PREMA prepares for pivotal Spa-Francorchamps event
PREMA Racing is gearing up for a pivotal weekend in its FIA Formula 3 Championship campaign at Spa-Francorchamps. Coming from two very eventful weekends at Silverstone and Hungaroring, the Belgian circuit will be home to the penultimate round of the season. It will present the teams with its thorough mix of a challenging and driver-intense 7-km layout, technical complexity, and environmental conditions. Spa will also carry the series into its summer break, with only the Monza finale separating the contenders from the end of the season.
While PREMA retains a strong lead in the Team Championship, Gabriele Minì will enter the weekend as the Driver Championship leader. The Alpine Academy member has been extremely consistent despite some recent ups and downs and has a four-point margin over his closest competitor. Red Bull Junior driver Arvid Lindblad is sitting third. He has the most wins this year, including a double sweep of his home weekend in the UK, and is the highest-ranked rookie in the series. In addition, Dino Beganovic is in full contention too, being a close sixth in driver points. Despite the complicated weekend, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy was able to deliver a podium and an additional points finish in Hungary.
While the three drivers have raced at Spa-Francorchamps in the past, and the team has extensive experience, the event requires a multi-faceted approach, with qualifying being the moment where all variables will need to come into place to shape up the rest of the weekend, while the Races will also feature a fair share of tyre management. Drivers will need to take care of their three sets of new, Pirelli P-Zero Medium yellow tyres, complemented by the ever-present wet tyres in case of need.
RENÉ ROSIN - Team Principal
"The one at Spa-Francorchamps is a really important event for sheer complexity and for the moment of the season we are in. We are lining up in Belgium in a leading position in standings, but one weekend, especially this one, might change everything. We know what we have, but need to maximize every single detail from the first instant, deliver in qualifying and execute in the races."
Weekend Timetable
Friday, July 26th
09:45 - Free Practice
15:05 - Qualifying
Saturday, July 27th
09:50 - Race 1
Sunday, July 28th
08:30 - Race 2