A win before the exams for Matteo De Palo
The Feature Race that closed out the fifth weekend of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, held at the historic Silverstone track, saw Trident Motorsport secure its second victory of the season. Matteo De Palo crossed the finish line first, starting from fifth place in the starting grid.
It was a standout performer in Northamptonshire by the 18-year-old from Rome, who denied his teammate Freddie Slater the joy of victory in front of his home crowd. The 17-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon finished fifth in a chaotic finale. Noah Strømsted also secured points, finishing eighth.
In the longer race of the British weekend, the Trident Motorsport drivers proved to be extremely competitive. Already at the top in qualifying and the Sprint Race on Saturday, the drivers of the Milan-based team, with headquarters in Ossona, also shone in Sunday's longer race.
When the lights went out, Freddie Slater took advantage of his pole position to maintain the lead. Behind the Audi Junior Driver, however, Matteo De Palo took center stage, having started from fifth on the grid and immediately gained a position.
The eighteen-year-old Roman then set his sights on the podium, which he promptly achieved on lap three. The McLaren Junior Driver then moved into second place behind his teammate and leader, Slater.
Matteo De Palo broke the deadlock by overtaking the Englishman on lap four. The two Trident drivers exchanged first place several times, but then the Roman, who managed his tire degradation well, took control of the race and attempted to pull away.
Just when everything seemed certain for a one-two finish for the Milan-based team with headquarters in Ossona, the safety car deployment on lap 18 reopened the race.
The Feature Race resumed with one lap remaining, with Matteo De Palo and Freddie Slater battling for victory. The 18-year-old Roman driver prevailed, taking his first win in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
The Italian scored his first win in the third series on the eve of his high school exams.
Having lost the duel, Freddie Slater slipped to fifth place and missed a precious opportunity to close in on the top of the Drivers' standings.
Noah Strømsted's race proved more complicated. Starting from seventh on the grid, the 18-year-old from Copenhagen struggled to recover and finished eighth after numerous close battles in which he lost time.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship will return in two weeks. The third series will compete in its sixth round of the season at the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
Giacomo Ricci: "Our cars proved competitive, and we confirmed the success achieved last weekend in Spielberg, this time with Matteo De Palo, who delivered a remarkable and flawless race. Our driver performed well in all phases of the race: he attacked early, managed the tyre degradation, regained the lead, and coolly defended his lead in the finale. It was a truly complete race. Freddie Slater also set a top-notch pace, but it's a shame he lost a few positions during the final lap. Noah Strømsted didn't match Spielberg's brilliance, but he brought home good points on a day where he struggled more than his teammates."