Formula 3 returns to Circuit Paul Ricard after a two-year absence for round two of the F3 Championship

After over a month off, F3 makes a return as Circuit Paul Ricard welcomes the drivers for round two of the Formula 3 Championship.

The Spanish Grand Prix in May was fantastic and showed the high drama that the Championship can bring. F3 also drive three races in a weekend similarly to F2 and it is definitely proving a task for the drivers as to what strategy they should imply.

Aleksandr Smolyar was able to get the victory in race one as the teenager was able to get ahead in the early stages and control the race from then on.

Clément Novalak and Caio Collet rounded off the podium as the Formula 3 Championship action was just getting started that weekend.

Race two saw even more action as two collisions at the front saw Olli Caldwell take the victory and maximum points.

Victor Martins and Frederik Vesti completed the podium in the final Sprint Race of round one as all eyes were on the Feature Race.

After a poor opening two races, Dennis Hauger capitalised and pounced to earn his first victory of the F3 season which shot hit right to the top of the Championship.

The Norweigan finished ahead of Jack Doohan and Matteo Nannini as the Red Bull Academy driver pulled a two-point gap on Caldwell.

Back in 2019, it was Jake Hughes that claimed pole position as the HWA Racelab driver outpaced second-fastest Jehan Daruvala by nine-hundredths and third-fastest Robert Shwartzman.

Daruvala was able to capitalise on Hughes’ accident that saw the Brit retire from the race as the Indian driver crossed the line in first place.

Shwartzman moved up a position as he finished in second ahead of Pedro Piquet who finished four-tenths behind the Russian in third.

The second race around Paul Ricard was a fantastic one and had plenty of twists and turns as Alex Peroni started from reverse grid pole position.

The Australian failed to hold onto that lead as Shwartzman earned the victory which saw him extend his Championship lead to 12 points.

Piquet and Daruvala rounded off the podium places as all three drivers made up positions in the race after starting in sixth, seventh and eighth.

It will definitely be an interesting round in France as Hauger will look to hold onto his Championship leader, but the Red Bull Academy driver has to look over his shoulder and keep the charging Caldwell, Novalak and Martins who are all 10 points within each other.

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