The F3 Italian GP Sprint Race went underway, after an interesting Qualifying session on Friday. Our 2025 F3 Champion Camara had his lap time deleted and will be starting from last. With a split Qualifying format like Monaco’s, we saw an interesting mix of drivers in the top twelve. These drivers were reversed for the Sprint Race starting grid.
Group took the fastest times in Qualifying, meaning they set off from the pole sitter’s side of the grid in the Feature Race. Although, this was switched for the Sprint. Taking off from pole position was ART Grand Prix’s Van Hoepen, with Sternshorne lined up next to him. Behind them on the second row, was Tramnitz in P3 and Taponen in P4. Tomorrow’s pole sitter Benavides started from P12, while Ugochukwu started from P11.
LIGHTS OUT!
It was lights out for the F3 Italian GP Sprint Race, and Stenshorne led the pack down to turn 1. Taponen made an ambitious dive down the inside, but locked up into turn 1, cutting the corner. Taponen came out behind Stenshorne and Van Hoepen. Benavides ran up the back of Inthraphuvasak, forcing him off the track. Race Control handed Benavides a 10s penalty.
Benavides entered the pit lane for a new front wing, reentering the circuit in P29. A Yellow Flag waved after Domingues suffered front wing damage after touching the wall off of the start. A Safety Car was brought out. By the time the Safety Car was out, F3 Champion Camara had made up five places to take P25.
The Safety Car retreated to the pit lane at the conclusion of lap 4. Stenshorne took the restart into Parabollica. Tramnitz got a great restart, putting Van Hoepen under pressure into turn 1, unable to do so. Zagazeta takes P4 from Taponen into turn 1.
Return to racing
Side by side with Van Hoepen down to the Roggia Chicane, Tramnitz made his move stick. Stromsted ran wide into turn 1, continue through the polystyrene blocks. Bilinski made another move up to take P6 from Taponen, the Finnish driver continuing to drop down the ladder.
DRS was enabled, and a DRS train establish. Bilinski begins to apply pressure on Giusti on lap 7. As lap 8 began, Camara had moved up to P21. Bilinski makes a move on both Giusti and Zagazeta, securing P4.
Race Control noted Hedley for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. Ugochukwu, Zagazeta, and Giusti went three wide into turn 1. Tramnitz went around Stenshoren to take the lead, as Bilinski went around Van Hoepen for P3, already looking at P2.
Tramnitz began to pull away from Stenshorne behind. Bilinski searched for a way around Stenshorne, not yet able to find one. Lacorte was called into the pits urgently after receiving a penalty for being out of position at the Safety Car line.
The midpoint of the Sprint Race
As the lap count ticked over, lap 10 started and half of the race had concluded. Many drivers had made big charges toward the front. On lap 11, Tsolov began applying heavy pressure on Taponen in front, desperate for a point paying position.
Bilinski dove down the inside of Stenshorne into turn 1. Stenshorne ran wide, rejoining in front of Bilinski, but not allowing his past. They went side by side into the next chicane, Bilinski settling for P3. Ugochukwu went straight through turn 1 on lap 13. This dropped him to P11.
Leon and Giusti battled side by side, Leon ending up ahead. Hitech advised Stenshorne to give back the place to Bilinski, Race Control noting him for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. After taking P2, Bilinski sat 1.1s behind Tramitz.
Camara climbed to P16, having gained 14 positions since the start. Stenshorne gets the run on Bilinski down to turn 1. Stenshorne ran wide again, remaining P3. Wurz made with Badoer contact into turn 1, as a Yellow Flag waved. A Safety Car was brought out.
The Safety Car ended at the conclusion of lap 17, with a single lap of racing remaining. Bilinski remains right on the rear of Tramnitz. Tramnitz initiates the restart, gaining a gap to Bilinski. With no DRS, this lap is pure pace.
Bilinski looks down the inside of turn 1, not attempting the move. Zagazeta and Giusti go side by side into Lesmos 1, Zagazeta remaining ahead. Race Control hands Lacorte a 10s penalty for forcing a driver off the track.
Tramnitz takes the chequered flag first, with Bilinski just behind. Stenshorne followed behind. Tsolov slowed across the line, dropping out of the points to P23.
Results
The finishing order for the F3 Sprint Race at the Italian GP is as follows:
1 | T. Tramnitz
2 | R. Bilinski
3 | M. Stenshorne
4 | L. Van Hoepen
5 | M. Zagazeta
6 | M. Boya
7 | A. Giusti
8 | N. Leon
9 | C. Voisin
10 | N. Strømsted
11 | U. Ugochukwu
12 | R. Câmara
13 | T. Nael
14 | T. Taponen
15 | T. Inthraphuvasak
16 | N. Johnson
17 | B. Del Pino
18 | G. Xie
19 | J. Wharton
20 | F. Barrichello
21 | N. Marinangeli
22 | L. Sharp
23 | N. Tsolov
24 | C. Ho
25 | J. Hedley
26 | B. Benavides
27 | B. Badoer
28 | N. Lacorte
29 | DNF C. Wurz
30 | DNF I. Domingues
