It was a nail-biting F3 Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps, with Caio Collet pulling off a stunning move from fourth to claim victory. But it wasn’t smooth sailing for the championship contenders.
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Gabriel Bortoleto and Josep María Martí both faced tough luck and couldn’t finish the race after separate incidents. Meanwhile, Zak O’Sullivan showed his skills, securing a respectable fourth place.
At Lights Out
Right from the start, Collet made bold moves, overtaking Tayor Barnard to grab the lead on Lap 1. The Jenzer Motorsport driver displayed incredible determination, securing his first-ever Formula 3 podium. Paul Aron from PREMA Racing completed the podium, finishing in third place.
Hugh Barter managed a brilliant start, keeping the lead into La Source, with Aron and Barnard trailing behind. However, a wheelspin blunder for Aron gave Collet the opportunity to sneak through to second place on the way to Eau Rouge.
Collet wasn’t slowing down. He and Barnard overtook Barter along the Kemmel Straight, putting them in first and second positions. Even Aron and Jonny Edgar managed to pass Barter before the first lap ended.
However, the race witnessed a Safety Car period when Sebastián Montoya spun out after a collision with Rafael Villagómez. The action resumed on Lap 4, but not without drama. Dino Beganovic and O’Sullivan, both from PREMA, engaged in a fierce battle. O’Sullivan’s skillful move secured him sixth place. He then climbed up to fourth after pressuring Edgar into a lock-up.
But things turned sour for Bortoleto. Although he fought his way to ninth place from 15th on the grid, a slight contact with Beganovic resulted in a stranded car, ending his race prematurely.
Martí’s Big Mistake
Another dramatic incident occurred when Martí and Gabriele Minì clashed while fighting for 10th position. The collision sent them spinning off, with Martí collecting Ido Cohen’s car in the process of returning to the track. The Safety Car made another appearance.
In the end, the race finished under Safety Car conditions, with Collet claiming a well-deserved victory. Barnard settled for second, and Aron secured third place ahead of teammate O’Sullivan.
Collet was ecstatic about his triumph, acknowledging the challenging conditions and the multiple Safety Car appearances. He praised his team’s efforts and promised to keep pushing for more victories.
Unfortunately, no points were awarded for the race due to the Safety Car interventions, but the drivers showed tremendous skill and determination, leaving fans eager for more thrilling action in the next race.
Caio Collet said;
“Really happy with the win. I think the conditions were quite tricky, we did a good first lap and unfortunately there were a lot of Safety Cars, but we managed both restarts well. Really happy for the team and myself and we’ll keep pushing for tomorrow.”
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F3 Sprint Race Spa