Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Thirty drivers took to the racing circuit at the Sakhir International Circuit, Bahrain, all envisioning themselves as a Formula 3 champion. Ten weekends of racing later, six drivers stand a shot at winning the ultimate crown, as the series heads into the Temple of Speed.
The Full Picture: A championship on the line
An enthralling season of racing finally comes to an end as the Formula 3 grid approaches Monza for the season finale. Amid a season of multiple winners, a milestone for the series, and racers claiming home wins, the championship leader hasn't won a single race, bringing a stellar juxtaposition into picture.
Perhaps it's the prior experience making the difference in 2024. This explains how the likes of Trident's Leonardo Fornaroli, Prema Racing's Gabriele Minì and Dino Beganovic, Hitech Pulse Eight's Luke Browning, and ART's Christian Mansell remain in contention, forming five of the top six in the standings.
These drivers have seen the highs and lows in their debut Formula 3 campaigns. They have made wise moves in 2024, leveraging their experience to secure wins and podiums.
Leonardo Fornaroli finished just outside the top ten, eleventh in the standings. Beganovic, and Minì finished within the lower reaches of the top ten, in sixth, and seventh respectively. Browning managed only 41 points in his rookie season, finishing 15th in the standings. Mansell's debut season for Campos Racing fared only marginally better, the Australian up in 12th in the standings.
Today, Fornaroli sits only one point to the good in the standings, ahead of Minì, while Browning sits six points off the Italian in the lead. In a season of ten different winners, Fornaroli sits in the lead of the standings, highlighting the sheer value consistency holds in the series.
It only speaks volumes of the six drivers bring their experience to the fore in 2024, and an important message to this season's Formula 3 rookies.
Speaking of rookies, the highest placed of them is none other than Prema Racing's Arvid Lindblad. It's been nothing short of a stellar season for the 17 year-old, as he has lived up to the hype as a Red Bull junior. As someone who was touted the next big thing in motorsport, he has made the world stand up and take note.
Sitting third, only 16 points behind championship leader Fornaroli, Lindblad is firmly in contention for the a Formula 3 title in his debut season. While he downplayed any championship aspirations after his Silverstone double, there's no doubt he still remains a firm contender for a special title win.
Yet, he still faces the challenge of surmounting a gap at the top, and hasn't finished higher than 15th since his dream Silverstone weekend. He will need to find his way back into the points and possibly aim for a repeat of his Silverstone showing, if he does indeed have to overcome the trio ahead in the standings.
Sitting only six points off the lead, sprint races have been Browning's kryptonite, as he has failed to score in as many as seven out of nine sprints in 2024. Being a champion comes from maximising every opportunity, and Browning will have to score in both the sprint and feature races if he wants to get his hands on the coveted piece of silverware.
As for the likes of Beganovic, Mansell, and Goethe, the trio sit well over a race win off the championship leader, and will be looking to claw some vital ground, and hoping the rest ahead do not score. For them, it's not just about scoring, but wishing for the racing gods to be on their side all weekend.
Goethe, seventh in the standings, remained in mathematical contention heading into the weekend, but has just been announced as MP Motorsport's replacement for Williams-bound Franco Colapinto. He will relinquish his Campos seat, with a replacement expected to be announced.
The constructors' title has already been decided, with Prema Racing taking their fifth Formula 3 title in six seasons. Such an achievement speaks volumes of the Italian team's prowess when it comes to finding and nurturing young talents, as they continue to remain head and shoulders above the rest.
While six drivers will go into the Temple of Speed with a championship to debate, all is not lost for the rest. There's always the final standings to play for, and the last chance to make a good impression and finish high, putting themselves in the fray for potential Formula 2 seats next year, apart from contending for a Formula 3 drive at another team on the grid for the following season.
This will also be the final Formula 3 race with the current specification of Dallara Formula 3 cars, run since the introduction of the series in 2019. A new chassis is set to take centrestage from 2025. So sit back and enjoy the final weekend of a special era of Formula 3 racing!
The venue — The Temple of Speed
As renowned TopGear and The Grand Tour journalist Jeremy Clarkson once famously said, "Speed and power."
These are two characteristics predominant around the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. With its long straights bookended by chicanes, the circuit provides plenty of opportunities for drivers to make overtakes, and do battle.
The track has also been resurfaced ahead of this year's race, while the first chicane has been widened, and the kerbs flattened at Ascari corner. In addition, the astroturf has been replaced with grass on the exit of the Ascari chicane, leaving drivers with no room for error.
Yet, the speedy characteristics of Monza still remain. In a bid to curb the slipstreaming and the infamous 'Monza DRS train' during qualifying, the 30-minute session has been split into two groups for drivers, Groups A and B. Each group will get 13 minutes to go out and set their laps to form the grid, making it even more crucial for drivers to get their laps in and secure a strong grid slot.
Races can be chaotic at Monza, as evidenced by last year's outings which saw cautions breed cautions. First-corner melee took out multiple contenders in the sprint, while the feature race witnessed multiple safety car interventions.
For the six championship contenders, it will be all about qualifying well and keeping out of the usual Monza chaos, to keep their championship hopes alive for as long as possible. Even a single moment misjudged, a minor off into the barriers, or getting caught up in a collision can be detrimental to their championship chances and aspirations.
Drivers to watch out for
Apart from the championship contending six, there's certainly a few names you'd want to keep an eye on, as the season comes to an end.
Callum Voisin has certainly found his feet in Formula 3, after a difficult start to the season for Rodin Motorsport. The 2023 GB3 champion scored his first points at his home event at Silverstone, with fourth in the sprint. He has scored 67 points across the last three weekends. Will Formula 3's most recent winner at Spa be able to carry on his momentum into Italy?
Banned from the Belgian round for racing in the GB3 series at Spa without informing the FIA, ART's Nikola Tsolov returns for the season finale at Monza.
The Bulgarian's season reached a low at Australia, when he was penalised and criticised for his incident with Alex Dunne. However, the Alpine junior has recovered strongly to take wins at Monaco, Austria, and Hungary, as he sits eighth in the standings. Will he be able to continue his winning run, and end the campaign on a high at Monza?
Another impressive figure, Noel León's 2024 campaign has gone from strength to strength. The 2023 Euroformula Open champion started off the year slow, but has scored four podiums in a stellar campaign for Van Amersfoort Racing. Having finished in the top four in the last three races, will he be able to secure that elusive victory at Monza, and end the season strong?
All in all, an exciting season finale beckons at Monza. With six in contention, who will master the Temple of Speed to snatch the prized accolade? Only time will tell. Do make sure to tune in to find out the next Formula 3 champion.
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