Fornaroli pips Mini to F3 title in final corner of the season at Monza

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Leonardo Fornaroli has won the 2024 FIA Formula 3 title with a last-corner lunge after a thrilling decider against Gabriele Mini at Monza.

Starting from a pole position which gave him a five-point advantage over Mini, Fornaroli covered off Alex Dunne at the start to keep the lead, but the McLaren junior grabbed the lead when they headed into Parabolica. Mini kept third at the start also lost a place heading onto the next lap when Fornaroli’s team-mate Sami Meguetounif got by.

Luke Browning faced a much tougher task to win the title from 13th on the grid and his hopes were thwarted on lap three when he spun in Ascari and stalled on the racing line. While he was avoided, and managed to resume via a trip to the pits, several cars – including Matias Zagazeta, Sophia Floersch and Cian Shields – were involved in an incident at the exit and the safety car was deployed.

At the restart, Mini was quickly passed by Christian Mansell and complained on the radio that his rear tyres were “completely gone”. But his fortunes soon changed when Fornaroli slid off track in the second part of Ascari and fell down to fifth.

Mini briefly got back up to third, a position that would have made him champion on countback on the basis of his Monaco victory, but Mansell repasssed him before he then ran wide in the Lesmos under pressure from Fornaroli, who got by into Ascari.

Mini was then nearly wiped out at the first corner in consecutive laps by Tasanapol Inthrapuvasak and Santiago Ramos as they went sliding down the grass. Meanwhile, Meguetounif took the race lead from Dunne and would drive away to victory.

Dunne would be passed by Mansell around the outside of the Roggia a lap later and fall into the clutches of Fornaroli and Mini, who got by into the Rettifilo chicane in consecutive laps and would both go on to pass Mansell with four laps to go. Fornaroli locked up massively in his overtake though, and would begin to struggle.

Mini managed to pass Fornaroli for second into the first chicane on the penultimate lap, prompting his team to tell him to back up his rival in order to gain the points difference he needed. Mansell immediately pulled off another outside pass into the Roggia to demote Fornaroli to fourth, putting Mini on course to win the title as he tried to break the tow to Mansell.

On the last lap, Fornaroli attacked Mansell into the Roggia but ran deep into the gravel, with Mansell going straight to retain the position. But Fornaroli was able to line up another lunge into Parabolica, and Mansell saw him coming and had to open the door and run wide.

Fornaroli therefore finished just one place behind Mini, enough to win the title by two points – having not won a race in two seasons in F3.

Race results (22 laps)