Bruno’s Take: The Drivers’ Title fight is intense

CEO Bruno Michel looks back at the eighth round of the FIA Formula 3 season and picks out his key topics from Monza.

He discusses PREMA’s title win, the intense title fight, and looks back on the two incredible races that we were treated to.

BRAVO PREMA

It was only a matter of time before PREMA took another F3 crown, which they did following Saturday’s Race 1. They have been strong and consistent all season long, more than any of the other nine teams. They were able to score podiums and wins with all three drivers. They keep their title for another year, with three races to spare in 2020. Bravo to everyone at PREMA. That is well deserved!

DOWN TO THE WIRE

The Teams’ Title may be settled, but there is still a pretty intense fight where the Drivers’ Championship is concerned. Monza was not easy on Logan Sargeant who for the first time this season failed to score any points. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri was able to add another podium finish to his tally. The Australian will start the final round with a bit of an advantage over his American teammate in terms of points, but they both left Monza with grid penalties for the next race: five for Piastri and three for Sargeant. Théo Pourchaire could very well grab four points for pole position, and this would see him close the gap to the leading pair. Looking at the standings, there are still six drivers who can mathematically claim this year’s crown, as David Beckmann, Liam Lawson and Frederik Vesti all remain in contention. What a season!

GREAT SHOW

Last weekend, both F3 races at Monza were absolutely amazing. There wasn’t a dull moment with constant battles throughout the field. The season as a whole has been extremely strong in terms of show on track, but that particular round was non-stop exhilarating. You could not predict who would win at the end of the 22 laps. Vesti and Jake Hughes should feel very proud to have come out on top on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

TRIDENT VS ART GRAND PRIX

While PREMA will want to finish a successful season on a high and will be busy trying to take one of their three racers to the Drivers’ Title, both Trident and ART Grand Prix will also be fighting tooth and nail for second and third in the Teams’ Standings. At the moment, the Italian team leads the French squad by 13.5 points. They each have one of their drivers in contention for the Championship crown with Beckmann for Trident and Pourchaire for ART Grand Prix. Mugello – a new venue for F3 – will be the decider of their fate…