Bearman seizes first F3 win in disrupted Spa sprint race · RaceFans

Ferrari academy driver Oliver Bearman took his maiden win in FIA Formula 3, in red flag-interrupted sprint race around Spa-Francorchamps.

Zak O’Sullivan started from partially-reversed-grid pole, with Juan Manuel Correa alongside him. O’Sullivan initially held the lead but Correa pursued him up the Kemmel Straight to take the lead.

However, as drivers reached Les Combes, Correa was clipped by O’Sullivan and ran wide with a puncture as several other cars hit strife in the sequence the. Correa and O’Sullivan both had to pit with damage and Kaylen Frederick suffered a dramatic tyre failure that saw it almost detach from the wheel, also forcing him into the pits. In the melee, Jonny Edgar tagged Franco Colapinto into a spin, earning him a five-second time penalty.

Brad Benavides took over the lead but did not hold it for long. Bearman passed him neatly on lap two just before the Safety Car was deployed when Christian Mansell was pitched into into the barrier on the outside of Fagnes.

When the race resumed on lap five, Bearman got away with the lead and looked safe from Benavides, who was under attack from Edgar. However, green flag running was short lived.

On lap six there was a huge crash between Zane Maloney and Oliver Goethe at Blanchimont which saw both drivers into the gravel before Maloney’s car rolled hitting the barrier and Goethe’s car slammed into Maloney’s car again. Thankfully, Maloney immediately exited the car and Goethe was assisted out by marshals before both drivers were collected by the Medical Car.

After multiple laps under Safety Car, the race was red flagged on lap nine, while repairs were made to the Blanchimont barrier. When the race restarted, Bearman kept the lead and was able to confidently hold it until the chequered flag. Roman Stanek claimed second place for Trident, with Alexander Smolyar completing the podium in third.

After both championship leaders Isack Hadjar and Victor Martins qualified poorly yesterday, Arthur Leclerc was able to make the most of it by moving from 20th on the initial grid to fifth, with Hadjar rising to ninth while Martins would finish down in 22nd after a poor start.

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Formula 3 Spa sprint race results