Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak won the British GP Sprint Race, taking a thrilling win from Martinius Stenshorne and Mari Boya at Round 7 in the F3 championship. Inthraphuvasak, becoming the first Thai winner in the series since Alex Albon.
Coming into Round 7 of the Formula 3 championship, all is still to play for in the fight for the title. In Austria, Tsolov looked primed to take close the gap to Câmara to just a single point. But a disqualification over tyre wear left the Bulgarian slipping down to third in the standings.
Câmara who started the season seemingly unstoppable, faced a string of bad results following the Monaco GP. The Brazilian qualified third for the Feature Race, but is desperate to have a good result in the Sprint Race.
For the Sprint race, the championship rivals line-up 12th and tenth. Both looking to move through the grid and take a good haul of points.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak starts on pole alongside Christian Ho for the sprint race, both drivers hoping to make the most of the reverse grid line-up with a podium on the horizon.
Lights out
The final AIX cars pulled into their grid spots as the drivers prepared for the dive into turn one. The five lights went out and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak raced towards the first corner. He got a strong start, maintaining his lead while Naël was attacking the back of Ho, moving into second.
Stenshorne was close on the tail of those behind in the podium positions. Câmara was fighting to make up positions as the TRIDENT driver went three wide with his teammates. Câmara coming out in 11th.
Meanwhile, Câmara’s rival Tsolov was knocked by Brad Badoer. The Bulgarian got going again but was down in 29th while Badoer was beached in the gravel, bringing out a safety car. Badoer was under investigation, looking at a grid penalty for the Feature Race.
As the cars followed behind the safety car, Câmara’s teammate Charlie Wurz was told over the radio not to fight with the championship leader, due to him having a championship to fight for.
Back racing
On lap 4, the safety car was ending with the safety car slipping into the pits. Inthraphuvasak led the grid just ahead of the apex of Stowe, holding onto his lead with the Naël close behind.
Stenshorne lunged down the inside of Christian Ho, taking the third place from the DAMS Lucas Oil driver. Further back, Câmara made the lunge on his teammate Wurz, holding onto the inside line and making the move stick into tenth. Wurz listening to the team call and letting both cars through unscathed.
By lap 6, Naël was fighting wheel to wheel with Inthraphuvasak, pushed wide by the Campos driver as Naël kept fighting and made the move stick, taking the lead of the British GP Sprint race.
Naël and Inthraphuvasak were being investigated for potentially taking the lead after leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
One of the challenges of the race so far was the DRS, with a DRS train almost the entire grid, making overtakes harder for the drivers.
Ugo Ugochukwu was closing on the gearbox of Tim Tramnitz in eighth, with the McLaren junior looking for an opening. Meanwhile, Naël was told to give back the lead back to Inthraphuvasak.
Naël found himself immediately under threat to Martinius Stenshorne behind, but with the Campos in the lead struggling on his tyres and Naël’s team was told Inthraphuvasak was vulnerable.
Ugochukwu made it past Tramnitz, with Câmara and Wurz all following him through and Tramnitz falling down to 11th.
Final five laps
On lap 15, Naël fell out of Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak’s DRS, leaving him to fall into the danger of Martinius Stenshorne in third. Each lap with Stenshorne getting closer to the second step on the podium.
Despite the tyre woes, Inthraphuvasak not just held the lead but extended it to an impressive 1.9 seconds as Naël’s tyres were falling apart behind. Stenshorne dove down the inside of Naël, and he was a sitting duck, falling into third.
With two laps, lest Van Hoepen in fourth was cheered on by his team, with third place within reach. Stenshorne in second was rapidly closing the gap to the lead.
Mari Boya made it past both Naël and Van Hoepen as the duo fought for the final podium places. Boya immediately putting a gap to the duo who continued fighting for fourth place.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak took the chequered flag first, holding of the McLaren junior, Martinius Stenshorne and the Campos of Mari Boya.
Naël received a 10-second penalty as the chequered flag was waved for track limits violations.
