Two points in the opening race in Austria for Trident Motorsport
The FIA Formula 3 Championship returned to the ups and downs of the Red Bull Ring, home this weekend to the sixth round of theseries. In a very competitive qualifying session, the Trident Motorsport drivers had mixed fortunes. The fastest was Noah Strømsted, who set the third-fastest time. Rafael Câmara's qualifying was more complex, finishing seventh, three spots ahead of his teammate Charlie Wurz.
Due to the inversion of the first twelve positions in qualifying on the Sprint Race grid, Wurz started from third place. The home driver was the protagonist of a solid race, trying to close the gap to the top, also taking advantage of a safety car period. In the thick of the fight for the podium, the Austrian was then hit by an opponent and had to retire.
Starting from sixth on the grid, Câmara tried to make up ground. The twenty-year-old Brazilian was involved in a series of body-to-body fights that slowed his pace and cost him some positions, especially when he put two wheels in the gravel, losing precious time and dirtying his tyres, in an attempt to defend himself from an attack. Nonetheless, the Ferrari Driver Academy driver managed to cross the finish line in ninth place, a position that allows him to maintain the top of the drivers' standings.
Noah Strømsted's Sprint Race was an uphill battle straight away. Starting from tenth place, the seventeen-year-old Dane was involved in a contact that sent him sideways into the middle of the group. Forced to return to the pits to replace the damaged front wing, Strømsted finished twenty-first. With Saturday’s race over, the Trident Motorsport drivers will analyze today’s data with the technical staff in the usual preparation work for the Feature Race, scheduled for tomorrow at 8:30.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: “It was a disappointing race. Unfortunately, the numerous accidents and duels affected the final result. Charlie Wurz, in full battle for the podium, was forced to retire due to a collision. Noah Strømsted’s race was marred by a broken front wing, while Rafael Câmara scored just two points with a ninth place finish”.