Colapinto beats new champion Bortoleto to Monza sprint race win

Franco Colapinto won the Formula 3 sprint race in Monza while new champion Gabriel Bortoleto gained six positions to finish behind him.

The pair were separated by 1.3 seconds at the flag. Bortoleto, who was crowned F3 champion following yesterday’s qualifying, passed Mari Boya for second place on the final lap.

Paul Aron and Josep Maria Marti, whose hopes of beating Bortoleto to the title ended in yesterday’s qualifying session, both retired from the weekend’s opening race.

Colapinto lined up on pole position on the partially-reversed grid in warm, dry conditions. His MP Motorsport team mate Boya joined him on the front row.

But the Williams junior was slow off the line, and Boya took the race lead into turn one. Meanwhile chaos erupted behind them.

In the midfield, Caio Collet’s nudged Paul Aron’s left-rear tyre with his front wing. The Prema driver sustained a puncture which caused him to lose control as he braked for the Rettifilo.

Aron spun and hit Jonny Edgar in the middle of the corner, and the pair cannoned into Marti. All three drivers were forced to retire, while the instigator Collet pitted for repairs and was given a 10-second time penalty.

The race restarted on lap five, which Boya handled well and kept his lead. But he lost it on lap 10, as Colapinto overtook him on the outside into Rettifilo.

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The fight behind for third was just as close. Zak O’Sullivan attempted to overtake Gregoire Saucy for the place, but the two collided at the exit of Rettifilo after the Williams junior’s front right tyre hit the ART driver’s rear left.

That gave Saucy a puncture while O’Sullivan dropped back and Bortoleto, who had gained three positions from the restart, swept through into third. O’Sullivan was later judged the guilty party and given a 10-second time penalty.

Colapinto’s move was the start of a constant back-and-forth battle for the lead between him and Boya. The MP pair swapped places again at turn one on laps 12 and 13.

This battle between Colapinto and Boya allowed others to gain, and on lap 13 the top nine were all within three seconds of each other. But Colapinto finally started to edge clear of Boya, and as the 18-lap race neared its end Boya was the driver under pressure.

Bortoleto was in a late charge for second, and made his first move on Boya at Rettifilo on the final lap. Boya resisted, and edged Bortoleto onto the grass as they rounded Curva Grande, but the champion kept his foot in and claimed the place at the Roggia chicane. Further around the final lap, Boya saw off a late attack by Taylor Barnard to secure third place.

Colapinto therefore took his second win of the year ahead of Bortoleto, Boya and Barnard. Luke Browning impressively rose from 27th on the grid to take fifth, followed by Oliver Goethe who lined up 22nd. Gabriele Mini, Christian Mansell and Nikola Tsolov completed the top 10.

Behind the uncatchable Bortoleto, Colapinto has moved into second in the standings, with just nine points covering him, Aron, Marti and O’Sullivan going into the final race of the season tomorrow.

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Formula 3 Italy race one results

Position	Car	Driver	Team
1	10	Franco Colapinto	MP
2	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Trident
3	11	Mari Boya	MP
4	27	Taylor Barnard	Jenzer
5	16	Luke Browning	Hitech
6	4	Leonardo Fornaroli	Trident
7	6	Oliver Goethe	Trident
8	15	Gabriele Minì	Hitech
9	24	Christian Mansell	Campos
10	9	Nikola Tsolov	ART
11	18	Rafael Villagomez	Van Amersfoort
12	3	Zak O’Sullivan	Prema
13	14	Sebastian Montoya	Hitech
14	2	Maxwell Esterson	Prema
15	25	Josh Dufek	Campos
16	26	Caio Collet	MP
17	29	Sophia Floersch	PHM Racing by Charouz
18	28	Alejandro García	Jenzer
19	21	Francesco Simonazzi	Rodin Carlin
20	17	Caio Collet	Van Amersfoort
21	7	Kaylen Frederick	ART
22	22	Ido Cohen	Rodin Carlin
23	8	Gregoire Saucy	ART
24	30	Roberto Faria	PHM Racing by Charouz
DNF	20	Oliver Gray	Rodin Carlin
DNF	19	Tom Smith	Van Amersfoort
DNF	31	Woohyun Shin	PHM Racing by Charouz
DNF	23	Pepe Martí	Campos
DNF	12	Jonny Edgar	MP
DNF	1	Paul Aron	Prema

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