Melbourne – Main Race: Ugochukwu wins ahead of Slater, Naël penalized

For Théophile Naël, incomprehension reigned at the finish of the main race. Formula 3 at Albert Park in Melbourne. Having secured pole position thanks to a somewhat unexpected performance in qualifying, the driver from Saint-Étienne initially maintained his advantage before being overtaken by Ugo Ugochukwu on lap seven. The American, with his metronomic form, won the race after a dominant solo performance at the front, crossing the finish line ahead of Briton Freddie Slater, who also displayed remarkable consistency in this event.

Even more unlucky, Théophile Naël initially received a five-second penalty for a false start, observed by race control when the lights went out. This detail, barely noticeable even at a slow speed, proved costly for the Campos driver. Finishing twelfth after the penalty, he only scored a single point under these circumstances. The big winners of this scenario were Taito Kato, Bruno Del Pino, Maciej Gladysz, and the Frenchman Enzo Deligny, who finished third, fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively, confirming the VAR team's excellent weekend following the previous day's Sprint. As a reminder, Del Pino and Deligny had achieved a one-two finish before the race was shortened under a red flag.

Stromsted and Lacorte also penalized in Melbourne

In addition to Théophile Naël, the Dane Noah Stromsted and the Italian Nicola Lacorte received penalties of ten and five seconds respectively for different reasons. The Trident driver was found guilty of a collision with Nicola Lacorte himself at the end of lap 18. Having been in third place at one point, the DAMS driver led the battle with his rival before his opponent suddenly cut across his front wing. His car This prevented him from maintaining his impressive early race pace. Nicola Lacorte, like the pole-sitter, was found guilty of a false start when the lights went out. While not a blatant infraction, this offense will naturally be noted by race control should the French team request it.

Winner of the Formula Regional Oceania earlier this year, Ugo Ugochukwu made a strong statement this Sunday in Melbourne, leaving Australia as the first championship leader. Freddie Slater also confirmed his status, while the Van Amersfoort Racing drivers were the pleasant surprise of this first weekend.

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F3 – Melbourne (Australia)
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