What to watch for in Budapest

The FIA Formula 3 campaign returns for Round 3 at the Hungaroring in Budapest, but what should you be watching out for this weekend?

CAN PREMA KEEP IT UP?

PREMA lead both the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships heading into Round 3, with their trio of drivers taking all three of the top spots. Can they keep it up in Round 3? Trident have been their strongest challengers so far, while Hitech Grand Prix and ART Grand Prix have both looked formidable themselves.

All three will require a big weekend if they are to stop the 2019 champs from running away and claiming a second successive title.

THE EFFECT OF THREE IN A ROW

We are heading into the final round of a back-to-back-to-back start to the season. This will have been incredibly draining, not just for the drivers, but also for the team staff. It will take a monumental effort from all if concentration levels and standards are to remain as high as they have been so far.

Everyone will have attempted to get plenty of sleep between the two rounds, but it will be fascinating to see who has handled the triple header the greatest.

QUALIFYING WILL BE KEY

Qualifying is king in Budapest. The Hungaroring is notoriously difficult to overtake on, making the starting positions even more important than normal for the races.

We have had two different polesitters in the opening two rounds. Frederik Vesti took first last time out for PREMA, and coolly converted it into a win. He’ll be hoping for more of the same.

Sebastián Fernández was our first poleman of the season, and looked to have the potential to take first again in Round 2, before a crash midway through the session took him out of contention.

THE COMPETITION WILL REMAIN STIFF

10 different drivers have stood on the podium so far this season. In 2019, it took us until Round 4 to reach that figure. That tells you just how competitive this season has been so far.

As well as PREMA’s ultra-quick trio, we have seen a large variety of drivers throw their names into the ring for a title challenge. David Beckmann has been one of the most consistent men on the grid so far for Trident, while Théo Pourchaire proved his credentials to take the Race 2 win last time out.

Liam Lawson has led the most laps of the grid so far (37). The Hitech racer has one win to his name from Round 1, and could potentially have had a second, if it weren’t for a late collision with Jake Hughes in Race 2 last weekend.