The FIA Formula 3 sprint race at the Dutch Grand Prix began with Juan-Manuel Correa on pole, with his ART teammate Gregoire Saucy starting behind him in second.
When the lights went out and racing got underway, Correa got a good start off the line and held his position. However the same could not be said for his ART teammate, as Zak O’Sullivan took the second position from Saucy.
Things got even worse for the Swiss driver as Caio Collet got an excellent start, making up two places as he powered round the outside to take the second position for himself.
Championship leader Isack Hadjar made up one position off the start, getting up to sixth, while his closest rival Oliver Bearman worked his way up to tenth, from fourteenth on the first lap.
After a disastrous weekend in Spa last week, Victor Martins got an excellent start in the Zandvoort sprint race, making up four positions from eleventh to seventh on lap one.
On lap three, the star man in qualifying, Zane Maloney, was forced to take evasive action sending him down the field, all the way to twenty-fourth position.
The fight for the lead was hotting up on lap four as Caio Collet attempted a move around the outside of Correa at turn one, but the American managed to keep a grasp of the lead. However, Correa would not be so fortunate on lap five, as DRS helped put Collet through into the lead out of turn three.
Oliver Bearman had Roman Stanek for company in the battle for the final points position on lap ten but the PREMA driver managed to hold of the Trident man as he put him under pressure at turn one. However, on lap sixteen, Bearman would make an extremely costly mistake, going wide on the exit of turn three, allowing Stanek to snatch tenth and the final point scoring position from him.
As the sprint race neared its conclusion, Formula 3 debutant Sebastian Montoya managed to expertly fend off PREMA’s Jak Crawford to hold eighth position. Montoya was tasked with defending his position again on the final lap, and once again he kept Crawford behind him at turn one.
When the checkered flag was waved at the end of lap twenty-one, it was Caio Collet who crossed the line first, to take his second win of the Formula 3 season. Juan Manuel Correa took the second podium position, followed by Zak O’Sullivan for Carlin. Jonny Edgar and Gregoire Saucy rounded out the top five, as championship leader Isack Hadjar came home in sixth.
Victor Martins finished seventh, while Oliver Bearman sat eleventh, meaning Martins would reclaim second position in the F3 standings from the Brit.
Sebastian Montoya finished an impressive eighth in his first-ever Formula 3 race, while Jak Crawford and Roman Stanek claimed the final two points scoring positions.
PREMA’s Arthur Leclerc made up an outstanding eight positions, however, after disappointment in qualifying yesterday, the Monegasque was unable to pick up any points, finishing in twelfth.
