Australian driver Oscar Piastri retakes the lead of the Formula 3 2020 Championship after Logan Sargeant suffers engine difficulties in Spa.
After a frantic and rainy Friday Qualifying, Race 1 promised action and excitement as championship frontrunners Sargeant and Piastri needed to battle from P4 and P8 to increase their championship lead. Lirim Zendeli started on pole ahead of Frenchman Theo Pourchaire and ART Grand Prix racer Alex Smolyar.
All drivers (with the exception of Andreas Estner) made a clean start with the leading pack all holding position on the first lap. Both Estner and Enzo Fittipaldi suffered punctures in the early stages of the race but were able to rejoin the race after a brief pitstop.
The virtual safety car was deployed soon after as Alessio Deledda in the Campos lost control of his car and entered the gravel trap. After the restart, Beckmann quickly made a move on Novalak to take the final podium position and despite a valiant fight from the Carlin racer, the Trident held firm and secured the position on lap 7.
Meanwhile, championship contender Oscar Piastri started his movement through the grid with an impressive move around the outside to take P7 from Richard Verschoor. Piastri then chased down the Hitech of Liam Lawson, catching the New Zealander on lap 10. As Lawson defended his position, the pair collided with both drivers forced to leave the track. However, it was Piastri who returned to the racing line in front of the Hitech moving the PREMA up to P6.
Second Half of the race
After the incident between Piastri and Lawson was noted by the Stewards, PREMA took the decision to hand the place back to the Hitech driver. Piastri then retook the position cleanly as Lawson struggled with pace. Piastri’s PREMA teammate Frederik Vesti was also able to move past the struggling Liam Lawson and secure a PREMA P5, P6, and P7.
On lap 15, in what could prove a pivotal moment in the championship fight, Piastri was able to overtake Logan Sargeant as the American driver struggled with engine problems. Sargeant’s other PREMA teammate Vesti soon followed suit to move ahead of the frustrated young driver. Sargeant would eventually finish the race in P8, behind the Trident of Oli Caldwell.
However, at the front, it was smooth sailing for Zendeli who secured a dominant victory three seconds ahead of Theo Pourchaire in P2. David Beckmann held off the challenge from Smolyar to take the remaining podium position. Richard Verschoor will start tomorrow’s race on reverse grid pole after finishing in P10 with Lawson and Sargeant starting in P2 and P3.
By finishing in P5, Piastri has retaken the Championship lead by 5 points with five races remaining of the 2020 calendar.
Top 10
1. L. Zendeli Trident
2. T. Pourchaire ART Grand Prix
3. D. Beckmann Trident
4. A. Smolyar ART Grand Prix
5. O. Piastri PREMA
6. F. Vesti PREMA
7. O. Caldwell Trident
8. L. Sargeant PREMA
9. L. Lawson Hitech Grand Prix
10. R. Verschoor MP Motorsport
Featured Image Credit: fiaformula3.com
