The FIA has officially cancelled the Formula 3 Feature Race at the Belgian Grand Prix due to worsening weather conditions.
The race was set to be a crucial round in the championship fight, with major implications for the standings. Brad Benavides was set to start in pole position alongside title leader Rafael Câmara. The Brazilian could have gained crucial points on his rivals, Tsolov and Tramnitz. As the pair were further down in seventh and thirteenth.
However, as drivers got away for the formation lap behind the safety car, conditions worsened. As the rain intensified, Hedley, Badoer, and Tramnitz all spun out despite being under safety car conditions.
The FIA responded to these worsening conditions by throwing a red flag and initially suspending the race in hopes of improved conditions.
The race momentarily got underway, with a few laps completed behind the safety car. However, Inthraphuvasak has a moment off track and beaches his car in the grass. The race was then red-flagged once more, with just 15 minutes on the restart clock.
Benavides was told that the race was stopped due to low visibility, not concerns about grip. The FIA confirmed the race will not be resumed with 10 minutes to go.
Moving forward in the championship
As no racing laps were completed, no points will be awarded for the Feature Race. Meaning Câmara retains his current championship lead, while rivals Tsolov and Tramnitz remain within touching distance of the Brazilian, with only two rounds remaining this season.
Formula 3 heads to Hungary as drivers take on the Hungaroring next weekend. As the championship enters its closing stages, there remains just 33 points separating the top 3 in the F3 title fight. With such a small margin, anything is possible and the championship is still anyone’s to win.
