Nakamura claims maiden FIA F3 win at Spa
Round 8 – Spa-Francorchamps – Report
Hitech’s FIA Formula 3 team enjoyed a standout weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, with Jin Nakamura claiming his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory in the Sprint Race before adding further championship points with a strong recovery drive from P15 to P8 in the Feature Race. Fionn McLaughlin also produced an impressive recovery from the back of the grid, gaining 6 positions in the Sprint and 14 on Sunday.
Jin’s result marked Hitech’s return to the top step of the FIA Formula 3 podium, with the team showing strong pace across both races at Spa-Francorchamps.
Qualifying
Qualifying began in changing conditions, with rain already falling at Spa-Francorchamps and teams facing a decision over whether to start on slick tyres or switch to wets as the weather developed.
With heavier rain expected, the priority was to set a representative lap before conditions deteriorated. A red flag with just under 10 minutes remaining brought the session to a premature conclusion, leaving little opportunity for further improvements.
Jin led the Hitech line-up in P15, with Michael qualifying P28 and Fionn P29.
Sprint Race
Starting fourth after a post-qualifying penalty, Toyota Driver Challenge driver Jin produced a superb performance to secure his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory.
The Japanese driver made an immediate impact, gaining two positions on the opening lap with committed overtakes around the outside at La Source and Les Combes to move into second place. Following the first Safety Car restart, he repeated the move at Les Combes, this time passing Badoer around the outside to take the lead.
A second Safety Car period set up a two-lap finish, with Jin leading the field away and Badoer close behind. With no DRS available after the restart, Jin managed the final laps perfectly, extending his advantage on the penultimate lap before taking the chequered flag.
The victory saw him become the first Japanese driver to win an FIA Formula 3 race in five years.
Feature Race
Jin started Sunday’s Feature Race from P15, with Michael lining up P28 and Fionn P29. An incident midway through the opening lap brought out the Safety Car before the field had completed its first tour.
Racing resumed on Lap 3, and Jin immediately began making progress, moving into P13. Michael also gained ground early on, climbing to P22, while Fionn recovered to P24.
Jin continued his progress through the midfield, passing Ho on Lap 9 before overtaking del Pino three laps later. A further move on Strømsted lifted him into the top 10 before the closing stages.
The Hitech driver continued to fight until the final laps, initially attempting a move on Giusti before passing Badoer to move into ninth. On the final tour, Nakamura completed the pass on Giusti to secure P8 and add four more championship points.
Fionn delivered an excellent recovery performance from P29 on the grid, gaining 14 positions to finish P15, while Michael completed the race in P23.
The weekend’s results delivered a 15-point haul for Jin, with his Sprint Race victory and Feature Race points leaving him knocking on the door of the top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship with four rounds remaining.
Paul Bellringer, Hitech’s F3 Team Principal:
“This has been a really special weekend for the team. To return to the top step of the FIA Formula 3 podium and see Jin take his maiden victory is a fantastic achievement and a reward for the hard work from everyone at Hitech.”
Paul continued:
“Jin drove an outstanding Sprint Race, showing great pace and composure under pressure to secure the win, and he backed that up with another strong recovery in the Feature Race to score more important championship points. Fionn also impressed, making excellent progress from the back of the grid across both races.
“Spa is always a challenging circuit, especially with the changing conditions, but the team performed well throughout the weekend. It’s great to see the progress we are making and to leave Belgium with strong momentum.”
