FIA F3 2026 – BRUNO DEL PINO WINS OPENING SPRINT RACE SHORTENED BY RED FLAG
The first Sprint Race of the 2026 Formula 3 season in Melbourne ended prematurely after a massive accident involving the two PREMA drivers. After only 9 of the scheduled 20 laps were completed, race control decided not to restart the race, handing the victory to Bruno Del Pino.
At the start, Bruno Del Pino perfectly held the lead ahead of his teammate Enzo Deligny. The two VAR drivers quickly settled into the top two positions, ahead of Brando Badoer.
Behind them, Maciej Gladysz stood out with an excellent start. Starting from ninth on the grid, the Polish driver gained several places during the opening lap to move up to sixth place. While battling for P6, Mattia Colnaghi lost control of his car at Turn 12 and spun.
A general DRS failure made overtaking more difficult throughout the field on a circuit with many long straights.
A few laps later, James Wharton and Louis Sharp collided heavily in turn 5, immediately bringing out the red flag. Both drivers walked away unharmed from the incident. After a long delay, race control eventually decided not to restart the race, with only nine laps completed.
Bruno Del Pino was therefore declared the winner of the shortened Sprint Race in Melbourne. He finished ahead of his teammate Enzo Deligny to secure a one-two finish for their team, while Brando Badoer completed the podium.
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