SLATER WINS IN BUDAPEST AND TAKES FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD - Motorsportsclicks

Freddie Slater won the Formula 3 Feature Race in Budapest and became the new championship leader heading into the summer break. The Trident driver controlled the final stages of the race and resisted pressure from Campos Racing’s Ugochukwu, who finished second but lost the championship lead to the British driver.

The race started with Taponen on pole position, and the Finnish driver made a perfect getaway to keep the lead into the first corners. Behind him, Ugochukwu quickly moved past Lacorte for second place, while Badoer also overtook the Italian driver shortly afterwards.

At the front, Slater and Taponen made contact, damaging Slater’s front wing and forcing Taponen to later return to the pits with a puncture. The incident changed the entire race, with Slater inheriting the lead and gaining a major opportunity in the championship fight.

A Safety Car was eventually deployed after a major crash at Turn 13 involving Xie, Gladysz and Nakamura. All three drivers were forced to retire, but the neutralisation came later than expected after the incident.

When racing resumed, Slater reacted well and immediately tried to build a gap at the front, with Colnaghi following behind. Taponen recovered to sixth place after his pit stop, while Lacorte came under pressure from multiple drivers behind.

Another interruption followed when Hanna stopped on track, bringing out another yellow flag period. After the restart, Badoer continued his strong race and fought his way back into podium contention, while Ugochukwu began his charge towards the leader.

The turning point came on lap 10 when Ugochukwu produced a brilliant double overtake, using the outside line at Turn 2 to pass both Colnaghi and another rival in one move. The Campos driver then moved into second place and started chasing Slater for the victory and championship lead.

The battle at the front became closer throughout the middle of the race. Slater tried to escape, but Ugochukwu kept the pressure high, staying within striking distance. Behind them, Badoer also remained close, creating a fight between the three leading drivers.

Another Virtual Safety Car period interrupted the race after Kanato Le retired following a battle with Lacorte. Further incidents continued to affect the race, including contact involving Deligny, who was caught between two Aix Racing cars and dropped to the back of the field.

At the final restart, Ugochukwu immediately attacked Slater and stayed in his slipstream. However, the American driver struggled to find a clear opportunity to pass, while Badoer remained close behind and waited for any mistake from the two leaders.

Taponen also continued his fight with Nael for fifth place. The two drivers made contact during their battle, but Nael managed to keep his position and defend from the Finnish driver until the end of the race.

With only a few laps remaining, Ugochukwu attempted another move on Slater at a difficult section of the circuit, but the Trident driver defended successfully. In the final lap, Slater produced a strong second sector and finally created enough of a gap to secure victory.

Slater’s win gave him 26 important championship points, moving him to 130 points and taking the lead of the Formula 3 standings. Ugochukwu now sits second with 122 points, setting up a close fight between the two drivers for the second half of the season.

The Formula 3 championship will now enter the summer break with Slater and Ugochukwu separated by only eight points. The title battle is expected to continue at Monza, where both drivers will fight to maintain control of the championship in the final part of the season.