Silverstone Talking points: Viscaal gets his moment, a turning point for HWA

With the dust settled after another enthralling FIA Formula 3 race weekend at Silverstone in Great Britain, we take a look at the talking points from Round 5.

A well-deserved win

No one on the F3 grid will have felt more deserving of a maiden race win than Bent Viscaal. The Dutchman was cruelly - but correctly – denied victory in the Championship in Round 3 at Budapest, after two five second time penalties dropped him from first, to 17th.

So, when he crossed the line first in Race 2, in Round 5, he’ll have felt a huge wave of relief, safe in the knowledge that he was able to celebrate this one.

He done it in style too. Having spent the entire race in the wheel tracks of Lirim Zendeli, he launched a stunning late attack on the Trident racer, finishing merely 0.1s ahead at the finish line.

A change of hands

For the first time this season, the Championship lead has changed hands, with Logan Sargeant reaping the rewards of his continually consistent efforts. The American has arguably been the most consistent driver on the grid, but was missing the race win to really solidify his title bid.

That win came in Silverstone Race 1 and saw him leapfrog his teammate Oscar Piastri to go to the top of the standings. It all got a little tense for the PREMA man in Race 2, when he retired and was forced to watch on from the pitlane, as Piastri attempted to reclaim the lead. The Australian finished in sixth, one-point shy of Sargeant.

One. Single. Point.

A turning point for HWA RACELAB?

After a difficult start to the season, Silverstone feels like a potential turning point in HWA RACELAB’s season. The German outfit had two drivers qualify in the top seven for the first time this year, with Jake Hughes third, and Jack Doohan seventh.

Unfortunately, Doohan suffered damage to his front wing and was forced into the pits, which dropped him down the order. Issue free, Hughes took his first podium of the season, finishing in second behind Sargeant.

Beckmann delivers again

David Beckmann’s standing grew further in Round 5, as he fired in another set of top five finishes to keep his title bid alive. His turnaround of form from last year to 2020 has been discussed plenty of times already, but it cannot be understated just how well he is performing at the moment.

The German looks like a genuine challenger to the PREMA pairing of Sargeant and Piastri, with four rounds to go.

Hitech continue their resurgence

Liam Lawson and Hitech Grand Prix proved that Round 4 was no flash in the pan. The Kiwi qualified on the front row for the second round in succession, and while he ultimately dropped back a place to third, another podium will still have pleased the Red Bull junior and his team.

He then scored sixth in Race 2 and moves up to fourth in the Championship standings.