The second part of the Formula 2 and Formula 3 season features the Grand Prix of England. Thanks to a spectacular track, with straights, fast and slow turns, it is defined as one of the most beautiful races of the season. However, Silverstone could also put them in serious difficulties due to weather conditions always unpredictable.
Sprint Race F2
Starting from pole position for the first time, Antonelli has always maintained the leadership of a race characterized by heavy rain. The race is stopped on lap 4 due to weather conditions. After a few laps under the safety car regime, the race starts again. Antonelli is ahead of Maloney and the two Invicta Racing teams of Maini and Bortoleto, authors of an intense battle for third place.
On lap 8, however, we return to the safety car system, due to a contact that involved the world leaders Aron and Marti. Once again, the gap built by Kimi was eliminated by the entry of the safety car, but this did not stop the Italian driver. Lap after lap, he managed to build an impressive gap against his opponents. He wins his first race in Formula 2 in front of Maloney and Bortoleto, who just in the end managed to overtake his teammate and climb to the lowest step of the podium.
Unlike the sprint race, the long race starts in dry conditions. Hadjar, who started from pole, is passed by Martins and a wild Bearman, with the future driver Haas who manages to conquer three positions at the start. The hero of the sprint, Antonelli, is hit by Maini and is forced to withdraw, causing the entry into the track safety car. We start again in the third lap, but once again a contact between Aron and Durksen leads to the entrance of the safety car. It’s a matter of a few laps before we see the first pit stops, with the drivers starting with red rubber falling back to the pits at the ninth pass.
Bearman and Hadjar open the dance, but the slow pit stop of the pilot Prema makes him lose a position. In the following laps there is a battle for the virtual conquest of the first position between Martins and Hadjar, with the frenchman who initially leads, but after a few turns must cede the position to Crawford. The latter, however, due to an unsafe release against Maloney, is forced to pay a penalty of 5 seconds at the end of the race. Crawford wins on track, but because of the penalty scale in third place, with Hadjar and Maloney in first and second position. In addition to the victory, Hadjar wins the lead of the world and manages to stretch on his direct opponents.
The weather at Silverstone is always very difficult to predict. Formula 3 knows well, with the sprint race that was supposed to start at 10 and 20, but due to weather conditions the short race has been postponed to 19.
Thanks to a fantastic start, Lindblad takes the lead of the race ahead of Zagasata and Leon, with the latter who already at the end of the first lap manages to take back the second position. At the fourth pass Esterson and Goethe touch the Copse and withdraw, causing the entry of the safety car. After the restart, the leader of the world Browning is hit by Tramnitz and ends up at the bottom of the line. On lap 12, at the end of the first sector, a contact between Wurz and Dunne puts an end to the latter’s race.
The race ends with Lindblad triumphing ahead of Leon and Zagazeta. Our Italians, Minì and Fornaroli, close in sixth and tenth position after the penalty of Mansell.
The long F3 race once again demonstrates the unpredictability of Silverstone. The weather conditions are difficult to interpret and lead different pilots to make different decisions. Browning and Fornaroli remain on the track with wet tyres, while others, such as Voisin, Lindblad and Minì, come back to the pits to mount the slick.
On lap 4 the safety car enters the track, after a contact that involved more cars and forced Sophia Floersch to retire. It starts again on lap 8, with the rain increasing, and Voisin, Lindblad and Minì, as well as the other drivers with dry tyres, end up at the bottom of the line. But the emotions are not over, because less than ten minutes from the end it does not rain anymore. The dry tires are the fastest, they are the proof Voisin, Lindblad and Minì, who manage to get the first three positions with a great gap compared to the other rivals. However, Voisin, the race leader, will have to pay a penalty of 10 seconds due to an off-track overtaking against Enderson.
The race ends with Voisin winning, but only on track. After the penalty, he is overtaken by Lindblad, who became the first driver in Formula 3 history to win both the sprint and the feature race, and Minì. After this exciting race, Minì wins the championship lead, while Fornaroli, who finished in seventh position, remains fourth in the championship.
