In race 3 at the Red Bull Ring, the last of the qualifying races, comes the victory of Kacper Sztuka. The US Racing driver returns to the top step of the podium again, for the second time this season, after Imola. The Pole brings home a victory that is not easy: immediately launched from the start in the tussle with Conrad Laursen, PREMA Racing, he takes full advantage of the Safety Car, first passing his rival, then, paraded first with the exit of Antonelli and Barnard, keeps the lead with a textbook restart. He is on the run and builds gap with an exceptional pace. Second on the podium is Prema Racing's new entry, at his first weekend in Italian F.4, Ugo Ugochukwu. The Italian-American started from the front row, but in the chaos of the leading group at the start he ended up struggling from P5 to climb back up. After a long battle with Conrad Laursen he prevails and takes home the second place and Rookie win in race 3 with an overtake in the corner after locking tyres with his teammate. Laursen, Prema's Dane, therefore finishes in P3 after leading the chase to Sztuka for a long time. In P4 and second on the Rookie podium, Martinius Stenshorne, Van Amersfoort Racing, who puts on a show on the track: starting in P10 he gave hard battle for a in the top 10, then began the climb back up to finish just a step away from the overall podium. Fifth was Nikita Bedrin, PHM Racing, 2021 Rookie Champion, followed by Charlie Wurz who thus also completes the Rookie podium as the second PREMA Racing driver. The Austrian driver also withstood a contact in the race, managing to finish with an excellent placement despite the damages to his car.
Seventh to cross the finish line is Nikhil Bohra, US Racing, followed by Maya Weug, Iron Dames, who thus gets the class win over Victoria Blokhina (the PHM Racing driver finishes in P15). Ninth is Marcus Amand, French-Finnic driver of US Racing, who returns to make points after retiring from Race 2 following a contact that also saw him penalized on the grid.
Today Amand started from P19 and began the climb up to gain ten positions. P10 in race 3 went to BVM Racing's Swede, William Karlsson. Bad luck again instead for his teammate, Alfio Spina: the Sicilian, still in the thick of the fight for the podium, is stopped by a contact with Wurz. Not scoring a valid result in either race of the weekend, Spina is among the four drivers not to qualify for tonight's final race (start at 17:25).
Also not qualifying are Anandraj Rishab (BWR Motorsport), Ismail Akhmed (AKM Motorsport) and Francisco Soldavini (Maffi Racing).
Surprisingly closing at the back of the field is the Championship leader, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, PREMA Racing, who starts as poleman and gains the lead of the race, immediately overcoming the resistance of Taylor Barnard, PHM Racing, who flanks him at the start. Then Anandraj Rishab, BWR Motorsport, loses control in a corner and runs into the wall. His Tatuus is damaged and remains stationary on the track (driver ok). On the restart from the ensuing Safety Car, Barnard is the author of an excellent restart and brings the heated duel with Antonelli back to life. This time he touches, the Bolognese driver rallyes on the grass, while the British of PHM Racing breaks the front wing in the contact. A contact between Spina and Wurz, with Safety Car to recover Spina's car, followed, and the two had a chance to rejoin the race.
Barnard manages to climb back up positions, restarting twenty-fourth and finishing in P15, while Antonelli closes instead at the bottom of the standings for race 3.
Now the last race of the weekend, with 36 drivers ready to compete, is set to get underway at 17.25, concluding the 5th round of the Italian F.4 Championship certified by FIA at Red Bull Ring. The starting grid already promises a great show with Alexander Dunne, US Racing, in pole position flanked by teammate Kacper Sztuka. Second row to PREMA Racing with Ugo Ugochukwu and James Wharton, then Kimi Antonelli on the third row, flanked by Martinius Stenshorne. Starting from the fourth row instead is the second driver in the Championship rankings, Rafael Camara (PREMA Racing), flanked by Nikhil Bohra (US Racing).
Kacper Sztuka: “I started P3, I had quite a bad start for me. I was in P5 at some moment, then I fought with Conrad. Then the leaders had a contact, of course was easier, but to be honest I think I would still fight for the win if they weren’t out. I think it’s a good race and we are quite optimistic for the last one.”
Ugo Uguchukwu: "It was a very good race. At the start there was a bit of chaos and I went back in fifth for a bit, however I was able to recover and get back to P3. Then it was a very difficult battle for the second place. Maybe I was a little faster than the first, but I was too far back to catch him."