FIA F3 Championship, Melbourne, Feature Race Report
Bortoleto wins again, pulls away in standings. Fornaroli secures positive fourth place
The Feature Race wrapped up the second round of the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship at the fast city track of Melbourne, and Trident Motorsport was able to secure another stellar win with Gabriel Bortoleto, while fellow rookie Leonardo Fornaroli finished fourth.
The Brazilian, who took pole in qualifying, was off to a perfect start and immediately took the lead of the race, gaining a margin that kept him safe from the attack of his closest rivals. The 18-year-old stayed cool in two restarts after safety-car situations. It was his second consecutive Feature Race win after the one in Sakhir, enabling him to stretch his legs at the top of the championship standings. He now has a 20-point lead over his closest rival.
Trident Motorsport's successful day was completed by the remarkable fourth place achieved by 18-year-old Leonardo Fornaroli. The Italian scored fourth place in qualifying and kept his position throughout the Feature Race. On the other hand, it was not a lucky day for Oliver Goethe, who was forced to re-enter the pit lane to replace his right front tire while fighting on the verge of the points zone. The 18-year-old Dane ended his race at the back of the field, but still showed a competitive pace at times.
The results achieved by Bortoleto and Fornaroli allowed Trident Motorsport to strengthen its lead in the team standings, where it now has a 28-point lead over its closest rival. Now the FIA Formula 3 Championship will be off for more than a month, as the next round of the season is scheduled for May 19-21 at Imola. In the meantime, however, two collective practice sessions are scheduled in Barcelona and at the Italian track.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager:
"We are extremely satisfied with today's result, which confirms Bortoleto and Trident Motorsport at the top of the Drivers and Teams rankings. The Brazilian took perfect advantage of the pole position and managed the restarts when the safety car came on track. Despite not having the DRS, Bortoleto was always able to gain a safety margin that kept him safe from the attack of his closest rivals. Fornaroli had a remarkable performance as he is increasingly comfortable in the new category. He took the fourth fastest time in qualifying and finished at the footsteps of the podium in a very solid race. Unfortunately, Goethe was forced to replace a tire during the Feature Race, and did not finish in the points."