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SPRINT RACE: Vidales Takes Maiden Formula 3 Victory

 

Campos Racing driver David Vidales claimed his first F3 victory at his and the team’s home race. The Spanish rookie coped under pressure from start to finish, getting a strong start from the reverse-grid pole, and managed to keep charging Jak Crawford at bay as they dueled during the middle of the race.

PREMA Racing driver Crawford eventually had to settle for second place. Meanwhile, there was a fierce battle behind for the final podium spot, as Juan Manuel Correa fought hard on his return to F3 after an injury. However, as ART Grand Prix driver Correa’s tires faded, he was overtaken by MP Motorsport’s Caio Collet for third place and Arthur Leclerc to finish fifth.

Alexander Smolyar made up four places to finish sixth, ahead of Hitech Grand Prix driver Kaylen Frederick and Trident Racing driver Roman Stanek in eighth. Reece Ushijima secured his first Championship points in ninth, as Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10.

AS IT HAPPENED

A strong getaway for the front row at lights out saw reverse-grid pole-sitter Vidales retain his lead ahead of Correa, despite Crawford’s attempt to go three-wide into Turn 1. The American driver eventually had to bail out of the move and remained in third.

There was an abundance of action behind them as Collet sought to get past Frederick for fourth and Smolyar and Oliver Bearman dueled over P6. As Smolyar dived down the inside of Turn 10, the pair went side-on, and the PREMA driver paid back the move by utilizing the slipstream into Turn 1 on the following lap.

On his return to F3, Charouz Racing System’s Lirim Zendeli had his hand’s full batting both Ido Cohen and Brad Benavides. Making a move stick, Cohen slotted his Jenzer Motorsport car up into 22nd.

Back out in front, Vidales was slowly but surely pulling a gap from Correa behind, who Crawford soon dispatched along with the DRS straight. The PREMA driver then set his sights on clawing in the Campos out front. In the other two PREMAs, Leclerc jumped ahead of Bearman, who Stanek swiftly overtook for P8.

Disaster soon stuck for Championship leader Victor Martins on Lap 7. The ART driver slowed down on the track and was forced to trundle back to the pits, retiring from the race. After the engine cover on his Van Amersfoort Racing car broke off, Franco Colapinto was another retiree.

Lap 11 saw Crawford catching the heels of Vidales in the fight for the lead, the pair nip-and-tuck into Turn 1. The Spaniard went hard of the defense as the PREMA driver jolted across the sausage kerbs, allowing Vidales to begin to pull a gap once more.

Making moves up the order, Collet went late on the breaks into Turn 1 to get past Frederick for P4 and his teammate Smolyar soon followed him through. Hadjar dove past Ushijima and Bearman to get up into ninth in the fight for the final points.

As the race entered its closing stages, Correa’s third defense came to an end as Collet capitalized on the slipstream; meanwhile, Leclerc jumped up into sixth ahead of Frederick. The train formed behind the Ecuadorian-American driver soon came into play as Smolyar went wheel-to-wheel with Correa. The move failed to pay off as he dropped behind Leclerc, who found his way past the ART and into fourth.

Vidales crossed the line to take his first victory in the category on home soil, 1.2 seconds ahead of Crawford in second. Collet finished seventh for Hitech, ahead of Stanek in eighth. Ushijima was ninth for VAR, overtaking Hadjar.

 

Written by John N

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