Press Releases - F3 Masters - Monte Carlo Review: Title Race Shake-Up and Surprises

F3 Masters - Monte Carlo Review: Title Race Shake-Up and Surprises

Qualifying:
Qualifying was once again close, Dexter Morgan using the extra hunderths of a second to once again snatch pole from this time Razor Rushman and Gustav Zatacka but it was all close, 7 drivers within a tenth and 4 more 2 tenths behind. Kalinin was 4th, Alex Reis, Svilzester Szalonna and Michael Damon Novikov respectively all setting nearly identical lap times just within 2 thousandths of eachother. Juca Macieira and Cameron Pither were identical too only 2 hunderths behind. Petter Solberg rounds out the top 10. Good lap by Karina Sette to qualify 12th while her Female Rival Chloe de St. Germain couldn't show her promising practice pace, a messy Sector 1 denied her chance to be up there for pole, instead qualifing down in 18th.



Sprint Race:
The race got underway and Dexter Morgan was already running away from Rushman, going almost a second ahead by the end of Lap 1, Szalonna had a great start and was able to mug off Reis to get into the top 5. Rushman was pushing hard to keep up with Morgan until he had a little spin at Racasse, his rear wheel just clipping the inside wall but was able to continue without any damage but unforunately lost places and was pretty much out of the running for the win, but things got worse for the young American a couple corners later to Ste Devote when Solberg clashed into him while attempting to take adantvage of the mayhem but both survived the incident but again lost places.
Alex Reis found his way past back Szalonna up to 4th with a with a very sexy overtake, around the outside side by side through the tunnel.
On Lap 10, the race became wide open when Dexter Morgan clipped the inside wall at the Swimming Pool Chicane and crashed into barriers, a big smile for the Czech youngster, Zatacka who took the lead of the race, but things started to shake up when Tony Muller crashed at Mirabeau on Lap 15, calling the safety car out onto the track and saw lots of drivers dive into the pits, Petter Solberg stayed out and took the lead of the race, Alex Reis meanwhile gained another place, jumping Kalinin in the pits, Cameron Pither was the biggest winner out of the leading group, gained 2 places thanks to slow stops for Jarbas and Macieira. David Nalbanian was out of the race thanks to his front left wheel falling off shortly after his pitstop giving us an extra lap of the safety car, Race resumed on Lap 20 and Solberg stayed out before coming in and dropping right to the back as a consquence and Zatacka was back into the lead but he got to defend because Alex Reis is right on the back at him, Szalonna crashed at Massenet after getting caught in Kalinin's dirty air and that was a decent result gone. While Reis was trying to find his way past the Penguin car, Kalinin was coming back and setting consistent fastest laps of the race and pushed hard to get himself in the picture for the win but pushed too hard had a moment through Casino and lost the podium to Novikov and Cameron Pither found his way through, but he didn't listen to the warning of pushing too hard and found himself really in the wall at the same corner, only for the race to end behind the safety car. Zatacka getting his first win in the F3 Masters, holding Reis off behind him, Novikov taking the lead of the championship with another podium to his name, Cameron Pither had a brilliant race and finished in 4th, Bartolomeu Jarbas him too in the top 5. Juca Macieira bouncing back from a disasterous meeting at Pau in 6th, Paolo Nannini 7th, followed by Rushman, Werdheim, Kowalski rounding out the top 10, his first points of the season. Bell, St-Germain, Pasek, Reckziegel and Kulwacki taking the final point finishes.

Feature Race:
Gustav Zatacka led the field from Alex Reis who wanted a rematch from yesterday, keeping him company meanwhile at the back Szalonna and Dacosta came to blows at Ste Devote, Dacosta went around the outside but Szalonna had the corner, the touch was enough to send the Portugese into the wall. But an early safety car came out when Hinteregger clashed with Dexter Morgan who crashed out from the lead yesterday, debris was left all over the braking point at Ste Devote and the marshalls had to clear it up when it went underway on Lap 10, Zatacka maintained his gap to Reis but Novikov and Pither really joined in for company until on Lap 16, Pither had his first look on the Russian but had to back out, next lap Nannini broke his left rear suspension after an oversteery moment into Mirabeau but he was able to continue and park his car off the track at Portier, Alex Reis came into the pits on Lap 24 to try out the undercut on Zatacka and rejoined in 6th but in clear air, but a good pitstop insured he was well ahead of Novikov and Pither. However Zatacka had a slow stop 5 laps later, and found himself behind Alex Reis, and the battle was far from over, Zatacka kept him tight before he made his move into Ste Devote another 5 laps after and thanks to younger tyres, he was able to conserve them and maintain his gap which was 2 tenths more than last time. However, the safety car was what not he needed, Tony Muller was in the wall at Massenet and out of the race for the 3rd time out of 4 races, not a good start for the Dutchman, also out was Nadia Portocarrero, she crashed heavily at the Swimming Pool complex but she was able to walk away from her destroyed bright Pink Force India inspired car.
Ashley Bell and David Nalbandian came in for their second stops but also having made their second stop was Ivan Kalinin who started from the back laps ago so he has the benefit of more used tyres but hotter ones.
Race got underway on Lap 44 and we already lost Szalonna at Massenet again... but no safety car was needed, Macieira and Novikov were found to be out of the picture when they came in to the pits early, followed by Reis shortly afterwards proving once again how vital strategy and timing combined is around Monaco, Zatacka was forced to surrender the lead and Tomek Pasek, the young Pole is leading his first ever F3 Masters Race on lap 49, but only for a lap as Kalinin came through to take the lead and looked set to take the win before he went too wide through the tunnel a lap later, ran onto the marbles and crashed again, ended what could've been a race of his lifetime. Safety car deployed again and the field was bunched up once more, Bell now inherited the lead from Nalbanian but are these two safe on fuel?? One more safety car deployment and their results could be almost official if they keep it on track, Zatacka must be praying for the safety car to not come out again.
On lap 58, the race went underway once more and on lap 60, Novikov did them a favour, hitting the wall at Casino Square, piercing off his left rear wheel. Causing the safety car that Ashley Bell needed.

Safety car came in on Lap 65 but the deed was already done, a brilliant drive by Ashley Bell to take (his) first race win of the season, David Nalbandian from 36th comes home in 2nd, Gustav Zatacka wasn't happy to lose out on the win but will be happy with 3rd all his title rivals out of the picture, Rushman comes home 4th, Cameron Pither completes his dream Monaco meeting with 5th, 6th was Juca Macieira, Alex Reis will be disappointed with 7th, Tomek Pasek great race by the youngster to finish 8th, Top 10 rounded off by Jarbas and Werdheim. Points completed by Lawley, Dexter Morgan from 39th to 12th, Reckziegel, Kowalski and Ron Scott took home his first point in F3 Masters.

Championship:
Gustav Zatacka and Alex Reis will be rivals for season-long term, only a point seperates them and they're 11 clear from Russian duo Dexter Morgan and Michael Damon Novikov. Razor Rushman is right in there but he's another 10 back but never say never.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jBxrkc3XxXM_Z1ZxfS0QdOP1RAzzb3R1H-3_bVnEQTc/edit#gid=1886558448

Up next is Zandvoort, things will get tasty, good track for Novikov in the past, not so much for Reis but we'll see how this year pans out.

Don't have time to check the U19s, U22s, U24s and Females standings but I know that Novikov is leading the U24s for sure, U22s is set to be between Pasek and Reckziegel and U19s looks like Nadia Portocarrero is walking it as expected while in the Females, it's Chloe de St. Germain who leads it.

That's all and see you for Zandvoort.