F3 is holding additional tests in Spielberg before Monaco

La Formula 3 officially announced on Monday the implementation of additional tests on the Red Bull The Spielberg Ring, in Austria, will take place on May 20th and 21st. These days will allow teams and drivers to return to the track in a disrupted calendar, marked by the cancellation of the Bahrain round, initially scheduled for April 10th to 12th.

This decision comes in a particular context. After the season opener in Melbourne in early March, Formula 3 was scheduled to race in Bahrain before continuing its European calendar. The F3 races are held on the same weekends as the Formula 1The geopolitical situation in the Middle East forced the organizers to cancel the Bahrain leg, including the qualifying categories for the Formula 2 and Formula 3, leaving a significant gap in the calendar.

Without these tests, the gap between the first Australian round and the next race scheduled for Monaco from June 4th to 7th would have been nearly three months. This is a long period without real-world testing for drivers and teams, a break that is far too significant for a development series like F3, where the pace and progression of young drivers are crucial. Furthermore, the two days of testing will not be broadcast, but Formula 3 specifies that the event will be covered on the official competition website with live timing, reactions, and reports after each session.

Only one round played so far

As a reminder, Campos and Ugo Ugochukwu won the main race, allowing the 19-year-old American driver to leave Australia as the championship leader with 25 points. His closest rival, Briton Freddie Slater (Trident), is second in the championship with 18 points, tied with Spaniard Bruno Del Pino (VAR), who was less expected to be in this position before the weekend.

As for the French drivers, Enzo Deligny (VAR) made a strong impression by securing his first podium finish in his very first race, taking second place in the sprint race. The other two French drivers had a more challenging weekend. While Théophile Nael (Campos) started from pole position, the driver from Saint-Étienne was unable to capitalize on his potential in the main race, finishing 12th after receiving a penalty. Alessandro Giusti (MP Motorsport) finished 15th, struggling more on the Australian circuit.

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