F3: Sami Meguetounif earns maiden F3 win in Feature Race at Imola

It was a great day for Trident as rookie Sami Meguetounif took his first Formula 3 race victory on the team’s home soil in the Imola Feature Race.

The Frenchman started third on the grid, and trailed his two team mates in the early laps, but a measured drive in the second half of the race allowed him to close back in on race leader Oliver Goethe, who’d climbed from sixth on the grid to lead for Campos Racing by that point.

F3: Goethe secures maiden win after final lap fight with Leon in Imola Sprint Race

Closing down a two-second gap, Meguetounif got within DRS range of the Red Bull Junior Team talent and cruised by along the main straight. He led the remaining laps comfortably, while Goethe had to fend off a resurgent Leonardo Fornaroli.

Fornaroli had taken the lead in the opening laps, but an issue relegated him down the order to fifth just before the halfway mark.

The Trident driver then put on a heroic comeback drive through the top positions, climbing up to third in pursuit of a home race win. Despite his best efforts, Fornaroli couldn’t find a way past Goethe, who finished the Feature Race second after winning Saturday’s Sprint Race ahead of the Italian.

With a P3 finish for Fornaroli, he takes over the lead of the drivers’ championship ahead of Hitech Pulse-Eight and Williams Academy driver Luke Browning, 52 points to 49.

F2: Colapinto makes last-lap overtake to take victory in Imola Sprint Race

PREMA Racing team mates Dino Beganovic and Gabriele Minì follow in third and fourth respectively, both level on 45 points, while Goethe’s strong weekend in Imola lifts him into the top five, now on 41.

For a full and in-depth report on the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race, head over to the official website here.