Official F1 Journal Formula 3 Friday round up - Red Bull Ring

©FIA Formula 3

Formula 3 heads into weekend number two of their triple header, taking place in Spielberg, Austria. 

Luke Browning takes his first formula 3 at the Austrian grand prix to take front row at Sundays feature race. He becomes the sixth driver this season to go pole, as he continues his fight for the championship lead against Fornaroli who couldn't go faster than 24th .

A good start to the weekend for Red Bulls junior driver with Tramnitz on the second row just behind Lindblad in 2nd. Goethe who is aiming to continue his points finish streak went sixth. 

TRACK STATS
First F3 Race: 2019 
Circuit Length: 4.318 km
Sprint Race: 21 Laps/ 90.678 km         
​     8:30 am    BTS
Feature Race: 26 Laps/ 112.268 km     
     7:30 am    BTS
DRS Zones: 3

©Red Bull media

FREE PRACTICE 

 1 C. WURZ                     1:21.182
 2 S. RAMOS                   +0.054
 3 l. FORNALOROLI        DISQUALIFIED 
 4 L. BROWNING             +0.5
 5 T. SMITH                      +0.6
 6 G. MINI                         +0.6
 7 O. GEOTHE                 +0.6
 8 M. STENSHORNE       +0.7
 9 M. MEGUETOUNIF      +0.8 
10 N. LEON                      +0.8

©FIA Formula 3

Starting the weekend off strong Austrian driver, Charlie Wurz, topped the timing board as he starts his fight for his first podium and his first points since Melbourne to help his championship chances. Last season we saw G. Bortoleto top the session with 1:19.410 so Wurz still has more time to find.

Trident drivers Ramos and Championship leader Fornaroli less than four tenths behind that top spot, until Fornaroli's disqualification post practice. The disqualification comes after Trident car #4 could not provide the 0.8kg fuel sample as required by Article 14.6 of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Technical Regulations.

Oliver Goethe for Campos racing was the only Red Bull junior driver to slot into a top 10 spot at the Red Bull Rings only free practice session will Tramnitz was in 16th with MP Motorsport and Linblad with Prema in 18th. Linblad currently fourth in the championship after his feature race last weekend in Barcelona, while Goethe is the only driver to have scored a point in ever race so far in 2024.

The session started with hard compounds dominating the field as track temperatures reached 31 degrees celsius. AIX Racing's Joshua Dufex becomes the first to post a time on the board with 1:22.962. It wasn't long until he was falling down the order unable to reach the 1:21's throughout the session, finishing free practice down in 21st with 1:22.361.

Noel Leon pushing the limits previously putting his Van Amersfoort top of the board and runs wide as he exits turn 9, scraping his rear tyres into the gravel but he isn't the only one as Browning goes wide on turn 3 but despite the minor lock-up on his first flying lap he reaches the 1:21s half way through the session.

Wurz, with 15 minutes to go, went quickest with a 1:21.182, almost half a second faster than anyone else.

Beganovic has a frustrating end to his practice as he hits traffic at turn 9.

QUALIFYING

 1 L. BROWNING            1:20.222    
 2 A. LINDBLAD               +0.0
 3 T. TRAMNITZ               +0.1
 4 G. MINI                         +0.1
 5 D. BEGANOVIC           +0.2
 6 O. GEOTHE                 +0.2
 7 L. VAN HOEPEN          +0.2
 8 S. MONTOYA               +0.3
 9 A. DUNNE                    +0.3
 10 N. TSOLOV                +0.3
 11 C. MANSELL              +0.3
 12 M. STENSHORNE     +0.4

©FIA Formula 3

Prema's Gabriele Mini was the first on provisional pole after all 30 cars had taken on their first flying laps, following a popular three lap warm up to get the soft tyres to the desired temperatures as the track temp had increased to 40 Degrees Celsius.

As the drivers get deeper into qualifying the field got more competitive with several drivers improving on their second flying laps, with four contestants moving into the 1:20s. Mini, however, retained the top spot with a 1:20.869, while Leon was just five milliseconds behind the Italian with 20 minutes remaining in Qualifying.

Half way through the session Leon tops the timings with 1:20.804, after stepping on the accelerator following a cool down lap, before joining the rest of the field in the pitlane to change tyres. Practice session leader Wurz down in 14th. 

©FIA Formula 3

With 8 minutes to go the the paddock started to empty as they began their outlaps to prepare for their final flying laps.

Luke Browning proceeded to pick up a purple sector 2 and 3 to sit on find himself in provisional pole, three tenths quicker than the rest.

Van Hoepen and Mansell improving their times to initially secure 2nd and 3rd but were soon over taken by many improving their times including Red Bull Juniors Linblad and Trammnitz.

Strenshorne looked as if he was on track to re take pole as he started his final lap with a purple sector but the Mclaren junior driver couldn't improve on the Brits time, ending the session in P12 was Martinius Stenshorne, meaning he will start Saturday’s Sprint race on reverse grid pole alongside Mansell.

Bronwen Jones
​Writer @ F1 Journal