WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Key points ahead of Round 3 in Melbourne

20 March 2024

Sakhir seems an age ago now, but Melbourne will be the second round of the 2024 Formula 3 campaign, and one eagerly anticipated by all.

For those that hit the ground running on the opening weekend of the year, they will be looking to push home their early advantage while others that were perhaps lacking in performance will be targeting a rebound.

With the final flyaway the last chance before a short break ahead of the return to Europe, here are a few things you’ll want to keep an eye on this weekend in Melbourne.

WILL TYRE MANAGEMENT PROVE PIVOTAL?

Covered in marbles but well managed: Browning used his tyres well to hold off Mansell in Sakhir

The Bahrain International Circuit is renowned for how punishing it is on the tyres with such an abrasive track surface leading to increased levels of degradation than normal.

This time though, the field will be tackling what is usually a public road around the Albert Park street circuit, an altogether different prospect.

While there is one year of data that teams can directly read into in their preparations, Pirelli has nominated the yellow-marked medium compound tyre, one step softer than the selection for 2023’s event.

Will that make a huge difference this weekend? There are some drivers who will be hoping so after their efforts in Bahrain in relation to tyre management.

Firstly, Arvid Lindblad showed experience beyond his years to win at the first time of asking in F3, taking Sprint Race victory in what was a measured drive to the top spot.

Managing the tyres in the early laps, the PREMA Racing driver utilised the peak performance of the rubber when rivals had already extracted the best from theirs.

In the longer Feature Race, experience told as Luke Browning put on a stellar defensive drive to take the win ahead of ART Grand Prix’s Christian Mansell.

Browning kept his rival behind despite the Australian having the DRS advantage, through cleverly saving the tyres enough to give him enough drive out of the pivotal Turn 10 and 14, both preceding DRS zones. It left Mansell unable to overcome the Hitech Pulse-Eight driver.

Gabriel Bortoleto put on a similar display last year in Melbourne in his victory over ART’s Grégoire Saucy. Will there be a repeat in 2024?

PREMA ON THE PROWL

PREMA had speed they weren't able to show in the Feature Race in Sakhir

While Browning was undoubtedly impressive in Sakhir, predicted rivals in PREMA Racing ended up well adrift of the Briton on Saturday. Pole sitter Dino Beganovic was passed by everyone at the start, crawling away from his grid slot and hindering teammate Gabriele Minì’s getaway from third in the process.

While the Swede was last at the end of Lap 1, he fought back to an impressive P13 finish in Bahrain, a demonstration of just how quick he was that weekend.

Minì found himself stuck in a DRS train, unable to make the same kind of progress, though he will be confident of doing well in Melbourne after finishing last year’s Feature Race on the podium in third.

Lindblad couldn’t repeat his Sprint performance either after overcooking his tyres at the start of the race, leaving ART’s Mansell to take the fight to Browning. But, the PREMA trio will be eager to achieve a stronger Feature result and make their speed count.

The Red Bull Junior Team member has been learning very quickly through both post and pre-season testing and his one competitive Round of racing. He could well be a factor also this weekend in Australia based on his Sakhir speed.

Last year, Zak O’Sullivan was the Sprint Race winner for the Italians after MP Motorsport’s Franco Colapinto suffered a post-race disqualification for a technical infringement. The team will expect at least one race victory Down Under before returning to more familiar territory in Europe.

TURN 13

The trends from the 2023 event point to one spot in particular drivers make their restart from after a Safety Car

With Albert Park’s high-speed but twisty layout, overtaking opportunities are available but there is little margin for error with the walls so close.

The street circuit also has a 100% record of Safety Cars in the races. This means the race leaders will have to be on their toes and keep the chasing pack guessing on restarts, with those behind looking to make the most of the opportunity.

In the Sprint Race last year, Sebastián Montoya managed the restart on Lap 4, opting to go at the penultimate corner, Turn 13, to give himself enough breathing room over the chasing pack.

Colapinto had taken over the lead in time for the second restart and followed suit on the Lap 10 restart. He repeated the move later in the race at the third Safety Car restart on Lap 16.

READ MORE: Preparing for Melbourne: How the rookies are getting ready to go racing Down Under In the Feature, Bortoleto kept Saucy at bay through the entirety of the race, including two separate restarts. The Brazilian opted to follow suit from the day before and got back to racing speeds at Turn 13.

At the first restart entering Lap 6, the then-Trident driver opted to go in the middle of the penultimate corner at Turn 13, leaving Saucy to deal with the turbulent wake through the final corner.

Lap 16 and Bortoleto changed tactics and was the first driver to put their foot down ahead of the usual spot of Turn 13, though Saucy was able to shadow him slightly closer than the prior restart.

With Turn 1 representing one of the best overtaking opportunities around the lap of Albert Park, keep an eye on the restarts, they are usually as action-filled and frenetic as the opening lap of the race. Turn 13 seems to be the spot where drivers are launching into their restarts. Can anyone use that to their advantage in pursuit of victory?