Trident Motorsport secures podium finish with Fornaroli as Bortoleto extends championship lead
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is back on one of its most traditional tracks, Circuit de Catalunya, which is normally home to collective testing and a championship round. Trident Motorsport has achieved excellent results on the Iberian track in the past.
This year, at the end of a very tight qualifying session, with a less challenging layout after the removal of the sector 3 chicane, Gabriel Bortoleto was unable to go beyond the sixth position, three spots ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli while Oliver Goethe ended up in P13, one spot away from pole in the reverse-grid race 1. The shortest race of the weekend saw Fornaroli start from P4, Bortoleto from P7 and Goethe from P13, featured a tight pack and two safety cars
Fornaroli was very quick at the start and immediately gained a position, securing the lowest step of the podium. The Italian even went for P2 in the final stages, and while he couldn't achieve it, he showed an excellent potential that underlines his constant growth. For the Piacenza-based racer, this is the second podium of the season after the one in Monte Carlo.
Championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto made a great comeback. The Brazilian was very smart in using the dynamics of a very close race to his advantage and climbing up to fourth place. With today's result, he increased his margin atop the standings to 24 points.
Oliver Goethe, who was involved in numerous battles that caused the 18-year-old Danish driver to lose his rhythm sometimes, had a good recovery that stopped at the edge of the points zone in P12.
Trident Motorsport retained the lead in the Team Championship. The drivers will now analyze the data collected today with their technical staff in the usual preparation work for the Feature Race, scheduled tomorrow at 9:55 AM to cap off the fourth round FIA Formula 3 Championship season.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager, Sprint Race Quote
"We are satisfied with the outcome of today's Sprint Race. Despite a less-than-optimal qualifying session, our drivers played their cards very well. Fornaroli got off to a good start from P4, gaining a position and fighting until the end for P2. It's his second podium finish of the season, a well-deserved result that highlights his remarkable and steady growth. Bortoleto's race went very well too, as he climbed up to the fourth place with intelligence and determination. Now the Brazilian driver has a 24-point advantage over his nearest rival at the top of the standings. We did not, however, manage to secure the points zone with Goethe, who finished in P2 in a race full of close battles that caused him to lose time."