Your guide to… Spielberg Round 2

The FIA Formula 3 Championship action continues in the Styrian Alps this weekend, as the Red Bull Ring in Austria hosts Round 2 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 (24 laps) Press conference: 11:25

Sunday Sprint race: 09:45 (24 laps)

THE STORY SO FAR

An incredible opening round to the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship saw two new drivers add their names to the list of F3 winners. There was an Australasian edge to the action with Australian rookie Oscar Piastri winning Race 1 on Saturday, and New Zealand’s Liam Lawson taking victory in Sunday’s Race 2.

Piastri looked sharp from the outset during Friday’s practice, only for Trident’s David Beckmann to deny him top spot by 0.079s. The Renault junior also showed pace during Qualifying but had to settle for a second row start when polesitter Sebastián Fernández pipped Lirim Zendeli by just 0.016s on the final lap.

The Australian’s race debut almost ended at Turn 1 on Saturday, somehow avoiding damage after contact which ended Fernández’s race. Piastri remained composed, leading home a PREMA one-two with Logan Sargeant. Fellow Aussie Alex Peroni capped off his return with third place and his first F3 podium.

With the top 10 finishers reversed for Sunday’s Race 2 grid, Lawson rose from P5 to take the chequered flag for the first time at this level after a stylish drive. MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor followed the Kiwi across the line for his highest finish in F3, with rookie Clément Novalak coming home in third.

THE CHALLENGERS

Piastri (30 pts) and Lawson (23) sit first and second in the Drivers’ Championship following an exciting opening weekend, separated by seven points. Sargeant (18) is five points further back in third. Peroni (17) is fourth, level on points with Frederik Vesti (17) in fifth.

With all three of their drivers in the top five, PREMA Racing (65) look like they have picked up almost exactly where they left off in 2019. The Italian outfit are 35 points ahead of compatriots Trident (30) in second. Hitech Grand Prix (24) lie in third, while Campos (17) and MP Motorsport (16) are separated by just one point.

Everyone gets another crack at the undulating Red Bull Ring this weekend, this time using Pirelli’s hard compound tyre. PREMA will be undoubtedly be hoping for another good day at the office, but with five drivers standing on the podium for the first time last weekend, somebody else may step into the limelight when Formula 3 returns.

FROM THE GRID – LIRIM ZENDELI (TRIDENT)

“I love quick corners, so I really like the last section of the Red Bull Ring. I especially like Turns 7 and 9. Plus, you have long straights where normally you can relax a bit, but you have to be so accurate on the braking for Turns 1, 3 and 4 that you have to work all the time.

“Last year here was my best result of 2019 and being on reverse pole last season was quite cool. During the race it can be challenging to stay behind a car while trying to stay in front of another! If you're on P1 you have the three DRS zones where the cars behind can close up, and then you have to pull out one second from Turn 4 to Turn 10 to get out of the DRS zone. That's pretty hard to manage. But it's also hard to manage from behind because from Turn 4 you have quick corners where you cannot really stay close.

“It's not a track like Bahrain or Hungary where the tyres will be dead after 10 laps. Obviously, you can't destroy them, but you can push quite a lot here, even with 24 laps. Turn 1 is an overtaking zone, but it's not such a smart move. Most likely you’ll prepare through Turn 3, stay behind and not risk too much, then try and pass in Turn 4.

“I hope the weather stays dry! I am quick here, missing out on pole last weekend by 0.016s, but there was a lot more to gain because my lap wasn't perfect. If we get another attempt on a dry track my expectation will be pole position, and then to keep that position! We've fixed our set-up and I hope we can start from the front row and get the win.”

STAT PACK

• The F3 race lap record at the Red Bull Ring is 1:21.042, set by Jüri Vips with Hitech Grand Prix in 2019.
• PREMA Racing could claim their fifth pole position on Friday, which would be exactly 50% from the possible 10. ART Grand Prix currently have three, Hitech Grand Prix and HWA RACELAB both have one each
• PREMA could surpass 10 F3 victories should they win both races this weekend.
• Sunday’s Sprint Race will be the 20th F3 race since the Championship began.
• Five drivers scored their first F3 podiums last weekend.
• Campos Racing and Carlin Buzz Racing scored their first podiums in Formula 3 last weekend.
• Campos set their first fastest lap in F3 during last weekend’s Race 1.
• Carlin led an F3 race for the first time last weekend after Clément Novalak ran P1 for three laps during Race 2.
• Liam Lawson has now led more F3 laps than any other driver on the current grid with 26. Jake Hughes and Oscar Piastri have both led 24.