F3 Austria: Aron splashes to maiden win from eighth
Paul Aron took his maiden Formula 3 win in wet conditions at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday with a stunning drive from eighth on the grid.
![Paul Aron, Prema Racing](https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/amp/01WPPAQY/s1000/paul-aron-prema-racing-1.jpg)
The Prema Racing driver, who was on provisional pole on Friday before his lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, had entered Saturday frustrated but confident after a tricky qualifying.
He started eighth for the reverse grid sprint race, but a strong start saw him jump into third on lap one.
The Estonian driver clung onto leader Pepe Marti (Campos Racing) and second-placed Kaylen Frederick before passing the ART driver on lap eight.
The safety car was deployed three laps later, closing the gap to Marti, and he was able to swoop into the lead amid a three-way fight with Marti and Gabriele Mini (Hitech) two laps from the end of the race, and Aron held on to win by 1.4 seconds from Mini.
Mercedes junior Aron then missed the pitlane entry at the end of the race, and was pushed back into the pits to take the podium.
With Mini, who won the feature race in Monaco, second, Caio Collet took third for Van Amersfoort Racing after Marti dropped several places in the closing stages.
Wet conditions saw the field complete two formation laps behind the safety car, but a standing start followed as it was deemed safe enough.
Oliver Goethe (Trident) stalled on the grid, dropping positions, but Marti was able to get the jump off the line to lead into Turn 1 from Frederick, who started third.
Collet and Mini briefly made contact at Turn 3, with the Alpine Academy member emerging ahead, while Sunday polesitter Gregoire Saucy (ART) dropped down the order.
Marti then built a solid gap to Frederick, with a three-second lead by lap five, while Aron ran third.
Aron passed Frederick for second at Turn 4 on lap eight, before setting about closing on Marti as Mini closed in on third, taking the position on the following tour at Turn 6.
The safety car was deployed on lap 11, with Oliver Gray (Rodin Carlin) and VAR’s Rafael Villagomez coming together at Turn 4, ending both drivers’ races.
Racing resumed on lap 14, with Aron hot on Marti’s gearbox, and by lap 18 the battle for the win had become three-way as Mini closed in on the leading duo.
But it was Aron who emerged in front as they entered Turn 3 together, with Mini second and Marti third.
Collet then made it past Marti for third, before Zak O’Sullivan (Prema) and MP Motorsport’s Jonny Edgar also made it through, leaving Marti to finish sixth.
Frederick crossed the line seventh, with Dino Beganovic (Prema) in eighth, Sebastian Montoya in ninth for Hitech and championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto (Trident) rounding off the top 10.
F3 Austria - Sprint race results
Cla | Driver | Team | Laps | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Aron | |
20 | |
2 | Gabriele Minì | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 20 | 1.400 |
3 | |
|
20 | 4.900 |
4 | |
|
20 | 5.400 |
5 | |
|
20 | 6.300 |
6 | Pepe Martí | |
20 | 7.600 |
7 | |
|
20 | 8.300 |
8 | Dino Beganovic | |
20 | 8.400 |
9 | |
Hitech Pulse-Eight | 20 | 9.600 |
10 | Gabriel Bortoleto | |
20 | 10.100 |
11 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 20 | 10.900 |
12 | Mari Boya | |
20 | 11.300 |
13 | |
|
20 | 12.300 |
14 | Christian Mansell | |
20 | 14.300 |
15 | Leonardo Fornaroli | |
20 | 15.100 |
16 | Nikola Tsolov | |
20 | 16.000 |
17 | Nikita Bedrin | |
20 | 16.800 |
18 | |
Rodin Carlin | 20 | 17.600 |
19 | |
PHM Racing by Charouz | 20 | 18.200 |
20 | Hunter Yeany | Rodin Carlin | 20 | 18.500 |
21 | |
|
20 | 19.400 |
22 | Tommy Smith | |
20 | 20.100 |
23 | Hugh Barter | |
20 | 21.700 |
24 | McKenzy Cresswell | PHM Racing by Charouz | 20 | 22.700 |
25 | Roberto Faria | PHM Racing by Charouz | 20 | 25.200 |
26 | Oliver Goethe | |
20 | 1'28.600 |
27 | Taylor Barnard | |
18 | |
28 | Oliver Gray | Rodin Carlin | 10 | |
29 | |
|
10 | |
30 | Alex Garcia | |
1 | |
View full results |
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