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Megan White

F3 Austria: O’Sullivan wins feature race after close last-lap battle

The Prema Racing driver lined up sixth, making up a place on the first lap before an early safety car.

He was then able to capitalise on contact between poleman Gregoire Saucy (ART) and his team-mate Paul Aron to move into the podium places.

The 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year was then able to pass fellow Prema driver Dino Beganovic for second on lap 14, before taking the lead from championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto the following tour.

Despite a very close final lap fight between Williams Academy member O’Sullivan, Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto (MP Motorsport), Hitech driver Sebastian Montoya and Caio Collet (VAR), it was O’Sullivan who emerged victorious.

Bortoleto held on for second for Trident, with Collet taking the final podium place after contact between Montoya and Colapinto at Turn 6 saw the Red Bull junior shoot across the gravel, falling to 10th, while Colapinto finished fourth.

Saucy lined up on pole for Sunday’s race, which took place in far drier conditions than Saturday’s mixed action.

Despite Williams juniors O’Sullivan and Colapinto making brief contact at Turn 3, the pair continued, before the safety car was deployed as Gabriele Mini (Hitech) ran off at Turn 4.

The Alpine Academy member became beached after contact with the rear of Luke Browning (Hitech), who was forced to pit with a puncture.

Racing resumed on lap five, with Saucy getting a good jump on the rest of the field, while further back Collet and Kaylen Frederick (ART) tussled for seventh.

Beganovic, who started second, closed on Saucy out front before making the move at Turn 4 on lap seven to take control of the race.

But the Prema driver began to struggle with his tyres, allowing the pack to close, before Saucy and Aron made contact at Turn 4, the latter’s front wing handing the Frenchman a puncture and dropping both out of contention.

Bortoleto, who had inherited second, then took the lead on lap 13 at Turn 4, before Beganovic fell to third as O’Sullivan moved into second place next time round.

O’Sullivan closed on Bortoleto before taking the lead himself on lap 15, with Colapinto moving into third at Turn 4 the following lap as Beganovic’s tyre woes continued, with Collet also passing him on lap 18.

Montoya then also passed the Swede, taking fifth at Turn 7 on lap 18 despite a brief foray onto the gravel, taking fourth several laps later from Collet.

But it was a similar move at Turn 6 on the final lap which saw Montoya’s race ruined, making contact with Colapinto to see both fall out of the podium places. Collet profited for third, with Colapinto fourth ahead of Beganovic.

Jonny Edgar finished sixth for MP Motorsport, with Campos Racing pair Christian Mansell and Hugh Barter in seventh and eighth. 

Sophia Floersch scored her first points of the year for PHM Racing by Charouz in ninth, with Montoya in 10th after his last-lap off.

Austria F3 - Feature race results:

Cla # Driver Team Gap
1 3 United Kingdom Zak O'Sullivan Italy Prema Powerteam  
2 5 Gabriel Bortoleto Italy Trident 0.800
3 17 Brazil Caio Collet Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing 1.600
4 10 Argentina Franco Colapinto Netherlands MP Motorsport 2.400
5 2 Dino Beganovic Italy Prema Powerteam 4.400
6 12 United Kingdom Jonny Edgar Netherlands MP Motorsport 4.700
7 24 Christian Mansell Spain Campos Racing 5.200
8 25 Hugh Barter Spain Campos Racing 5.600
9 29 Germany Sophia Flörsch PHM Racing by Charouz 6.200
10 14 Colombia Sebastian Montoya Hitech Pulse-Eight 8.800
11 23 Pepe Martí Spain Campos Racing 9.500
12 4 Leonardo Fornaroli Italy Trident 10.600
13 6 Oliver Goethe Italy Trident 12.400
14 21 Hunter Yeany Rodin Carlin 13.500
15 27 Taylor Barnard Switzerland Jenzer Motorsport 13.800
16 26 Nikita Bedrin Switzerland Jenzer Motorsport 14.600
17 20 Oliver Gray Rodin Carlin 15.100
18 18 Mexico Rafael Villagomez Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing 15.800
19 9 Nikola Tsolov France ART Grand Prix 16.200
20 31 McKenzy Cresswell PHM Racing by Charouz 16.500
21 19 Tommy Smith Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing 16.900
22 30 Roberto Faria PHM Racing by Charouz 17.300
23 16 Luke Browning Hitech Pulse-Eight 38.100
24 28 Alex Garcia Switzerland Jenzer Motorsport 53.100
25 11 Mari Boya Netherlands MP Motorsport 53.700
26 1 Paul Aron Italy Prema Powerteam 1'06.200
27 7 United States Kaylen Frederick France ART Grand Prix 1'07.500
28 8 Switzerland Gregoire Saucy France ART Grand Prix  
29 22 Israel Ido Cohen Rodin Carlin  
30 15 Gabriele Minì Hitech Pulse-Eight  
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