Austria – Main Race: Tsolov in control, the French miss the boat

Poleman on Friday, and now victorious on Sunday. As in Monaco earlier this season, Nikola Tsolov (Campos) had a particularly focused weekend to win the main race, and once again score valuable points. With a lead of more than six seconds over second-place finisher Martinius Stenshorne (Hitech), the Bulgarian has taken a significant lead in the title race and completely relaunched it. Indeed, just one point now separates the leader from the day's winner.

For his part, Rafael Câmara (Trident) did not have the same Sunday as his main rival. The Brazilian started from seventh place and finally finished sixth, but what seemed to be a decent result actually concealed a sudden loss of pace. Hegemonic at the start of the season, the protégé of the Ferrari Driver Academy initially mounted a fantastic comeback early in the race, quickly moving up to second place. However, this extreme attack was later paid for dearly by the driver. Previously untouchable, Câmara now seems able to be overtaken relatively easily as the temperatures rise, and his tire capital evaporates along with his lead.

Naël and Giusti unscrew

While there were still several pleasant surprises at the top of the standings, there were also disappointments in the pack. While Martinius Stenshorne and Tim Tramnitz (MP Motorsport) made it onto the podium after starting from 15th and 17th positions, the two French drivers on the grid have certainly been feeling a great deal of disappointment since the midway point of the race.

Indeed, Alessandro Giusti (MP Motorsport) had initially managed to get off to a good start, moving from eleventh to eighth position. After a maneuver that ended too wide in Turn 3, climbing onto the diabolical kerb on the outside, the driver, supported by Williams lost everything he had built, dropping to 17th position. Later in the race, when Théophile Naël (VAR) had moved from 19th to a provisional sixth position, the exact same mistake cost him his place in the points zone. The two Frenchmen finished 12th and 14th at the finish.

A week before some will discover Silverstone, and others will return to this legendary track, the cards have been definitively reshuffled, both for the title and for the few certainties that had been established in Barcelona. As for the French drivers, like Rafael Câmara, it's time to get back to work, while the halfway point of the season has already passed.

F3 – Austria (Spielberg)
The main race ranking