Monaco – Main Race: Brando Badoer snatches victory from Théophile Naël

Finishing second in the Monaco feature race, Théophile Naël was unable to maintain his pole position advantage. Italian driver Brando Badoer took his first F3 victory.

In the French camp, disappointment would seem to be the prevailing sentiment this Sunday morning following the main race of F3Indeed, Théophile Naël equaled his best performance in the category by finishing second. However, a few months after Macau, victory seemed within reach for the Saint-Étienne native, who was clearly in top form on street circuits. After a less than ideal start from the Frenchman, it was ultimately Brando Badoer who emerged victorious in this Monaco race, thanks to a perfect start from the grid.

For his part, Théophile Naël fought hard, but victory didn't seem destined for him on Sunday. Despite finishing more than ten seconds ahead of Freddie Slater, who had been pressing him throughout the race, the Frenchman couldn't capitalize on any mistakes from his rival. With 18 points in hand, the Campos driver nevertheless leaves Monaco with a much better tally than in Melbourne, aiming to perform well in Barcelona – the site of one of his three podium finishes last season – and on home soil for his team.

Giusti scores again, the favorites deliver.

Fifth in the sprint race the previous day, Alessandro Giusti managed to conclude a solid weekend in Monaco on Saturday, June 6th. The driver, supported by Williams He finished his main race in 7th place, despite losing an initial position after the start – just like his French counterpart who started from pole position. Ahead of Alessandro Giusti were the championship leaders: Bruno Del Pino (6th), Ugo Ugochukwu (4th), and Freddie Slater (3rd).

Of particular note is the excellent return to competition of Mexican driver Ernesto Rivera, who missed the start of the season due to a back injury. A teammate of Ugochukwu and Naël at Campos, Rivera was unable to participate in the opening round in Melbourne, but he confirmed his talent by beginning the season with a top-five finish on one of the most challenging tracks of the year. Meanwhile, young Enzo Deligny, finishing 14th, can still boast of having gained positions in both races of the weekend, while avoiding the pitfalls of Monaco in his very first appearance.

Now, the next meeting is not scheduled for three months from now, as was the case between the first two rounds. Barcelona awaits the F3 drivers as early as next week, in support of the F1 and F2...for another busy weekend ahead. As a reminder, Alessandro Giusti and Théophile Naël both finished on the podium there last year, in Catalonia…

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