FIA F.3 Championship, Monte Carlo, Feature Race Report
Bortoleto claims P5 to strengthen championship lead
Championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto brought home good points in the Feature Race that wrapped up the action at Monte Carlo, home to the third round of the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship. The Brazilian secured a fifth-place finish that brought him a 17-point advantage over his closest challenger.
Bortoleto, who took P6 in the Sprint Race on Saturday, started the Feature Race in P7 and managed to move to the top-5 on a racetrack that notably offers little chances for overtaking. Bortoleto was not lucky in qualifying when he was impeded by some slower cars, which meant he had to settle for the fourth row.
The other Trident Motorsport drivers did not make it to the points zone. Leonardo Fornaroli, second in the Sprint Race, got stuck on the grid and had to make a comeback from last, which ended far from the points zone.
It wasn't a brilliant weekend for Oliver Goethe who, after the incidents and penalties in the Sprint Race, started from P18 and finished in P13 position, barely missing the access to points. Trident Motorsport has retained its sport at the top of the team classification, with a 14-point lead over its closest rival. The FIA Formula 3 Championship will soon be back on track in Barcelona. Round 4 will be next weekend at the Montmelò track.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager, Feature Race quote
"The result of qualifying, on a track where it is impossible to overtake, conditioned today's race for our drivers. Bortoleto, who started P7, gained two positions and finished in fifth place. It was impossible to expect more from him, and we are glad that he bolstered his championship lead in the process. Fornaroli remained stationary on the starting grid and was forced to recover from last. Goethe could do no more than he did starting from the ninth row on the grid. Now the season has entered its most pivotal phase, and we will have another really important race meeting in Montmeló. We want to continue our winning form there.”