In a thrilling and dramatic qualifying session at Monza, Leonardo Fornaroli secured pole position for the final Feature Race of the 2024 Formula 3 season. The Italian driver delivered when it mattered most, solidifying his championship lead heading into the decisive weekend.
The qualifying session was split into two groups for the first time at Monza, a move designed to reduce traffic on the fast, narrow circuit. The even-numbered drivers ran first in Group A, followed by the odd-numbered drivers in Group B. The fastest driver from each group would line up according to their respective times. The faster group earning the front positions on the grid.
Group A
Group A featured three of the top contenders in the championship: Leonardo Fornaroli, Gabriele Mini, and Luke Browning. The session started slowly, with drivers hesitant to leave the pits and risking only a single flying lap with time running out.
But as the drivers finally took to the track, drama quickly unfolded. Traffic issues during the build-up to the flying laps caused a bottleneck, with no one willing to take the lead and give others a slipstream advantage. This led to a collision between Laurens Van Hoepen and Kacper Sztuka, bringing out the red flag with just over five minutes remaining.
After the restart, it was American driver Max Esterson who had the only recorded lap time, but that quickly changed as the top contenders took their final shots at pole. Joshua Dufek initially grabbed provisional pole with a time of 1:38.832. However, Fornaroli saved his best for last, clocking in at 1:38.287 to take the top spot, with Mini and Santiago Ramos securing second and third, respectively.
Browning, in desperate need of a good result, was left frustrated. Despite improving on his final attempt, he could only manage seventh place, missing out on a reverse grid position for the Sprint Race.
Group B
In Group B, the remaining title hopefuls—Arvid Lindblad, Dino Beganovic, and Christian Mansell—looked to challenge Fornaroli’s time. The session mirrored Group A, with drivers delaying their runs to the last possible moment.
However, chaos struck again as Matias Zagazeta’s car came to a halt on track, bringing out a yellow flag and compromising several drivers’ first attempts. Among those who managed to avoid the yellow flags, Alex Dunne emerged on top, setting a time of 1:38.818, the fastest in Group B but not quick enough to surpass Fornaroli’s benchmark.
As the session drew to a close, Mansell and Sebastian Montoya improved their times, but Dunne’s early effort remained unbeaten. This means Dunne will start second in the Feature Race, alongside Fornaroli, with Sami Meguetounif, Montoya, and Mansell rounding out the top five in Group B.
Arvid Lindblad, who was also in the title fight, could only manage ninth in his group, meaning he will start 18th in both the Sprint and Feature Races, a significant blow to his championship aspirations.
The stage is now set for an intense final weekend in the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship. With Fornaroli starting on pole and his closest rivals struggling to match his pace, the championship leader is in a prime position to secure the title. However, with the unpredictable nature of Monza and the high stakes of the final races, anything can happen.
As the drivers prepare for the Sprint Race, all eyes will be on Fornaroli and whether he can maintain his advantage and claim the championship.
