Lindblad wins crazy wet-dry F3 feature race after Voisin is penalised

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

An incident-packed FIA Formula 3 race with changing weather ended with Arvid Linblad as victor again at Silverstone.

It was Rodin Motorsport’s Callum Voisin who finished the feature race first on-the-road, but a 10-second penalty demoted him to third.

The rapid switches between wet and dry conditions made being on the right tyre compound nigh on impossible. Rain fell shortly before the start, prompting most – including Hitech GP’s poleman Luke Browning – to switch to wet tyres on the grid.

By the time the formation lap began, the weather had cleared, and many went to the pits to switch back to slicks. Prema driver Lindblad, who won the sprint race and was set to start 10th, led that pack.

Voisin had remained on slicks on the grid, and charged up to fourth on lap one before the safety car appeared due to Hitech’s Cian Shields spinning.

Voisin’s charge continued once racing resumed and he made it into the lead. However, he had run off-track when passing Max Esterson and that earned him a penalty.

The slick-shod runners rose through the order while those on wets were assured that rain would be returning. Browning put up a valiant fight to stay at the sharp end of the field and was third when the safety car came out for a major incident involving Sophia Floersch.

Alex Dunne had gone wide and returned to the track at speed with two wheels in the air. Dino Beganovic and Floersch swerved to avoid Dunne and collided, causing heavy damage to Floresch’s car.

Before the safety car came in, second-placed Tim Tramnitz pitted for wet tyres, signalling another change in conditions. On the restart, it was Browning who had the advantage as those that had held onto the wet tyres charged back through. He and Leonardo Fornaroli led the way while the likes of Voisin, Lindblad and his team-mate Mini dropped back. Within a handful of laps, they were at the back of the pack.

The conditions caught out a few of the midfielders. Joshua Dufek ran wide and returned to the track over the wet grass into the paths of Dunne and Sebastian Montoya. They both ran onto the grass on the opposite side of the track and spun into the wall just before the pit entry.

The incident brought out the safety car and, crucially, closed the pits so nobody could switch tyres again.

For a few laps, it seemed as if Browning might have the race tied up as he led comfortably ahead of a battling Fornaroli and Noel Leon. But the wet weather did not last. Voisin, Lindblad and Mini began making their way through the field again.

By the time Voisin had reached second place, Browning was two seconds clear. Voisin rapidly closed in and led with five minutes left on the clock.

Voisin initially had a good gap to Linblad and Mini, who made slightly slower progress before battling each other for second. However, they then began to work together and closed in on Voisin. A wide moment for Lindblad almost took him out of the fight, but he held on to inherit the win.

The wet tyre runners continued to slip backwards and the gap between the top three and the rest of the field was enough so that Voisin remained on the podium. 

Tommy Smith had slipped backwards during the brief wet spell in the middle of the race, and had a slower climb up through the order, but still finished a personal best fourth place.

Piotr Wisnicki and Oliver Goethe, who started 20th following a grid penalty for clashing with Esterson in the sprint race, climbed up to fifth and sixth after changing tyres.

Leonardo Fornaroli passed title rival Luke Browning in the closing stages for seventh, but now both have fell behind Mini and Lindblad in the standings.

Race results (20 laps)