FIA F3 Championship, Spielberg, Race Two Report

Team Trident completed the first event of the FIA Formula 3 season with a convincing drive. Beckman and Zendeli ended up close to the podium with a fourth and a fifth place. Caldwell delivered a good performance too but was penalized due to a pitlane infringement. 

 Lining-up for the second race of the weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, the Austrian venue hosting the opening round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, Team Trident performed on good levels, taking fourth place with David Beckmann and fifth place with Lirim Zendeli. The two German drivers were just short of the podium but collected good points for the driver as well as the team championship. Even though there was still something missing to aim for wins, the team can draw a positive balance from round 1.  Beckmann experienced an excellent start which allowed him to grab the early lead. Later he suffered a drop in his race pace that forced him to give up three positions. Beckmann, as happened in race one, confirmed his starting position at the finish. The sister car of Lirim Zendeli followed him in P6, again the same spot of the starting grid. The 20-year-old from Bochum showed a competitive pace albeit not fast enough to allow him to overtake his compatriot and aim for the podium. Olli Caldwell started from the 20th position on the grid and began an aggressive comeback drive up to the doorsteps of the top-10. A speeding penalty in pit lane demoted him to the 20th position. In just seven days, the series will once again be starring on the Styrian track. The technical staff of Team Trident, together with the drivers, will now analyze the data collected to bring home improving results next weekend.

 Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager
"We are quite satisfied with the outcome of today's race. Beckmann showed a good level of performance, although not enough to defend the lead he had got at the start of the race. Zendeli put up a positive race, with a really solid performance. The team scored valuable points for the team standings and can draw a positive balance from the first round of the championship. Caldwell put up a remarkable comeback, but unfortunately, a speed limit infringement in the pit lane handed him a 5-second penalty."