Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Autosport
Autosport
Sport
Megan White

F3 Austria: Aron splashes to maiden win from eighth

The Prema Racing driver, who was on provisional pole on Friday before his lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, had entered Saturday frustrated but confident after a tricky qualifying.

He started eighth for the reverse grid sprint race, but a strong start saw him jump into third on lap one.

The Estonian driver clung onto leader Pepe Marti (Campos Racing) and second-placed Kaylen Frederick before passing the ART driver on lap eight.

The safety car was deployed three laps later, closing the gap to Marti, and he was able to swoop into the lead amid a three-way fight with Marti and Gabriele Mini (Hitech) two laps from the end of the race, and Aron held on to win by 1.4 seconds from Mini.

Mercedes junior Aron then missed the pitlane entry at the end of the race, and was pushed back into the pits to take the podium.

With Mini, who won the feature race in Monaco, second, Caio Collet took third for Van Amersfoort Racing after Marti dropped several places in the closing stages.

Wet conditions saw the field complete two formation laps behind the safety car, but a standing start followed as it was deemed safe enough.

Oliver Goethe (Trident) stalled on the grid, dropping positions, but Marti was able to get the jump off the line to lead into Turn 1 from Frederick, who started third.

Collet and Mini briefly made contact at Turn 3, with the Alpine Academy member emerging ahead, while Sunday polesitter Gregoire Saucy (ART) dropped down the order.

Marti then built a solid gap to Frederick, with a three-second lead by lap five, while Aron ran third.

Aron passed Frederick for second at Turn 4 on lap eight, before setting about closing on Marti as Mini closed in on third, taking the position on the following tour at Turn 6.

The safety car was deployed on lap 11, with Oliver Gray (Rodin Carlin) and VAR’s Rafael Villagomez coming together at Turn 4, ending both drivers’ races.

Racing resumed on lap 14, with Aron hot on Marti’s gearbox, and by lap 18 the battle for the win had become three-way as Mini closed in on the leading duo.

But it was Aron who emerged in front as they entered Turn 3 together, with Mini second and Marti third.

Collet then made it past Marti for third, before Zak O’Sullivan (Prema) and MP Motorsport’s Jonny Edgar also made it through, leaving Marti to finish sixth.

Frederick crossed the line seventh, with Dino Beganovic (Prema) in eighth, Sebastian Montoya in ninth for Hitech and championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto (Trident) rounding off the top 10.

F3 Austria - Sprint race results

Cla Driver Team Laps Gap
1 Paul Aron Italy Prema Powerteam 20  
2 Gabriele Minì Hitech Pulse-Eight 20 1.400
3 Brazil Caio Collet Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing 20 4.900
4 United Kingdom Zak O'Sullivan Italy Prema Powerteam 20 5.400
5 United Kingdom Jonny Edgar Netherlands MP Motorsport 20 6.300
6 Pepe Martí Spain Campos Racing 20 7.600
7 United States Kaylen Frederick France ART Grand Prix 20 8.300
8 Dino Beganovic Italy Prema Powerteam 20 8.400
9 Colombia Sebastian Montoya Hitech Pulse-Eight 20 9.600
10 Gabriel Bortoleto Italy Trident 20 10.100
11 Luke Browning Hitech Pulse-Eight 20 10.900
12 Mari Boya Netherlands MP Motorsport 20 11.300
13 Argentina Franco Colapinto Netherlands MP Motorsport 20 12.300
14 Christian Mansell Spain Campos Racing 20 14.300
15 Leonardo Fornaroli Italy Trident 20 15.100
16 Nikola Tsolov France ART Grand Prix 20 16.000
17 Nikita Bedrin Switzerland Jenzer Motorsport 20 16.800
18 Israel Ido Cohen Rodin Carlin 20 17.600
19 Germany Sophia Flörsch PHM Racing by Charouz 20 18.200
20 Hunter Yeany Rodin Carlin 20 18.500
21 Switzerland Gregoire Saucy France ART Grand Prix 20 19.400
22 Tommy Smith Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing 20 20.100
23 Hugh Barter Spain Campos Racing 20 21.700
24 McKenzy Cresswell PHM Racing by Charouz 20 22.700
25 Roberto Faria PHM Racing by Charouz 20 25.200
26 Oliver Goethe Italy Trident 20 1'28.600
27 Taylor Barnard Switzerland Jenzer Motorsport 18  
28 Oliver Gray Rodin Carlin 10  
29 Mexico Rafael Villagomez Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing 10  
30 Alex Garcia Switzerland Jenzer Motorsport 1  
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.