Maiden Formula 3 pole for Oliver Goethe as Gabriel Bortoleto wins Formula 3 title
Oliver Goethe took pole for the FIA Formula 3 season finale at Monza and helped earn the championship title for teammate Gabriel Bortoleto.
Gabriel Bortoleto celebrates after being crowned 2023 FIA Formula 3 Drivers Champion. (Formula Motorsport Limited)
Bortoleto’s rivals Paul Aron and Pepe Martí needed to secure maximum points from the weekend to challenge the Brazilian and were denied the two points for pole position in an interrupted qualifying session.
With Goethe on pole but time left on the clock, Bortoleto was crowned champion in pit lane surrounded by his jubilant team.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Bortoleto.
“For sure, I haven’t realised how big this is yet, I think I won’t realise it for something like a week. It’s already a dream coming true for me, especially in a rookie season, it’s very, very special.”
It was a triumphant mood in the Trident camp, with teammate Goethe celebrating his first Formula 3 pole position.
“It feels amazing to be on pole position. Ideally, I would have liked it to happen in a cleaner way for my first pole position in F3, but it'll take it. The pace was there to get it anyways.”
“It's tricky around Monza, the Qualifying sessions are always chaotic so just to get a lap done is very important. In Monza, there are not many turns so every detail really makes a difference.”
Oliver Goethe took his maiden FIA Formula 3 pole position in Monza. (Rudy Carezzevoli / Formula Motorsport Limited / Getty Images)
It was a strategic battle on track as teams waited to find a position at the rear of the queue and gain the advantage of the slipstream around the fast, flowing circuit.
After an installation lap, the pack emerged onto the track with almost ten minutes elapsed and was immediately caught in a queue along the long rear straight. Ido Cohin was hit from behind by Rodin Carlin teammate Oliver Gray, bringing out the red flag and stopping the session before a lap was driven in anger.
When running resumed there was no time to worry about a slipstream, with Paul Aron setting a respectable banker lap before being leapfrogged by Caio Collet on an improving track behind him.
Debutant Josh Dufek spun at the Variante della Roggia and was stranded in the gravel, bringing out the red flag once again.
When the session resumed it was the Trident pair of Goethe and Bortoleto who went alone, with the German driver improving enough for provisional pole.
Remaining on track for a second lap, Goethe went off into the barriers, bringing out the red flag and ending the session on pole ahead of Collet and Aron.
“After my quickest lap I had an accident, I was continuing to push, still improving,” said Goethe.
“Ideally, I would have liked it to happen in a cleaner way but I got lucky that the session didn't get resumed and I'll take it.”
Australians Christian Mansell and Tommy Smith were back-to-back in 17th and 18th respectively, while ART Grand Prix driver Grégoire Saucy will take reverse-grid pole for the sprint race after qualifying 12th.
Watch every race of the FIA Formula 3 season on Kayo Sports.
2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship - Round 10 Monza Qualifying
- Oliver Goethe
- Caio Collet
- Paul Aron
- Jonny Edgar
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Gabriele Mini
- Zak O’Sullivan
- Leonardo Fornaroli
- Luke Browning
- Taylor Barnard
- Nikola Tsolov
- Gregoire Saucy
- Sebastian Montoya
- Mari Boya
- Franco Colapinto
- Pepe Marti
- Christian Mansell (AUS)
- Tommy Smith (AUS)
- Kaylen Frederick
- Rafael Villagomex
- Francesco Simonazzi
- Sophia Floersch
- Woohyun Shin
- Joshua Dufek
- Alejandro Garcia
- Roberto Faria
- Dino Beganovic - DNF
- Oliver Gray - DNF
- Ido Cohen - DNF
- Nikita Bedrin - DNF
