Nakamura takes maiden F3 win in Spa-Francorchamps Sprint Race

Credit: Formula 3

Rookie driver Jin Nakamura became the first Hitech driver to win a Formula 3 race this season, taking his maiden win in the Sprint Race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Brando Badoer claimed second place for Rodin Motorsport, with his teammate Pedro Clerot in third to complete the podium.

How it happened

Brando Badoer led from pole position at the start, holding off Pedro Clerot and Mattia Colnaghi into Turn 1 to retain the lead of the Sprint Race.

It wasn't long before the yellow flags were out, as championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu and his nearest rival in the standings Freddie Slater came together and made contact at the Les Combes corner. The incident brought out the Safety Car on Lap 1, as Slater was left stranded in the gravel and Ugochukwu came into the pits with damage. He came back out on track after repairs were made, now a lap down in the race.

Jin Nakamura had jumped up to second place before the Safety Car, running behind Badoer and ahead of Clerot. Colnaghi was sitting fourth ahead of Taito Kato at the restart that happened on Lap 4.

Badoer led at the restart but it wasn't long before Nakamura was able to sweep through to take the lead. Further down the field, Colnaghi and Kato scrapped for fourth place in a close battle that Kato couldn't seem to win. Even further down the field, Dams Lucas Oil's Nikola Lacorte tried to get past PREMA Racing's Louis Sharp for 13th place.

Kato's desperate battle for fourth opened him up to danger behind, and on Lap 7 Théophile Naël was able to sneak through to fifth place. One lap later, the Safety Car was brought out again as Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi went into the gravel and hit one of the styrofoam boards at the exit of Turn 1, leaving debris on the straight.

The Safety Car was brought back in for the start of Lap 11, leaving just two laps of racing to end the Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps. This time it was Nakamura leading Badoer, and the Hitech driver was able to hold off his rival at the start.

Kato and Naël continued their battle for fifth place as Nakamura widened his gap to Badoer, and Kato was able to take back the place that Naël had taken earlier. But no one was able to stop Nakamura as he claimed his maiden win, and Badoer settled for second place ahead of his Rodin teammate Clerot.

Colnaghi and Kato completed the top five ahead of Naël. Tuukka Taponen took seventh place, while Ernesto Rivera, Alessandro Giusti and Noah Strømsted earned the final points-paying positions.

Full results can be found here.