What to watch for in Spa

The FIA Formula 3 campaign returns for Round 7 at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, but what should you be watching out for this weekend?

PIASTRI STILL NEEDS TO FIND HIS QUALI PACE

Oscar Piastri displayed once again in Race 2 at Barcelona that he is one of the very quickest, and most highly rated drivers amongst this young field of potential future stars. But, as he has said himself, he needs to improve in Qualifying if he is going to achieve his ambitions this season.

The Australian is still yet to score a pole position, despite both of his teammates achieving the feat. He has shown time and time again that he can fight his way to the front, from further back on the grid, and Sunday was further proof of that, when he won from a starting place of fifth.

But, that does make you wonder… Just how much damage could he inflict if he were starting on the front row? In Spa, he will hope to find out.

COULD SARGEANT SCORE A FOURTH CONSECUTIVE POLE?

Sargeant completed his hat-trick in Barcelona, scoring his third pole position in as many rounds. The American racer has very much gotten to grips with his pace around one lap, and looks almost unopposed on that front.

He appears to thrive on the pressure, and has found the knack of delivering the ideal lap at the ideal time. Each pole he scores adds four more points to his tally, and it’s those points which are currently helping to separate him from his teammate Piastri – by one point.

In Spa, he will hope to add a fourth consecutive pole to his tally, but more than anything, he will want to score big in the races and increase the gap between himself and Piastri.

You almost wish you could combine the pair… Sargeant’s Quali pace, and Piastri’s race craft. What a blend that would be.

LAWSON IS LYING IN WAIT

Liam Lawson will be ruing a difficult start to the season, as he knows that had he and his car been in this type of form from the off, then he could well be leading the Championship standings. Still, he knows that what is most important is the here and now. And in the here and now, he is amongst the most in-form of the field.

The Hitech Grand Prix driver is consistently delivering wins and podiums – he has one or the other in each of the last three rounds – and will be ready and waiting should either Piastri, or Sargeant, slip up in Spa.

CAN HWA RACELAB CONTINUE TO PERFORM?

HWA RACELAB look to have firmly recovered from a pretty dire start to the season and are now chasing a top five spot in the Teams’ Championship.

Jake Hughes followed up his first podium of the year in Round 5, with a Race 1 win in Barcelona. While, Enzo Fittipaldi also scored his third points’ finish, and highest placing overall in Race 2, with P8.

Having scored just one points’ finish in the opening six races, Hughes has now scored in all six since then and is leading the charge at the German outfit.

Moving up to sixth in the Teams’ Championship, HWA sit 22.5 points off MP Motorsport in fifth, with three rounds to go. It remains all to play for.

THREE ROUNDS TO GO

We are entering the final of the three triple headers, meaning that a champion will have been crowned by the time we depart Mugello. PREMA Racing confidently top the pile in the Teams’ Championship, and it is extremely unlikely that they will be beaten, with a 187-point lead over second placed Trident.

The Drivers’ Championship retains incredibly close though. Sargeant leads the way for PREMA, 131 points, but is just a single point ahead of his PREMA teammate Piastri. Lawson and David Beckmann are less than 40 points behind themselves and while they would need results to swing their well, remain well in the hunt if either Sargeant or Piastri slip up.