Trident sizes a prestigious podium with Freddie Slater
The Feature Race that closed out the second weekend of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, held on the Monaco street circuit, saw Trident Motorsport secure its second podium of the season thanks to Freddie Slater. Noah Strømsted also finished in the points, while Matteo De Palo was forced to race at the back of the field and was also handed a penalty.
In the longer race of the Monaco weekend, the Trident Motorsport drivers proved to be competitive. Starting from third on the grid, Slater passed the first tricky corner unscathed, maintaining his position.
The 17-year-old Englishman from Stratford-upon-Avon attempted to put pressure on the rivals ahead of him, but finding an overtaking space on the narrow streets of the Principality of Monaco proved impossible.
A smooth race, with only one neutralization in the opening laps, didn't help the Audi Junior driver. Slater therefore chose not to take any risks and took home his second podium of the season in the FIAFormula 3 Championship.
Starting from thirteenth on the grid, and also having to serve three places for an infringement in qualifying, Noah Strømsted made a strong start.
The eighteen-year-old from Copenhagen immediately gained three positions on the first lap, entering thetop ten. Despite having good race pace, Strømsted was unable to make his way through the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. The Dane thus preferred to secure tenth place.
Matteo De Palo's Feature Race proved more complicated. Forced to start from twenty-third, the eighteen-year-old from Rome got stuck in traffic at the first braking point, losing ground until he dropped to twenty-eighth place.
The McLaren junior driver didn't give up, attempting a comeback on the narrow streets of the Principality of Monaco. The Roman driver cut a corner, which was penalized with a ten-second penalty at the end of the race. De Palo thus finished the Monte Carlo weekend in twenty-fifth place.
Trident Motorsport will be back in action next weekend for the third round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship season, which will take place at the Montmeló circuit.
Giacomo Ricci: "A feature race with two faces. Freddie Slater demonstrated excellent pace and a clear-headedness that allowed him to secure his second podium in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. Noah Strømsted also had a positive race, recovering well and finishing in the points. Matteo De Palo was forced to fight back, but he showed great determination. Now we're preparing for the next round to tackle the Montmeló weekend in the best possible way."