Motorsport TechnologyFrederik Vesti took the chequered flag at Mugello to record his third win of the F3 season, but it was the other two Prema drivers who go into the final race tied for the championship.
Dane Vesti overtook Brit Jake Hughes on the final lap following a race-long four-way tussle for the lead, as Theo Pourchaire finished third ahead of Lirim Zendeli and Enzo Fittipaldi.
That winning moment 🤩@frederik_vesti is the only driver to win a Saturday F3 race in Italy in 2020, adding to his Monza win one week ago!#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F3 @prema_team pic.twitter.com/enqqIL9L69
— Formula 3 (@FIAFormula3) September 12, 2020
“Well it was probably one of the toughest races I’ve ever done,” said Vesti after his race win. “Both physically, and also definitely with tyre management. I wasn’t very quick at the beginning which was actually very frustrating because I just wanted to get to P1. I did my own lines and felt like the others were pushing quite a lot more than I was. I was, let’s say, in control of that feeling, so I knew I just had to keep doing what I was doing and save the tyres all the way through the race.
“I saw Jake and Lirim Zendeli really fighting and using their tyres, and I was happy to see that because I got closer while still saving my tyres. Towards the end it was obviously very difficult, but we had a good pace mid to end race, so I’m very happy to win.”
Importantly for Logan Sargeant, sixth place and 8 points means he now goes into the final sprint race of the season level with Prema teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri, who was just out of the points in 11th after a bad start to the weekend. Worse still for the Australian, it means he will start his challenge for the title from 11th, agonisingly finishing a place off starting the reverse-grid race from pole position.
We *think* he might be happy 😁👍#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F3 pic.twitter.com/kmZnzG30nd
— Formula 3 (@FIAFormula3) September 12, 2020
Pourchaire’s podium also means that the Frenchman is also in with a very realistic chance to take championship glory, but Hughes drops from contention despite his second-place finish.
“I’ll try not to think about the Championship,” added Pourchaire. “It’s super hard, but I’ll try to do a good race with a good start, to take the best result possible. Then, for sure, in the Championship standings I’ll be close to the others. Today, I was fighting with Logan (Sargeant), and it was pretty cool. He overtook me, and then I overtook him. I’m not stressed about the Championship. I’ll try to think about my weekend, by taking a lot of points.”
🍾💦🍾💦🍾💦#TuscanGP 🇮🇹 #F3 pic.twitter.com/zGFPJkSbbE
— Formula 3 (@FIAFormula3) September 12, 2020
Fraser Masefield