Prema Racing’s Lindblad wins sprint race on F3 debut

Arvid Lindblad triumphed today in the season-opening sprint race of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship, held in support of the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Briton powered to victory for defending champions Prema Racing after taking over as race leader late in the 19-lap event.

Lindblad claimed the chequered flag in a winning time of 35 minutes 35.482 seconds with a 5.478-second gap from runner-up and pole-sitter Laurens van Hoepen of ART Grand Prix to register his maiden F3 race win on his very first start.

Leonardo Fornaroli of Trident clinched the other podium place after finishing 5.514 seconds behind the winner.

ART’s Nikola Tsolov, who led for much of the sprint, had to settle for fourth, while Tim Tramnitz of MP Motorsport was fifth, Max Esterson of Jenzer Motorsport six, Gabriele Mini of Prema seventh and Mari Boya of Campos Racing eighth. Completing the top 10 and rounding off the points winners were Oliver Goethe of Campos and Sami Meguetounif of Trident.

The F3 field returns to action for the 22-lap feature race, scheduled for Saturday at 12noon, with Prema’s Dino Beganovic on pole.