# 2024 Sakhir Formula 3 round

The 2024 Sakhir FIA Formula 3 round was a motor racing event held between 29 February and 2 March 2024 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. It was the first race of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship and was being held in support of the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix.

## Background
### Team changes

New Zealand automotive manufacturer Rodin Cars took over Carlin and renamed the team Rodin Motorsport, after previously becoming majority shareholder in 2023.

### Driver changes

The previous season's top five drivers - reigning champion Gabriel Bortoleto, runner-up Zak O'Sullivan, Paul Aron, Franco Colapinto, and Pepe Martí - all left the series and graduated to the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Italian F4 Championship champion and Kacper Sztuka and third-placed Arvid Lindblad debuted in the series with MP Motorsport and Prema Racing, respectively, both as Red Bull Junior Team members, and Formula Regional European Championship runner-up Martinius Stenshorne joined Hitech Pulse-Eight. Thai Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, Peruvian Matías Zagazeta, and Alex Dunne of Ireland became the first drivers to represent their respective nations in series history.

## Classification
### Summary

Dino Beganovic set the fastest qualifying time for the opening round at Bahrain International Circuit to claim feature race pole position, followed by Luke Browning and Gabriele Minì. Laurens van Hoepen qualified twelfth and thus started the reverse-grid sprint race from first place. His ART Grand Prix teammate Nikola Tsolov took the lead at the first corner, and the two drivers continued competing for first position for much of the race. Arvid Lindblad, who started fourth, took advantage of the battle in front and overtook both drivers to claim the lead, and later the race win, on his FIA Formula 3 debut. He was joined on the podium by Van Hoepen, also on his debut race, and Leonardo Fornaroli, who had passed Tsolov in the closing laps.
Pole-sitter Beganovic encountered an issue off the start line in the feature race and was overtaken by the entire field before the first corner. The lead therefore passed to Browning, with Sami Meguetounif and Tim Tramnitz improving to the podium positions. Eighth-place starter Christian Mansell made overtakes at the start and had claimed second place by lap five. Mansell ran close behind Browning for most of the race but was unable to pass, and Browning took his first FIA Formula 3 victory, with Tramnitz completing the podium on his debut weekend. At the conclusion of the round, Browning led the Drivers' Championship by four points over Tramnitz.

### Qualifying

Qualifying was held on 29 February 2024, at 16:00 local time (UTC+3).
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Time/Gap | Grid SR | Grid FR |
| 1 | 1 | Dino Beganovic | Prema Racing | 1:46.431 | 12 | 1 |
| 2 | 14 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +0.167 | 11 | 2 |
| 3 | 2 | Gabriele Minì | Prema Racing | +0.170 | 10 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | Sami Meguetounif | Trident | +0.364 | 9 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | Santiago Ramos | Trident | +0.367 | 8 | 5 |
| 6 | 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | Trident | +0.374 | 7 | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | Tim Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | +0.397 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 23 | Christian Mansell | ART Grand Prix | +0.412 | 5 | 8 |
| 9 | 3 | Arvid Lindblad | Prema Racing | +0.442 | 4 | 9 |
| 10 | 18 | Max Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | +0.503 | 3 | 10 |
| 11 | 25 | Nikola Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | +0.510 | 2 | 11 |
| 12 | 24 | Laurens van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | +0.531 | 1 | 12 |
| 13 | 20 | Noel León | Van Amersfoort Racing | +0.600 | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | 9 | Alex Dunne | MP Motorsport | +0.702 | 14 | 14 |
| 15 | 12 | Mari Boya | Campos Racing | +0.739 | 15 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | Charlie Wurz | Jenzer Motorsport | +0.760 | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | 10 | Oliver Goethe | Campos Racing | +0.767 | 17 | 17 |
| 18 | 27 | Nikita Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | +0.778 | 18 | 18 |
| 19 | 29 | Callum Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | +0.785 | 19 | 19 |
| 20 | 19 | Matías Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | +0.786 | 20 | 25 |
| 21 | 31 | Joseph Loake | Rodin Motorsport | +0.788 | 21 | 20 |
| 22 | 15 | Martinius Stenshorne | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +1.040 | 22 | 21 |
| 23 | 26 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | +1.304 | 23 | 22 |
| 24 | 8 | Kacper Sztuka | MP Motorsport | +1.314 | 24 | 23 |
| 25 | 21 | Sophia Flörsch | Van Amersfoort Racing | +1.381 | 25 | 24 |
| 26 | 28 | Joshua Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | +1.447 | 26 | 26 |
| 27 | 22 | Tommy Smith | Van Amersfoort Racing | +1.498 | 27 | 27 |
| 28 | 30 | Piotr Wiśnicki | Rodin Motorsport | +1.540 | 28 | 28 |
| 29 | 11 | Sebastián Montoya | Campos Racing | +1.927 | 29 | 29 |
| 30 | 16 | Cian Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +2.134 | 30 | 30 |
| 107% time: 1:53.881 (+7.450) |||||||
| Source: |||||||
Notes:
* ^1 – Matías Zagazeta received a five-place grid penalty for the Feature Race for causing a collision with Tommy Smith in the Sprint Race.

### Sprint race

The sprint race was held on 1 March 2024, at 13:15 local time (UTC+3).
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Gap | Grid | Pts. |
| 1 | 3 | Arvid Lindblad | Prema Racing | 19 | 35:35.482 | 4 | 10 |
| 2 | 24 | Laurens van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | 19 | +5.478 | 1 | 9 (1) |
| 3 | 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | Trident | 19 | +5.514 | 7 | 8 |
| 4 | 25 | Nikola Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | 19 | +6.717 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | 7 | Tim Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | 19 | +6.927 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | 18 | Max Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | 19 | +8.409 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 | 2 | Gabriele Minì | Prema Racing | 19 | +8.413 | 10 | 4 |
| 8 | 12 | Mari Boya | Campos Racing | 19 | +9.183 | 15 | 3 |
| 9 | 10 | Oliver Goethe | Campos Racing | 19 | +9.938 | 17 | 2 |
| 10 | 5 | Sami Meguetounif | Trident | 19 | +11.245 | 9 | 1 |
| 11 | 15 | Martinius Stenshorne | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 19 | +12.585 | 22 | |
| 12 | 9 | Alex Dunne | MP Motorsport | 19 | +13.082 | 14 | |
| 13 | 27 | Nikita Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | 19 | +14.987 | 18 | |
| 14 | 23 | Christian Mansell | ART Grand Prix | 19 | +19.282 | 5 | |
| 15 | 14 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 19 | +19.513 | 11 | |
| 16 | 26 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | 19 | +19.756 | 23 | |
| 17 | 29 | Callum Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | 19 | +21.166 | 19 | |
| 18 | 11 | Sebastián Montoya | Campos Racing | 19 | +22.907 | 29 | |
| 19 | 17 | Charlie Wurz | Jenzer Motorsport | 19 | +24.629 | 16 | |
| 20 | 8 | Kacper Sztuka | MP Motorsport | 19 | +26.625 | 24 | |
| 21 | 6 | Santiago Ramos | Trident | 19 | +27.349 | 8 | |
| 22 | 20 | Noel León | Van Amersfoort Racing | 19 | +30.135 | 13 | |
| 23 | 21 | Sophia Flörsch | Van Amersfoort Racing | 19 | +33.128 | 25 | |
| 24 | 28 | Joshua Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | 19 | +37.819 | 26 | |
| 25 | 30 | Piotr Wiśnicki | Rodin Motorsport | 19 | +38.205 | 28 | |
| 26 | 16 | Cian Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 19 | +40.079 | 30 | |
| 27 | 31 | Joseph Loake | Rodin Motorsport | 19 | +40.715 | 21 | |
| 28 | 22 | Tommy Smith | Van Amersfoort Racing | 19 | +1:00.473 | 27 | |
| 29 | 1 | Dino Beganovic | Prema Racing | 19 | +1:30.029 | 12 | |
| DNF | 19 | Matías Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | 15 | Collision damage | 20 | |
| Fastest lap set by Laurens van Hoepen: 1:50.401 (lap 2) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

### Feature race

The feature race was held on 2 March 2024, at 12:00 local time (UTC+3).
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Gap | Grid | Pts. |
| 1 | 14 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 22 | 41:08.012 | 2 | 25 |
| 2 | 23 | Christian Mansell | ART Grand Prix | 22 | +1.264 | 8 | 18 |
| 3 | 7 | Tim Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | 22 | +2.432 | 7 | 15 |
| 4 | 5 | Sami Meguetounif | Trident | 22 | +5.654 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 6 | Santiago Ramos | Trident | 22 | +6.930 | 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 2 | Gabriele Minì | Prema Racing | 22 | +8.200 | 3 | 8 |
| 7 | 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | Trident | 22 | +8.888 | 6 | 6 (1) |
| 8 | 3 | Arvid Lindblad | Prema Racing | 22 | +9.542 | 9 | 4 |
| 9 | 9 | Alex Dunne | MP Motorsport | 22 | +16.619 | 14 | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Oliver Goethe | Campos Racing | 22 | +17.032 | 17 | 1 |
| 11 | 25 | Nikola Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | 22 | +18.076 | 11 | |
| 12 | 20 | Noel León | Van Amersfoort Racing | 22 | +19.451 | 13 | |
| 13 | 1 | Dino Beganovic | Prema Racing | 22 | +20.021 | 1 | (2) |
| 14 | 15 | Martinius Stenshorne | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 22 | +21.734 | 22 | |
| 15 | 24 | Laurens van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | 22 | +22.676 | 12 | |
| 16 | 17 | Charlie Wurz | Jenzer Motorsport | 22 | +23.108 | 16 | |
| 17 | 11 | Sebastián Montoya | Campos Racing | 22 | +23.679 | 29 | |
| 18 | 19 | Matías Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | 22 | +30.847 | 25 | |
| 19 | 26 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | 22 | +34.409 | 22 | |
| 20 | 27 | Nikita Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | 22 | +34.902 | 18 | |
| 21 | 29 | Callum Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | 22 | +35.839 | 19 | |
| 22 | 22 | Tommy Smith | Van Amersfoort Racing | 22 | +37.465 | 27 | |
| 23 | 31 | Joseph Loake | Rodin Motorsport | 22 | +41.131 | 20 | |
| 24 | 18 | Max Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | 22 | +42.347 | 10 | |
| 25 | 30 | Piotr Wiśnicki | Rodin Motorsport | 22 | +52.341 | 28 | |
| 26 | 16 | Cian Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 22 | +53.921 | 30 | |
| 27 | 28 | Joshua Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | 22 | +59.979 | 26 | |
| 28 | 8 | Kacper Sztuka | MP Motorsport | 22 | +1:03.836 | 23 | |
| 29 | 12 | Mari Boya | Campos Racing | 22 | +1:28.231 | 15 | |
| 30 | 21 | Sophia Flörsch | Van Amersfoort Racing | 21 | +1 lap | 24 | |
| Fastest lap set by Dino Beganovic: 1:50.261 (lap 2) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||
Notes:
* ^1 – Nikita Bedrin originally finished eighteenth, but was later given a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits multiple times, dropping him down to 20th place in the final classification.
* ^2 – Sophia Flörsch retired on the final lap, but was classified as she completed over 90% of the race distance.

## Standings after the event

| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Luke Browning | 25 |
| 2 | Tim Tramnitz | 21 |
| 3 | Christian Mansell | 18 |
| 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | 15 |
| 5 | Arvid Lindblad | 14 |
| Pos. | Team | Points |
| 1 | Trident | 38 |
| 2 | ART Grand Prix | 35 |
| 3 | Prema Racing | 28 |
| 4 | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 25 |
| 5 | MP Motorsport | 23 |
* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.