F3 Sakhir, where everything starts
A new FIA Formula 3 Championship season will begin this weekend at Sakhir, kicking off a 10-round season that will keep the teams and drivers until September, when the Monza racetrack will host the 2024 finale. Last year the home circuit was particularly sweet for Trident Motorsport, as it won the Driver Championship with Gabriel Bortoleto. This year, however, the team is aiming for a fresh start, and every result will have to be achieved on track: what happened in the past is part of the history. After two seasons on top, in which Trident Motorsport won the team title in 2022 and the driver title the following year, the team will go back to the attack with Leonardo Fornaroli, Sami Meguetounif, and Santiago Ramos.
The Italian driver will begin his third consecutive season with the Trident Motorsport family. The 19-year-old driver, hailing from Piacenza achieved three podiums and one pole position in 2023. Alongside Fornaroli there will be rookies Ramos and Meguetounif, both coming from Formula Regional where they both secured podiums. The drivers worked well with the technical staff during the preseason tests carried out in Sakhir from the 11th to the 13th of February, which delivered a very motivated and determined team that aims to perform well from the first outing of the season.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: “We can't wait to start a new season, we are motivated to give our best. We had a profitable three-day preseason test with our drivers, who worked closely with the technical staff to optimize the performance of our cars. We are confident that we have a good line-up, where Fornaroli will have more experience. However, we expect Ramos and Meguetounif to quickly learn the secrets of the category."
The FIA Formula 3 Championship will start on Thursday at 10.55 with a 45-minute free practice session. Qualifying is scheduled for the same day, at 16. The Sprint Race will be on Friday at 13.15. The Feature Race, which will conclude the weekend, will start on Saturday at 12. The activity on the track will be fully broadcast live by Sky Sports F1. Times are local, GMT + 3.