Renault F1 junior Piastri storms to second F3 win

Renault Formula 1 junior Oscar Piastri charged to his second FIA Formula 3 victory of the 2020 season in Barcelona to close back in on the championship lead.

A lightning-fast start saw Piastri leap up to third place on the run to Turn 1, before he swept around the outside of Campos Racing’s Alex Peroni at Turn 2, and then dived up the inside of reverse grid pole sitter Matteo Nannini at the next corner to snatch the lead.

The Australian’s remarkable opening lap proved crucial to sealing his first win since the first round in Austria, as he controlled proceedings throughout and managed two Safety Car periods on his way to taking the chequered flag.

Piastri’s victory has hauled him right back into the F3 title following a difficult couple of rounds at Silverstone where he surrendered his early points lead to Prema teammate Logan Sargeant.

Having also taken the additional two points on offer for setting the fastest lap of the race, Piastri has now closed to within a point of Sargeant with three rounds remaining.

Just over a second behind Piastri came Peroni, who passed Nannini at mid-distance for his best-ever F3 result, with the latter following up his first points score of the season on Saturday with his maiden podium in the series for Jenzer Motorsport.

Richard Verschoor took fourth for MP Motorsport, ahead of current championship leader Sargeant and ART Grand Prix driver Theo Pourchaire.

Hitech’s Liam Lawson was just behind in seventh, while Enzo Fittipaldi, David Beckmann and Barcelona race 1 victor Jake Hughes completed the points-scoring positions.

FULL FIA F3 RACE TWO RESULTS FROM BARCELONA.