Smolyar holds off Beckmann for first F3 win at Silverstone

Aleksandr Smolyar fended off David Beckmann to claim his first FIA Formula 3 victory at Silverstone.

The ART Grand Prix driver led from start to finish and held off multiple attacks from Beckmann to secure the partially-reversed grid race win and become the sixth different winner from the opening eight races of the 2020 season.

A Safety Car period – caused when Igor Fraga broken down after five laps on the Wellington Straight – bunched the pack up and removed the advantage Smolyar had opened up in the opening laps, but the Russian held his nerve to take his first win in the series.

However, Smolyar’s maiden victory could be at risk with the British Grand Prix stewards investigating his repeated weaving along the Hangar Straight in a bid to break the tow in his defence from Beckmann.

Trident’s Beckmann was forced to settle with second place and his fourth podium of the year, while Clement Novalak claimed his second rostrum appearance of his rookie FIA F3 campaign for Carlin.

Alex Peroni narrowly missed out on a podium in fourth for Campos, as Frederik Vesti finished fifth as the highest-placed Prema driver.

Vesti headed Prema teammate Logan Sargeant who took sixth and the fastest lap bonus points ahead of Saturday’s race winner Liam Lawson and ART Grand Prix’s Theo Pourchaire.

Richard Verschoor and Jake Hughes rounded out the points-finishers for MP Motorsport and HWA Racelab respectively.

It was a nightmare race for championship leader Oscar Piastri as the Prema driver registered his first non-score of the 2020 FIA F3 season.

The Renault F1 junior had already dropped down the order early on having run through the gravel at Luffield, before he was forced to retire on Lap 12 due to a DRS malfunction.