NAKAMURA TAKES FIRST FORMULA 3 WIN AFTER DRAMATIC SPA SPRINT RACE
Jin Nakamura claimed his first FIA Formula 3 victory in a thrilling Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps, recovering from fourth place on the grid to take a memorable win. The Hitech driver produced a brilliant performance with several impressive overtakes before managing the race perfectly in the final laps to hold off an attacking Brando Badoer.
Badoer started from pole position and initially kept control of the race, with Enzo Fittipaldi? (Correction: with Clerot) and the rest of the field following closely behind. However, Nakamura immediately showed strong pace, passing Ugochukwu? (Correction: Colnaghi) and then making another bold move around the outside of Clerot at the end of the opening lap to move into second place.
The race was quickly interrupted after a major incident on the Kemmel Straight. Championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu and title rival Freddie Slater made contact, with Slater losing control and crashing into the barriers at Les Combes. The Trident driver was forced to retire, although he will start the Feature Race from pole position after his qualifying result.
The Safety Car was deployed after the incident, with another crash involving Yamakoshi and Rivera also requiring attention. Ugochukwu was able to continue but had to return to the pits and rejoined the race last, one lap down. The American lost a valuable opportunity to extend his championship advantage.
The restart changed the race completely. Nakamura immediately attacked Badoer, making a spectacular move around the outside at the end of the Kemmel Straight to take the lead. From that moment, the Japanese driver controlled the pace and built enough of a gap to defend his position until the finish.
Behind the leaders, several battles continued throughout the race. Joshua Taponen and Sebastián Rivera fought closely for position, with the Finnish driver eventually finishing seventh ahead of the Mexican. Kato and Naël also battled for important championship points, with Naël briefly moving ahead before Kato recovered the position later in the race.
Another Safety Car period interrupted the action after debris was left on track, but Nakamura remained calm when racing resumed. Despite pressure from Badoer, who closed the gap in the final laps, the Hitech driver defended successfully and crossed the line to secure his maiden Formula 3 victory.
Badoer finished second after a strong recovery drive, while Clerot completed the podium in third place. Colnaghi followed in fourth, with Naël finishing fifth and collecting important points in the championship battle.
The result changes the championship picture, although not as dramatically as expected after the Ugochukwu-Slater collision. Naël gained five points on the leaders, while Stromsted only collected one point after finishing tenth. Ugochukwu and Slater remain first and second in the standings but failed to score, leaving their rivals with a chance to close the gap.
Badoer’s podium moved him to 50 points, while Clerot now sits on 47. Nakamura’s victory also lifted him to 35 points after a difficult start to the season.
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