The final stage of the 2023 Championship will be held this weekend in Italy
Brazil is very close to witnessing its first Formula 3 FIA champion. São Paulo-born driver Gabriel Bortoleto, at just 18 years old, has led the championship standings since the first stage and, with 144 points secured – 38 more than the second-placed contender – he has a range of mathematical possibilities to become the champion. Among them, securing pole position in the qualifying session, to be held on this Friday (1st), would already earn him the title even before the races.
The tenth and final stage of the FIA F3 Championship has been affectionately scheduled to take place at the renowned Autodromo Internazionale di Monza in Italy. The track, one of the most iconic in world motorsport, has witnessed great stories of the sport and might record another significant chapter in its history this weekend. The official schedule will commence on Friday (September 1st) with free practice and qualifying. Saturday will see the Sprint Race, and on Sunday, the Feature Race will be held.
Bortoleto’s season has been marked, since the first stage held in March in Bahrein, by maintaining the lead in the standings. Since that occasion, where he won the stage, Gabriel has shown extreme maturity to consistently widen his points gap from his competitors with each weekend of competition, arriving at the final weekend of the year with a 38-point lead over the second-placed driver.
For Gabriel not to become the champion, the second-placed driver in the standings – Paul Aaron – needs to earn all available points over the weekend. This entails securing pole position, winning both races, and also setting the fastest lap in both races. Oh, and let us not forget that in this scenario, Bortoleto should not earn any more points.
The Monza circuit is the fastest of the season, and Bortoleto considers it one of his favorites. “Every driver loves to push to the maximum. The Monza track is undoubtedly one of my favorites. It is the fastest on the calendar, and it is even better for me because I live in Milan, just 30 minutes away from the circuit. I am approaching this weekend just like any other throughout the year. I have prepared myself physically over the past month, as well as on the simulator. I have had multiple meetings with the Trident engineering team, and I am heading to the track with the same objective as always – to give my best from the moment I step on the track. I’m ready and prepared for whatever happens,” commented the 18-year-old driver.
Check out the official schedule for the Italian weekend below.
Friday (September 1st)
Free Practice – 4:40 AM (BandSports)
Qualifying – 10:05 AM (BandSports)
Saturday (September 2nd)
Sprint Race – 4:25 AM (BandSports)
Sunday (September 3rd)
Feature Race – 3:15 AM (BandSports)
Pictures: James Gasperotti | Disclosure
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Responsible journalist: Flávio Quick