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F3 Qualifying Results: Italy

The deciding round of the Championship starts now... who will take the crown?

James Fiorucci 3 min read

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Gabriel Bortoleto is crowned the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ Champion following a shortened Qualifying session at Monza. Oliver Goethe takes pole position.

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The FIA Formula 3 grid headed out on track earlier today for practice (Image Credit: @Formula3 on X)

This weekend in Italy marks the deciding round of the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship. All 30 drivers on the grid have a point to prove as they look to move up the road in their journey to more prestigious racing series.

Trident’s Gabriel Bortoleto has one hand firmly on the trophy. The Brazilian has a 38-point cushion over the PREMA of Paul Aron. With a total 39 points on offer over the next three days, it will be a tall order for the Estonian to snatch the Title out of Bortoleto’s grasp.

On the other hand, the Teams’ Standings are tight between Trident and PREMA Racing. The latter outfit holds a 25-point advantage over the former in an all-Italian affair.

Both Team Principals spoke to FormulaNerds earlier in the week, and will be treating the final round just like any other, with a view to outscore all other teams in the paddock.

A driver change has occurred since the preceding round in Belgium, with Swiss youngster Joshua Dufek replacing Hugh Barter in the #25 Campos Racing car.

Dufek has been racing in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine for the past two years, and currently sits ninth in the 2023 Standings. He will be hoping for a decent result to maximise his chances of continuing in the series next year.

How it happened

Finally some pleasant weather for the F3 drivers. A dry track meant the entire field could go for maximum attack on slick tyres.

A crucial Qualifying session for both Aron and Red Bull Junior driver Pepe Marti. They would have to secure pole position to stay in the fight for the Drivers’ Championship.

All drivers went out on track for a single reconnaissance lap to scrub out their tyres before peeling straight back into the pitlane.

Cars didn’t come out of the pits for quite some time. Eventually it was the #2 car of Dino Beganovic out on track first with 23 minutes remaining.

A queue of cars developed on the back straight. Ido Cohen was caught out by the cars ahead of him slowing down, and was rear-ended by Ollie Gray behind. With Cohen’s Rodin Carlin stuck on circuit, the Red flags were waved and the cars were forced back into the pits once again.

Still no times on the board after ten minutes. Finally a 1:41.479 from Alex Garcia a banker time for the rest of the field to catch.

After the first set of flying laps it was Caio Collet for Van Amersfoort Racing setting the quickest lap: a 1:39.001. Aron less than a tenth down in second place, with Marti all the way down in 17th.

An unfortunate end to Qualifying for debutant Dufek, as he beached his Campos in the gravel and brought out the Red flags for a second time.

The session progresses

The session got underway with 15 minutes left, with Mari Boya deciding to get out on the track first. Bortoleto improved with a 1:39.261 to move up to fifth, while his teammate Oliver Goethe took provisional pole by almost a tenth from Collet.

The majority of the grid were waiting in the pits however, and would wait there for some time longer as the Red flag was waved for a third incident.

Goethe was attempting a second flying lap and lost the rear grip through the second Lesmo curve, crashing into the barriers. He would be unable to take part in the rest of Qualifying; could he hang onto pole position?

 

Session will not be resumed

Shock in the paddock as race control stated that the session would not be resumed, meaning Bortoleto was crowned Champion in the pitlane!

Goethe takes pole, with Aron alongside him on the front row for the Feature race.

Qualifying classification

The top 12 were as follows:

1. Oliver Goethe

2. Caio Collet

3. Paul Aron

4. Jonny Edgar

5. Gabriel Bortoleto

6. Gabriele Mini

7. Zak O’Sullivan

8. Leonardo Fornaroli

9. Luke Browning

10. Taylor Barnard

11. Nikola Tsolov

12. Gregoire Saucy

Feature Image Credit: @Formula3 on X

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