F3 squad ready for Round 4 in Monaco
Hitech TGR’s F3 trio are ready to hit the streets of Monte Carlo, where they’ll be hoping to extract more of the clear potential in the car and translate that into a strong performance this weekend in the principality.
Round 4 of the FIA Formula 3 Championship is the second event of the season’s triple-header and the first day of running comes just four days after the teams were last racing in Imola.
It has been a frustrating start to the season for our F3 squad but there were signs at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix that the drivers were starting to unlock performance. The momentum provided by the back-to-back rounds will be key to maintaining the cycle of improvements.
Monaco remains the ‘jewel in the crown’. It is an intoxicating fusion of rich racing heritage, iconic landmarks, lavish yachts and a breathtaking 360° vista. At the heart of the on-track experience, a twisting 3.337km street circuit that is narrow, full of elevation shifts and tight corners, and one of the biggest tests of the skill of the drivers over the power of the cars.
We head into Round 4 with Martinius Stenshorne leading the Hitech charge. He sits ninth in the Drivers’ Standings and with quite a margin to bridge if he is to recover to a top three placing where he started the season. Joshua Dufek and Gerrard Xie will be eager to get points on the board and start knocking on the door of the top 10. The motivation is high, and with a race like Monaco, where anything can happen to change the complexion of a race in the blink of an eye, all three drivers are ready to take advantage of any opportunity.
The iconic Monte Carlo street circuit is one of the more difficult tracks on the calendar. It features a mix of low-speed and high-speed corners, and is very tight and technical, with no margin for error. The swimming pool section is particularly tricky. In terms of overtaking opportunities, the drivers typically make their best moves into Rascasse or on the run down from the tunnel where it is notably hard on the brakes.
The schedule is atypical in that we see the first track action – Practice – on Thursday and Qualifying, divided into two sessions, on Friday, before the Sprint Race on Saturday and the Feature Race on Sunday as usual. So while there’s plenty of time for evaluation after Practice, it is straight down to the business of Qualifying the following day and even more pressure than usual to deliver that crucial single lap, as starting at or near the front of the field is often key to a Monaco podium.
The tyre allocation for this event is the Soft tyre, to reflect the relatively low average speed and moderate degradation encountered here. There is typically a high incidence of Safety Car interventions in the races, which can have a decisive impact on the outcome, often to the advantage of those starting further back on the grid at a track where it is otherwise very difficult to overtake.
Paul Bellringer, Hitech’s F3 Team Manager:
“With little time to spare between races, we are hoping that momentum will help us carry the clear signs of progress from Imola into Monaco this weekend.”
He continued:
“We know we have improved the car, now we just need to focus on unlocking that performance in qualifying and the race.
“Monaco is always a roll of the dice – the potential for a rain shower, changing grip, frequent Safety Car interventions are factors we always need to be ready for. We’re ready!”