Spielberg, a lead to defend
The FIA Formula 3 Championship will go underway for round 2 of its summer tripleheader. After Barcelona, the series will race on the green Styrian track of Spielberg, a venue that offers unpredictable weather. The sixth round of a season that features great balance among the frontrunners is about to go underway, with Trident Motorsport driver Leonardo Fornaroli leading the standings with a five-point advantage over his closest rival.
The third place achieved in the Feature Race at Circuit de Catalunya, in an event in which many contenders struggled, propelled the 19-year-old Piacenza native back to P1 in points. As far as the Teams are concerned, Trident Motorsport is sitting second. In Austria, the drivers will find a track with very different characteristics compared to the one seven days before.
From a mixed circuit, with all types of corners and two long straights, to a track with long straights linked by slow corners that require good traction. The Red Bull Ring track is very familiar to the teams, as it traditionally hosts the category. It is only 4,318 km long and will offer minimal margins between the drivers, who will have to take care of every little detail to make the difference. While Fornaroli will aim to secure his first victory in the series and defend his position in the standings, rookies Sami Meguetounif and Santiago Ramos must improve their rankings again after a weekend in which they did not collect any points.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: “Spielberg is a traditional destination for the series, a track that we visit every year and that always offers hard-fought races with unpredictable results. Overtaking is facilitated by the many straights, connected by slow corners with violent braking. Trident Motorsport has regained the lead of the Driver Championship with Leonardo Fornaroli, but overall it did not secure a score in line with the potential showed. We know that in Austria no mistakes will be allowed and, fresh from the experience in Catalunya, our goal is to be consistent and determined not to leave even a single point behind."
The FIA Formula 3 Championship will start on Friday at 8.55, with a 45-minute free practice session. Qualifying is scheduled on the same day at 14:00. The Sprint Race will be on Saturday at 9:30. The Feature Race, which will conclude the weekend, will start on Sunday at 8:30. The activity on the track will be fully broadcast live on the Sky Sports network.