Your guide to… Budapest

The FIA Formula 3 Championship heads to the beautiful Hungarian capital this weekend for Round 3 of the 2020 season.

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

An enthralling start to season has seen four different drivers win the first four races of the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship. Frederik Vesti and Théo Pourchaire became the newest editions to the F3 winners’ list last time out in Spielberg, with the Danish talent taking victory in a rain-curtailed Race 1, before Pourchaire became the Championship’s youngest-ever winner in Race 2.

Trident showed their pace once again during Round 2’s Free Practice, with Lirim Zendeli beating teammate David Beckmann to P1 by just 0.008s. Both would ultimately be denied top spot in Qualifying however, as Vesti went quickest of all to grab his maiden F3 pole.

Saturday’s weather forecast made for grim reading, and while a deluge might have brought Race 1 to a premature halt after 11 laps, it certainly didn’t dampen Vesti’s spirits. The PREMA man had said he liked wet conditions, and proved it by leading from the start until the session was ended early as the weather worsened. Zendeli and Beckmann ranked second and third, but with the race not having reached 75% distance, only half points were awarded to the top 10.

Sunday’s Race 2 was a much sunnier affair and saw a glorious back-and-forth battle for the lead between Liam Lawson and Jake Hughes. 16-year-old Pourchaire watched on patiently from third, and inherited the win when the leading pair collided with just three laps to go. Logan Sargeant grabbed second place, while Beckmann took to the podium once again in third.

THE CHALLENGERS

PREMA drivers now occupy the top three positions in the Drivers’ Championship, with Oscar Piastri (44 pts) still out in front after a solid weekend. Despite the half-points on Saturday, Vesti (37.5) moves up into second, while Sargeant (34) is third. Beckmann (31.5) is close behind in fourth, while Richard Verschoor (27) is fifth.

The gap at the top of the Teams’ Championship has grown, with PREMA Racing (115.5 pts) now 48 points ahead of fellow Italian outfit Trident (67.5). Hitech Grand Prix (30) remain in third, while ART Grand Prix (28) have moved up to fourth. Fifth-placed MP Motorsport (27) are one point further back.

A tough test awaits the 10 teams and 30 drivers in Round 3, where management of Pirelli’s medium compound tyres will prove crucial to any success. Overtaking at the Hungaroring is notoriously difficult, but opportunity awaits for those brave enough to take it.

FROM THE GRID – LOGAN SARGEANT (PREMA RACING)

“I love Budapest, and one of the reasons that I do is because it’s a very unique circuit and it is difficult to string a lap together perfectly. I guess that’s probably why my favourite memory from there would have to be when I was fastest of my qualifying group there in wet conditions during my 2018 Formula Renault season.

“The circuit at Budapest offers a lot of challenges as a driver. One corner leads straight into another, so one mistake can completely ruin a lap. The tyre degradation at the Hungaroring has been quite bad in the past too, so this makes race runs even trickier! As a result, tyre management is going to be very important this weekend, and I think we will see a big contrast to the Red Bull Ring.

“Unfortunately, Budapest is a difficult track to overtake on. However, Sector 1 offers most of the action throughout the race. I think the key overtaking zones will be at Turn 1 and Turn 2. It will also be very important to attack at the starts!

“After what we saw in Austria, my hopes are extremely high going into Budapest. Our pace has been very strong throughout the first two rounds, and so I expect to be battling at the front once again this weekend!”

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

“The action is non-stop for all the drivers in F3. By the end of this weekend, they will have contested six races in quick succession, gaining plenty of valuable experience. The Hungaroring will provide a completely different test compared to the Red Bull Ring, as demands on tyres in Hungary are quite high despite the relatively low average speeds. Track position is key, so a fast lap at the right moment in qualifying is particularly crucial. Managing the tyres well and being clever with strategy can also create important opportunities in the races, as overtaking is never easy there.”

STAT PACK

• The F3 race lap record at the Hungaroring is 1:35.307, set by Marcus Armstrong with PREMA Racing in 2019.
• After the first two rounds of the season, Cars 1, 2 and 3 occupy 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Drivers’ Championship.
• Sauber junior Théo Pourchaire became the youngest race winner in F3 history with his victory in Round 2 Race 2.
• Pourchaire also became the first French driver to win in FIA Formula 3.
• Five drivers on the current grid now have F3 race wins to their name (Piastri, Vesti, Lawson, Pourchaire, Hughes)
• Liam Lawson has led 37 F3 laps, more than any other driver on the current grid. Jake Hughes has led 30.
• The four races so far have seen seven different drivers lead at least one lap.
• Trident have more Front Row Starts than any team so far this season with two. That’s already twice as many as last season.
• After Round 2, 10 different drivers have stood on the podium this season. In 2019, that figure was not reached until after Round 4.
• Seven teams have had at least one driver on the podium so far this season. Ahead of Round 3 in 2019, that figure stood at four.