Your guide to… Barcelona

The second triple-header of the season concludes this weekend, as Barcelona hosts Round 6 of the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship.

WHEN TO WATCH

All times local (GMT +2)

Friday Free Practice: 09:35 – 10:20 Qualifying: 14:05 – 14:35 Press conference: 17:45

Saturday Feature race: 10:25 (22 laps) Press conference: 11:25

Sunday Sprint race: 09:45 (22 laps)

THE STORY SO FAR

Five incredible FIA Formula 3 Championship rounds have produced plenty of drama and excitement, and last weekend was certainly no exception. Logan Sargeant dominated Round 5’s Race 1 to take the championship lead with his first F3 win, before Bent Viscaal snatched his maiden victory at this level on the last lap of Race 2.

Trident’s David Beckmann had been the man to catch during Friday’s Free Practice, topping the timesheets for the third time this season. The German was unable to maintain his pace in Qualifying however, as Sargeant fired home quickest for his second successive Silverstone pole to become the first double pole-sitter of the season.

The American was on a mission - having failed to convert pole position into victory in Round 4, he was determined to make amends. The PREMA ace launched off the line to lead into the first corner, and never looked like relinquishing it in a composed lights-to-flag win that saw him overtake teammate Oscar Piastri to top the Drivers’ Championship. Jake Hughes finished second on track for his first podium of the season, ahead of Liam Lawson.

Sunday’s remarkable action provided yet another first-time F3 winner. Lirim Zendeli and Viscaal were a class apart, with the Dutchman hanging on to Zendeli’s rear wing for 19 laps, before an epic last lap showdown resulted in a sprint to the line from the final corner. Viscaal took his, and MP Motorsport’s, first F3 victory, while Théo Pourchaire clung on for a podium in third.

THE CHALLENGERS

Sargeant (106 pts) now leads the Drivers’ Championship by just a single point ahead of fellow PREMA racer Piastri (105). Beckmann (82.5) is 22.5 points behind them in third. Lawson (77) climbs up to fourth, with Frederik Vesti (70.5) fifth.

With all three of their drivers in the top five of the standings, PREMA Racing (281.5 pts) lead the way in the Teams’ Championship. Trident (132.5) sit second, having opened a gap to ART Grand Prix (114) in third. Hitech Grand Prix (96) are fourth, ahead of MP Motorsport (83).

Just seven weeks since the season began, the unrelenting pace of the 2020 campaign continues this weekend as the paddock heads to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for Round 6. Teams and drivers will once again fight it out on Pirelli’s hard compound tyre, balancing risk and reward in their quest for glory. We’re all set for more spectacular Formula 3 action.

FROM THE GRID – SEBASTIÁN FERNÁNDEZ (ART GRAND PRIX)

“Barcelona is a very complete circuit. It has fast corners, slow corners, chicanes… It's a fun circuit to be at and I really like it.

“I've done quite a lot of testing there in the different categories, but I’ve not really raced there much. Apart from racing last year, I got two podiums in Spanish F4 and that’s about it, so there's still a lot of memories to be made.

“There are lots of places to overtake in Barcelona. Turn 1 being one of them. Turns 4 and 5 are also good. You have a chance after the back straight with the DRS too, so there’s a few action zones when it comes to overtaking.

“Tyre deg is quite high, maybe not as much as in Silverstone, but it's not as easy as the Red Bull Ring for sure. That’s a challenge for every driver. You need a car that is strong in every aspect with the mix of corners too, which can be a challenge.

“I don't think the season so far has gone the way me and the team would have liked. We've had strong pace at every circuit, some more than others, but still very strong overall. We just haven't been putting it together. I've made mistakes that have cost me a lot of points, and there are things that have happened that are out of my control. We'll keep pushing. We have the pace and there are a lot of points still to be made.

“A driver has the same hopes and expectations no matter the circuit, but I think we can be strong in Barcelona. On every track we visit, the expectation is to win. Winning doesn't just come from being quick. It's a combination of everything. Hopefully, we can get a result and score good points.”

TYRE TALK – MARIO ISOLA (PIRELLI’S HEAD OF F1 AND CAR RACING)

“With five rounds complete, the Formula 3 championship is closely-balanced after some great racing so far. Barcelona is a demanding circuit where tyre management is always important, and that is likely to be particularly true this year with the higher temperatures that are expected with the change of date. The hard tyres should again allow the drivers to race each other until the end while also needing to manage them carefully, learning important skills for the future.”

STAT PACK

• The F3 race lap record at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is 1:34.711, set by Jehan Daruvala with PREMA Racing in 2019.
• The gap between Logan Sargeant and PREMA Racing teammate Oscar Piastri at the top of the Drivers’ Championship is just one point.
• Sargeant’s Race 1 victory in Round 5 means that all three PREMA drivers have now stood on the top step of the podium this season.
• It’s the second consecutive season that all three PREMA drivers have taken victory in the same campaign. Marcus Armstrong, Jehan Daruvala and Robert Shwartzman shared eight wins between them in 2019.
• Bent Viscaal’s maiden F3 win in last weekend’s Race 2 was also the first Formula 3 win for MP Motorsport.
• Viscaal became the seventh different winner from the opening 10 races of the 2020 season.
• Leonardo Pulcini returns to FIA Formula 3 in Barcelona. The Italian racer will pilot Carlin Buzz Racing’s 27 car this weekend, replacing Ben Barnicoat.
• Pulcini scored 78 points last season and is an F3 winner, having taken Race 2 victory at Silverstone in 2019.
• Half of the current grid (15 drivers) have finished an FIA Formula 3 race on the podium during their career.
• David Beckmann has two F3 career victories to his name, having led just four laps. No other driver on the grid has more victories, with Liam Lawson and Théo Pourchaire also winning twice, but having led 57 and 29 laps, respectively.