Sunday of the Hungarian Grand Prix gets off to a start with the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race. The drivers and their teams are currently out on the grid, getting ready for the formation lap. Track temperatures are much cooler this morning than they were for Saturday’s sprint, and there is a threat of rain that might make the race a bit more interesting.
ART Grand Prix locks out the front row of the grid with Laurens van Hoepen (VAN) starting on pole, just ahead of teammate Nikola Tsolov (TSO). Behind them are Trident’s Leonardo Fornaroli (FOR) and Noel León (LEO) in P3 and P4 respectively. Trident teammates Santiago Ramos (RAM) and Sami Meguetounif (MEG) lock out the third row, starting P5 and P6, with MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz in P7, ART Grand Prix’s Christian Mansell (MAN) in P8, and Rodin Motorsport’s Callum Voisin (VOI) in P9. AIX Racing’s Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (INT), winner of Saturday’s sprint, completes the top 10, ahead of teammate Nikita Bedrin (BED) in P11, and Dino Beganovic (BEG) of the under-performing Prema Racing in P12, ahead of teammate Gabriele Minì in P13. The rest of the starting lineup is GOE, BRO, EST, LOA, WUR, BOY, ZAG, LIN, STE, WIS, SHI, DUN, SZT, FLO, SMI, MON and DUF.
The drivers are now out on the formation lap, trying to get some warmth into their tyres ahead of the race. As the drivers make their way back to the starting grid, Rodin Motorsport’s Joseph Loake (LOA) finds himself unable to shuffle into his grid slot. He’s lined up on the wrong side of the grid. An additional formation lap is required and as such, the race has been shortened from 24 laps to 23. As the drivers make their way back to their starting positions on the grid, Ramos is on the radio saying that he is seeing drops of rain. Tramnitz, who lined in P7, is now back in the pits and will be starting the race from the pit lane.
It’s light out at the Hungaroring as the first race of the day gets underway. Tsolov gets a great start of the line, He takes the lead down out of Turn 1. His teammate, van Hoepen is now down to second, ahead of León and Fornaroli. Just behind them, Mansell tries to get past Ramos, but the Trident driver fends him off to keep hold of P5.
Into Lap 2 and both Meguetounif and Loake have come into punctures. They limp into the pits for a tyre change. Campos Racing’s Oliver Goethe (GOE) pulls off an outstanding move down the inside of Inthraphyvasak at Turn 1. He takes P10. Behind him, championship leader Minì is up one place to P12 ahead of Campos Racing’s Mari Boya (BOY) and Hitech Pulse Eight’s Luke Browning (BRO).
Mansell gets past Ramos by diving down the inside at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Jenzer Motorsport’s Charlie Wurz (WUR) comes into the pits for a front-wing change after being involved in a first-lap collision with Meguetounif and Loake. The decision is made to retire the car.
Into the seventh lap, at the front of the pack, van Hoepen is right on the tail of Tsolov, but he appears to be biding his time before making a move on his teammate, perhaps in the interest of preserving his tyres. León, meanwhile, is quickly closing in on the ART Grand Prix teammates.
Luke Browning is told that he is faster than the cars ahead of him as they get into Lap 11. The driver appears to agree and begins his challenge on Boya, hoping to get past at Turn 2 to take P13. Up ahead, Mansell is closing in on Fornaroli, aiming to take P4.
Now halfway through the race, the intensity has picked up with the drivers jockeying for positions. Gabriele Minì makes a move past sprint winner Inthraphuvasak for P11 down the main straight. Just ahead, his teammate, Beganovic loses out to Goethe, despite the Campos driver going deep at Turn 1. The top two are now over a second clear of León in P3. The Van Amersfoort Racing is under increasing pressure from Fornaroli and Mansell. The pressure on León increases going into Lap 16. Boya, meanwhile, dives down the inside of Inthraphuvasak for P12 at Turn 11. He finds himself just behind a DRS train that includes Voisin, Bedrin, Goethe, Beganovic and Minì. Voisin, at the head of this DRS train, is P7, over 15 seconds behind Ramos in P6.
Into the last few laps of the race and contact between Matias Zagazeta (ZAG) and Arvid Lindblad (LIN) make contact on the run to Turn 4. Both drivers are safely out of their cars, but the debris will need to be cleared. A safety car is brought out, temporarily neutralising the race. The safety driver comes in on the final lap. Tsolov is the first across the finish line, securing his place on the top step of the podium, ahead of teammate van Hoepen. León completes the top 3.
As the final cars cross the line, the standings are TSO, VAN, LEO, FOR, MAN, RAM, VOI, BED, GOE, BEG, BOY, MIN, BRO, STE, INT, EST, DUN, SHI, SZT, MON, TRA, WIS, DUF, FLO, SMI, MEG, LOA, ZAG, and LIN. Charlie Wurz, who ended the race in the early stages, is not classified. Meguetounif set the race’s fastest lap time, with a time of 1:35.293 on Lap 18.
