both found the barriers. They were OK but once again, cars were in need of clearing.
Back to racing conditions on Lap 7, and Aron continued to hold onto the lead but with Hadjar for close company in P2. With DRS re-enabled on Lap 8, Hadjar got the slipstream he needed to cruise by his title rival and seized the lead along the Kemmel Straight. The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver peeled into the pitlane at the end of the lap for his mandatory stop straight away and switched to the Mediums.
On track, Richard Verschoor moved up to P3 with a pass on Jak Crawford into Les Combes, with the Trident driver running the alternative strategy having started on the yellow-walled Mediums. Hadjar was in at the end of Lap 9 in response to Aron. The Campos driver rejoined ahead on the road after a slightly slower pitstop, and with his tyres up to temperature, the Hitech driver got back to within DRS range.
Bortoleto stopped on Lap 11 but had to be held for Enzo Fittipaldi’s Van Amersfoort to pass in the fast lane. He rejoined behind Hadjar and Aron in time to see the Hitech surge around the outside of the Frenchman to re-take the place and eighth on the road at Les Combes. After two laps in pursuit of the Estonian, Hadjar pulled off another DRS pass on Aron to secure seventh on the road and the effective race lead with it.
Antonelli had been within a second of leader Verschoor but unable to pass the Dutchman so pitted from P2 on Lap 16. A slow stop for the Italian dropped him behind Amaury Cordeel, also pitting for the Soft tyres. Verschoor responded to Antonelli’s stop on Lap 17 and rejoined the circuit in ninth place. Bortoleto meanwhile was in the slipstream of Aron and through for fourth position just 1.2s back from Hadjar, who was caught up behind the yet-to-pit Taylor Barnard.
Lap 22 and Verschoor’s Soft tyres put him in range of Maloney, and with a late dive to the inside of Les Combes, the Trident driver secured sixth position. Onto the final lap and it was heartbreak for Aron, who slowed to a halt on the Kemmel Straight to drop off the podium and out of the race. Having repelled Bortoleto’s threat after clearing Barnard, Hadjar was victorious by over two seconds over the Invicta driver, who added a fourth podium to his 2024 record.
Result: https://x.com/MsportXtra/status/1817485728558805004
UPDATE: Following the conclusion of the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli have received post-race penalties. Firstly, Bearman has been handed a five-place grid penalty for causing a collision. The PREMA Racing driver collided with Josep María Martí on the opening lap of the race sending both drivers out of the race.
The Race Stewards examined video evidence and determined that Bearman was wholly responsible for the incident. At the run to Turn 1, it was found that there were no external circumstances affecting Bearman when he moved to the left and made contact with Zane Maloney first and then Martí.
As a result, they have handed him a five-place grid penalty which he will serve at the next race in which he participates. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is also on the receiving end of a five-place grid penalty. The PREMA Racing driver was reported to have dry ice pellets coming out of his car at Turn 14 and on the approach to Turn 17 during the Formation Lap.
The Stewards examined video evidence and having spoken to a team representative determined this to be the case. PREMA had already been noted for a similar incident at Silverstone with Antonelli’s car, where he was given a suspended penalty. This has now been triggered and the Italian driver will serve the five-place grid penalty at the next race in which he participates.
F3:
It was a great start from pole-sitter Voisin as he kept hold of the lead, but the big gainer was Montoya as he was up to second from fourth. Front row starter Alexander Dunne had a slow start and dropped to fourth while Fornaroli maintained third place. But behind them, there was a huge moment in the title race as Gabriele Minì fell to the back of the field following a collision with Oliver Goethe.
The contact left the PREMA Racing driver turned around and at the back of the field, while the Campos was forced to pit with a puncture. As they started Lap 2, Voisin locked up heading into Turn 1, with both Montoya and Fornaroli right on the back of his Rodin car. He was able to keep the position, but Noel León could not do the same, losing P5 to Sami Meguetounif down the Kemmel Straight.
The Safety Car was then required on Lap 3 when Martinius Stenshorne spun at Stavelot. ART Grand Prix debutant Tuukka Taponen was having his own separate incident coming into the corner as he collided with Joshua Dufek before spinning into the side of the Hitech. We were back racing on Lap 7 and Voisin had a great restart ahead of Montoya and Fornaroli, while Meguetounif’s charge continued as he overtook Dunne for fourth down the Kemmel Straight.
But another Safety Car was soon deployed after Sophia Floersch and Joseph Loake collided and spun off at Turn 9. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver was stuck in the gravel while the latter was able to continue. The race restarted on Lap 10 of 15 and once again Voisin had a good start, but Dunne was struggling once more, dropping from P5 to P10.
A third Safety Car was needed after Christian Mansell hit the rear of Arvid Lindblad, sending the PREMA Racing driver into the gravel at Turn 9. At the same time, Charlie Wurz touched the rear right tyre of Mari Boya, giving the Campos Racing driver a puncture, before he went into the barrier at Turn 11. The Austrian was then forced to come into the pit lane to replace a damaged front wing.
Voisin led the pack away on Lap 14 as we returned to green flag conditions, with Montoya and Fornaroli staying behind him. However, León dived down the inside of Meguetounif into Turn 7 to take back P4. Onto the final lap and Voisin had built up a lead of nearly one second as he crossed the like to take the victory, with Montoya in second, while Fornaroli finished third to take the lead of the Drivers’ Championship.
León finished fourth for VAR ahead of Meguetounif, with Luke Browning in sixth for Hitech Pulse-Eight ahead of Jenzer Motorsport’s Max Esterson. Santiago Ramos made it three Trident cars in the points, with Tim Tramnitz and Dunne rounding out the points for MP. Even without scoring, the result means PREMA Racing take an unassailable lead into the final round in Monza, making them the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Team Champions.
Result: https://x.com/MsportXtra/status/1817459158154612838
UPDATE: Following the conclusion of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, several drivers have been handed post-race penalties. Firstly, Christian Mansell has been handed a post-race time penalty. The ART Grand Prix driver collided with PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad during the Feature Race.
Afterwards, the Stewards heard from both of the drivers involved along with their respective team representatives, and also examined available video evidence. It was determined that Mansell was the driver wholly to blame for the contact, breaching Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting code.
The Stewards handed the Australian a 10-second time penalty for the incident, dropping him from 14th to 21st in the results. Secondly, Rodin Motorsport driver Piotr Wisnicki has been handed a time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. During the race, Wisnicki attempted to pass Car 22 of Tommy Smith at Turn 5 but locked up and went off the track.
The Rodin driver stayed ahead of Smith on corner exit, failing to hand the place back to the Van Amersfoort Racing driver. After reviewing the move, the Stewards determined that Wisnicki had left the track and gained a lasting advantage, a breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 c) of the FIA International Sporting Code. The Stewards therefore awarded a 10-second time penalty as a result.
The penalty drops Wisnicki from 16th to 24th in the results. Finally, Joseph Loake has been given a time penalty for causing a collision. During the race, the Rodin Motorsport driver made contact with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Sophia Floersch.
After the Feature Race, the Stewards heard from both drivers and their team representatives alongside examining all available video evidence, before determining that Loake had been the driver wholly to blame for the contact, breaching Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting code. As a result, Loake has been awarded a 10-second time penalty. It drops the Rodin Motorsport driver from 22nd to 25th in the results.
Here’s how F2, F3 sprint race panned out
[Note: The story is as per press release]