Isack Hadjar held off late charge from Gabreil Bortoleto to feature FIA F2 race win in Imola, as Sam Meguetounif fights back in F3 win.
F2:
Pole-sitter Bortoleto suffered a slow getaway and dropped down to fourth at the start giving Oliver Bearman the lead of the line. This promoted Hadjar up to second, while Duerksen went to P3 from fifth on the grid. Bearman though was struggling to pull away from Hadjar and the Frenchman well within DRS range by end of Lap 4.
The conclusion of Lap 6 brought the first pit stops, with Hadjar and Duerksen swapping their Supersofts for the Mediums. Also coming into the pitlane was Zane Maloney and Roman Stanek, the latter jumping ahead of the Rodin Motorsport driver during the exchange. Bearman then led a gaggle of cars including Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron into the pitlane on the next lap.
The PREMA driver stalled twice as he tried to pull away, handing Hadjar the effective race lead, while the Briton dropped to the back of the field. With all the Supersoft-shod drivers having pitted by Lap 10, it left the Prime tyre runners out on track. Amaury Cordeel was now leading Josep María Martí, Juan Manuel Correa, Victor Martins, Kush Maini, and Rafael Villagómez.
Back in the battle for the effective race lead, Bortoleto was closing the gap to Hadjar. The Campos driver’s two second lead now just 1.3s by the end of Lap 16. Further back, there was frustration for Maloney, who was being held up by Stanek and on Lap 17, the Championship leader could see Jak Crawford, Richard Verschoor and Dennis Hauger closing in on his wing mirrors.
Maloney was beginning to struggle and after giving the Bajan driver the hurry up on the radio Crawford made the move past him at the exit of Turn 7. The American driver was quickly onto the back of Stanek, before making his way past at Tamburello on Lap 25. By Lap 30, the drivers on the alternative strategy were beginning to pit, but it was two bad stops for Cordeel and Martí, as both drivers had tyres come off their cars as they looked to come back out on track, ruling them out of the race.
Back on track, Bortoleto had closed right up to Hadjar, but the Frenchman was proving tough in defence. The Red Bull junior did just enough in the end to take his second Feature Race victory in F2, with Bortoleto settling for second, while Duerksen ran a strong race to third to become the first driver from Paraguay on the podium in F2.
Home favourite Antonelli took fourth place ahead of Colaptino and Aron. Crawford and Correa made it two DAMS Lucas Oil cars in the points for P7 and P8, while Victor Martins came through from the back of the field to finish in ninth ahead of Trident’s Richard Verschoor.
F3:
Santiago Ramos perfected his start and led the trio of Tridents flying in formation to the first chicane, Fornaroli and Meguetounif with tows close behind. Sprint Race winner Oliver Goethe was following the PREMA Racing car of Arvid Lindblad in the battle for fourth after climbing up three spots on the opening lap. The Campos driver was able to find a route through on the second lap to take P4 from the Briton.
Onto Lap 3 and Fornaroli had the tow with DRS to sweep into the lead of the race into the first chicane. Further back, Goethe took third from Meguetounif while Luke Browning made a move on the PREMA of Dino Beganovic into the same corner to move up to sixth position in his Hitech Pulse-Eight #14 car.
Lap 4 and Browning was side-by-side with Lindblad into Turn 2, but the PREMA rookie was tough in defence, allowing Beganovic to get back through on the Williams Academy driver for sixth position. With DRS, Goethe was by the pole sitter Ramos at Turn 2 on Lap 5, brave on the brakes to sweep around the outside of the Mexican for P2.
One lap later and the Red Bull Junior Team driver had the lead of the race after an issue for Fornaroli on the main straight put him down to fifth position. Lap 9 and Browning moved back ahead of Beganovic with the DRS advantage on the main straight as Fornaroli hustled Lindblad for P4. He couldn’t find a route through at the first chicane until the following lap.
Browning was the next driver to relegate Lindblad down the order, the Hitech driver taking fifth position into the first chicane with DRS. Trident teammates Ramos and Meguetounif were in battle on Lap 12 as the Frenchman cleared taking second position into Turn 2. Goethe meanwhile had built up his advantage in the lead and was ahead by 2.5s at the halfway point.
Fornaroli’s fightback continued at the expense of Ramos on Lap 14, clearing his teammate to take third. Browning moved ahead of the Mexican driver on the next lap to move himself into P4 to keep title rival Fornaroli in sight. Lap 16 and Beganovic was on the move too, taking fifth from Ramos with DRS.
Up ahead, Meguetounif had slowly closed down the gap on race leader Goethe and moved to within DRS range going into Lap 17, just 0.7s behind across the line. With five laps to go, the Frenchman rounded the Campos driver to take the lead at the first chicane, though Fornaroli was catching the pair with a lap over a second quicker than the top two.
The Italian was into DRS range of Goethe on Lap 19 but couldn’t find a way to pass the Campos driver before the end. It left Meguetounif to take his maiden Formula 3 race win on Trident home soil ahead of Goethe and Fornaroli. Browning took important points with fourth position ahead of the PREMA duo of Beganovic and Gabriele Minì.
Pole sitter Ramos was seventh in the end ahead of Lindblad, Mari Boya in the Campos who climbed from 27th on the grid, as Sebastian Montoya rounded out the points to ensure all three Campos drivers were in the points.
Results: https://x.com/MsportXtra/status/1792090456781734361
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[Note: The story is as per press release]
