F3: Key Takeaways from France

Formula 3 returned after a long break and boy oh boy was it worth the wait. Le Castellet is known to Formula 1 fans as not always being the most exciting race on the calendar. But apparently Formula 3 didn't get that memo - which was great for all of us Formula 3 fans. So without further ado, here's the key takeaways from France this weekend...

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Sublime Smolyar

The first Sprint Race of the weekend provided us with one of the best Formula 3 races to have ever graced our presence. From the very start right up until the last corner on the final lap, there was action all over the place. There was never an outright leader of the race as the lead of the race kept changing every few laps or so and in spectacular style. Williams kept hold of the lead at the start but Sargeant soon overtook him on lap seven with the top five cars separated by only two seconds. Iwasa, Smolyar and then Martins all led the race at some stage over the next thirteen laps. But on the final lap, it was Alexander Smolyar who snatched the lead back from Victor Martins to claim his second win of the season. It was awesome close racing between all of the drivers and Smolyar timed things to perfection at the end. 7th and 8th place in the final two races of the weekend were also decent results for him.

Magnificent Martins

The home favourite who impressed so many in the opening round of the season in Barcelona did so again this weekend. Martins pushed hard during Sprint Race I and was rewarded handsomely for his efforts as he finished the race in a fantastic second place. Then when Sprint Race II came around, Martins once again showed that he's going to be one of the strongest rookies and a good title contender this year. He made his way up through the field again to finish in a solid third place. Two podiums in the first two races. Not half bad. Not half bad at all. A fourth place finish in the Feature Race was another consistent result that will prove crucial in the Frenchman's hunt for the Driver's Title.

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Leclerc on the Charge

Photo Credit: PREMA Media Centre

Photo Credit: PREMA Media Centre

After a disastrous qualifying that saw Charles' younger brother retire, many thought that it would be another weekend to forget for the young Monegasque. But come Saturday, Arthur turned things around in spectacular style. Starting plum last in thirtieth place for Sprint Race I, he expertly carved his way up through the field over the course of the twenty lap race to finish in a remarkable twelfth place. And whilst no points are given for twelfth, it does give you reverse grid Pole Position for Sprint Race II. Leclerc then managed to dominate the second Sprint Race and convert this Pole Position into not only his first points scoring and podium securing finish in Formula 3, but also his first win. Never say never in Formula 3.

Whilst the Feature Race didn't yield any more points for Leclerc, he put in another impressive drive in the wet as he made his way from thirtieth on the grid all the way up to thirteenth. Imagine what he could have done had qualifying not been a disaster for him.

Consistency from Novalak

The Russian driver finished the first race of the weekend in fifth place after a lot of tussling and overtaking on track. He then finished in sixth place for Sprint Race II which got him another nice haul of points. Another fifth place in Sunday's Feature Race was brilliant for Clement. Like Smolyar, Martins and Hauger, it keeps him nicely nestled into the fight for the Championship.

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Other worthy mentions

Photo Credit: PREMA Media Centre

Photo Credit: PREMA Media Centre

Hitech Rookie Driver Ayumu Iwasa drove superbly in Sprint Race I, achieving some superb overtakes throughout the race and judging things almost perfectly throughout. Despite the time penalty he got for gaining an advantage off the track, Iwasa should still be happy with his weekend as he's showed that just because you're a rookie, it doesn't mean you can't get into the thick of it.

Dennis Hauger and Jack Doohan also had excellent weekends in France with both drivers on the podium for the Feature Race on Sunday. The Aussie driver won the race after a close battle in the wet with Hauger. Both drivers also finished inside the top ten in both Sprint Races on Saturday, calmly collecting more valuable points for their Championship campaigns.

Finally, a shout out goes to Reshad de Gerus who made the bold move to switch from the wet tyre compound to slicks in Sunday's Feature Race. So despite the fact that he came out the pits at the back of the pack with a lot of track to cover before he could even think about overtaking, he still managed to not only do this but to make his way up to nineteenth place by the end of the race. Oh and he also set a new fastest lap of the race a number of times, around five seconds quicker than the fastest lap set by the likes of Hauger and Doohan on the wet tyres. Impressive stuff from the Frenchman in his home race.

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What did you think of Formula 3 in France this weekend? Let me know in the comments below.