Hungaroring, Sprint Race: Mameli’s Anthem plays for Bedrin, another ‘Italian’ | FP

The Tricolour on the top step of the podium

Strange sensations on the podium of the Hungaroring Sprint Racewith the Mameli Anthem playing for a pilot with an Italian license but of Russian nationality: it is about Nikita Bedrinwhich with this success gets its first win in Formula 3 after a complex season characterized by only three placings in the points zone. A race that smiles not only on the ‘Italian’ driver (with ‘blue’ license after the sanctions imposed by the FIA ​​on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine), but also on the team AIX Racingwhich thanks to the 2nd place of the Thai Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak celebrate the double-barreled shotgun. A provisional result however and which could be subject to variations due to a possible technical infringement during the start by Inthraphuvasak himself, which would thus give 2nd place to Dino Beganovic and 3rd to Tim Tramnitz, as well as providing a further opportunity for Fornaroli and Browning to further reduce the gap in the overall standings on Gabriele Minì, out of the area points as well as Arvin Lindblad.

Race report

It was certainly not an easy race for Browning, forced to come back from 15th place after the lap cancelled in yesterday’s qualifying for being responsible for the red flag at the end of the session. Several penalties inflicted by Race Direction allowed Minì to move up to thirteenth place on the grid, in a race that began with a lap delay due to Loake’s mistake in the starting grid, later penalized by 10 seconds. A start that did not see a brilliant start from poleman Dino Beganovic, overtaken on the outside of turn 3 by Bedrin. On the other hand, the start of Inthrapuvasak, 3rd but with a possible technical infringement at the start that could cost him the podium. After the Virtual Safety Car on lap 2 due to contact between Zagazeta and Boya, the race resumed regularly on the following lap, with Voisin very aggressive in trying to overtake the Thai driver from AIX Racing, not without a slight contact between the two on laps 6 and 7. The episode that decided the top-3, however, occurred on lap 10: after several attempts to attack Bedrin, Beganovic tried to overtake the Italian on the inside, still on turn 3, but lost control of the car on the kerb and slipped to third position behind Inthraphuvasak and ahead of Tramnitz. From that moment on, no more overtaking took place, with Bedrin thus taking his first win in this category ahead of his teammate. Fornaroli and Browning finished in the points zone, 7th and 8th respectively, with placings that allowed the British driver to overtake Lindblad in second position and close in on Minì, now four points ahead.

F3 / Hungary 2024, Sprint Race: Finishing Order