# 2024 Melbourne Formula 3 round

The 2024 Melbourne FIA Formula 3 round was a motor racing event held between 21 and 24 March 2024 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia. It was the second round of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship and was held in support of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

## Classification
### Summary

Leonardo Fornaroli qualified in first place at Albert Park Circuit ahead of Gabriele Minì and Dino Beganovic. Laurens van Hoepen started the sprint race from the front, and he and Martinius Stenshorne exchanged the lead multiple times in the early laps. Stenshorne ultimately held the position and then kept Arvid Lindblad behind, who had progressed to second place from fifth at the start. Stenshorne's victory was his first FIA Formula 3 podium finish.
Feature race pole-sitter Fornaroli led at the start and through the first restart after the safety car was deployed to recover Tommy Smith and Joseph Loake's collided cars. Beganovic overtook Fornaroli for the lead on lap 14. Minì had lost third place to Luke Browning but recovered the podium place on the penultimate lap. Beganovic's victory was his first in the category, and promoted him to fourth place in the Drivers' Championship. At the end of the round, Browning and Fornaroli were tied on points at the top of the championship – with Browning ahead by virtue of having won a race – both five points ahead of Minì.

### Qualifying

Qualifying was held on 22 March 2024, at 14:00 local time (UTC+11).
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Time/Gap | Grid SR | Grid FR |
| 1 | 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | Trident | 1:33.044 | 12 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Gabriele Minì | Prema Racing | +0.019 | 11 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | Dino Beganovic | Prema Racing | +0.300 | 10 | 3 |
| 4 | 27 | Nikita Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | +0.345 | 8 | 4 |
| 5 | 14 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +0.391 | 7 | 5 |
| 6 | 12 | Mari Boya | Campos Racing | +0.527 | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | 25 | Nikola Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | +0.540 | 9 | 7 |
| 8 | 3 | Arvid Lindblad | Prema Racing | +0.672 | 5 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | Oliver Goethe | Campos Racing | +0.723 | 4 | 9 |
| 10 | 23 | Christian Mansell | ART Grand Prix | +0.925 | 3 | 10 |
| 11 | 15 | Martinius Stenshorne | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +1.051 | 2 | 11 |
| 12 | 24 | Laurens van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | +1.064 | 1 | 12 |
| 13 | 28 | Joshua Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | +1.243 | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | 17 | Charlie Wurz | Jenzer Motorsport | +1.268 | 14 | 14 |
| 15 | 11 | Sebastián Montoya | Campos Racing | +1.279 | 15 | 15 |
| 16 | 20 | Noel León | Van Amersfoort Racing | +1.314 | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | 9 | Alex Dunne | MP Motorsport | +1.377 | 17 | 17 |
| 18 | 6 | Santiago Ramos | Trident | +1.420 | 18 | 18 |
| 19 | 8 | Kacper Sztuka | MP Motorsport | +1.441 | 19 | 19 |
| 20 | 18 | Max Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | +1.443 | 20 | 20 |
| 21 | 19 | Matías Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | +1.473 | 21 | 21 |
| 22 | 7 | Tim Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | +1.483 | 22 | 22 |
| 23 | 29 | Callum Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | +1.729 | 23 | 23 |
| 24 | 26 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | +1.821 | 24 | 24 |
| 25 | 21 | Sophia Flörsch | Van Amersfoort Racing | +1.858 | 25 | 25 |
| 26 | 5 | Sami Meguetounif | Trident | +2.018 | 26 | 26 |
| 27 | 30 | Piotr Wiśnicki | Rodin Motorsport | +2.369 | 27 | 27 |
| 28 | 16 | Cian Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | +2.475 | 28 | 28 |
| 29 | 31 | Joseph Loake | Rodin Motorsport | +2.656 | 29 | 29 |
| 30 | 22 | Tommy Smith | Van Amersfoort Racing | +3.755 | 30 | 30 |
| 107% time: 1:39.557 (+6.513) |||||||
| Source: |||||||

#### Notes

* ^1 – Nikola Tsolov received a three-place grid penalty for causing a collision with Alex Dunne during the weekend's free practice session.

### Sprint race

The sprint race was held on 23 March 2024, at 11:15 local time (UTC+11).
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Gap | Grid | Pts. |
| 1 | 15 | Martinius Stenshorne | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 20 | 35:32.870 | 2 | 10 |
| 2 | 3 | Arvid Lindblad | Prema Racing | 20 | +1.673 | 5 | 9 |
| 3 | 24 | Laurens van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | 20 | +1.958 | 1 | 8 |
| 4 | 12 | Mari Boya | Campos Racing | 20 | +3.165 | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | 10 | Oliver Goethe | Campos Racing | 20 | +4.152 | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | 2 | Gabriele Minì | Prema Racing | 20 | +5.158 | 11 | 5 |
| 7 | 9 | Alex Dunne | MP Motorsport | 20 | +6.485 | 17 | 4 |
| 8 | 11 | Sebastián Montoya | Campos Racing | 20 | +7.122 | 15 | 3 |
| 9 | 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | Trident | 20 | +7.311 | 12 | 2 |
| 10 | 23 | Christian Mansell | ART Grand Prix | 20 | +7.747 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | 17 | Charlie Wurz | Jenzer Motorsport | 20 | +8.234 | 14 | |
| 12 | 7 | Tim Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | 20 | +8.628 | 22 | |
| 13 | 1 | Dino Beganovic | Prema Racing | 20 | +9.735 | 10 | |
| 14 | 31 | Joseph Loake | Rodin Motorsport | 20 | +10.834 | 29 | |
| 15 | 19 | Matías Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | 20 | +11.288 | 21 | |
| 16 | 8 | Kacper Sztuka | MP Motorsport | 20 | +11.967 | 19 | |
| 17 | 5 | Sami Meguetounif | Trident | 20 | +13.233 | 26 | |
| 18 | 29 | Callum Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | 20 | +13.744 | 23 | |
| 19 | 21 | Sophia Flörsch | Van Amersfoort Racing | 20 | +14.623 | 25 | |
| 20 | 25 | Nikola Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | 20 | +15.214 | 9 | |
| 21 | 27 | Nikita Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | 20 | +15.474 | 8 | |
| 22 | 28 | Joshua Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | 20 | +15.640 | 13 | |
| 23 | 30 | Piotr Wiśnicki | Rodin Motorsport | 20 | +16.893 | 27 | |
| 24 | 6 | Santiago Ramos | Trident | 20 | +17.443 | 18 | |
| 25 | 16 | Cian Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 20 | +18.250 | 28 | |
| 26 | 18 | Max Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | 20 | +19.095 | 20 | |
| 27 | 22 | Tommy Smith | Van Amersfoort Racing | 20 | +27.347 | 30 | |
| 28 | 14 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 19 | +1 lap | 7 | |
| DNF | 26 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | 13 | Collision | 24 | |
| DNF | 20 | Noel León | Van Amersfoort Racing | 12 | Driveshaft | 16 | |
| Fastest lap set by Luke Browning: 1:36.186 (lap 2) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||
Notes:
* ^1 – Dino Beganovic originally finished sixth, but was later given a five-second time penalty for forcing Sebastián Montoya off the track, subsequently dropping him down to thirteenth.
* ^2 – Nikita Bedrin originally finished eighth, but later received a ten-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, dropping him down to P21 in the final classification.
* ^3 – Max Esterson was given a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits multiple times, dropping him down from P19 to P26.
* ^4 – Tommy Smith was given a ten-second time penalty for causing an avoidable collision with Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, dropping him down from P25 to P27.

### Feature race

The feature race was held on 24 March 2024, at 9:05 local time (UTC+11).
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Gap | Grid | Pts. |
| 1 | 1 | Dino Beganovic | Prema Racing | 23 | 41:23.816 | 2 | 25 (1) |
| 2 | 4 | Leonardo Fornaroli | Trident | 23 | +1.682 | 1 | 18 (2) |
| 3 | 2 | Gabriele Minì | Prema Racing | 23 | +3.221 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 14 | Luke Browning | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 23 | +4.050 | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | 17 | Charlie Wurz | Jenzer Motorsport | 23 | +16.958 | 14 | 10 |
| 6 | 11 | Sebastián Montoya | Campos Racing | 23 | +21.230 | 15 | 8 |
| 7 | 12 | Mari Boya | Campos Racing | 23 | +21.492 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 27 | Nikita Bedrin | PHM AIX Racing | 23 | +25.610 | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | 10 | Oliver Goethe | Campos Racing | 23 | +26.530 | 9 | 2 |
| 10 | 23 | Christian Mansell | ART Grand Prix | 23 | +26.785 | 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 3 | Arvid Lindblad | Prema Racing | 23 | +27.009 | 8 | |
| 12 | 5 | Sami Meguetounif | Trident | 23 | +29.437 | 26 | |
| 13 | 24 | Laurens van Hoepen | ART Grand Prix | 23 | +29.512 | 12 | |
| 14 | 18 | Max Esterson | Jenzer Motorsport | 23 | +30.441 | 20 | |
| 15 | 7 | Tim Tramnitz | MP Motorsport | 23 | +33.023 | 22 | |
| 16 | 9 | Alex Dunne | MP Motorsport | 23 | +33.577 | 17 | |
| 17 | 19 | Matías Zagazeta | Jenzer Motorsport | 23 | +34.067 | 21 | |
| 18 | 8 | Kacper Sztuka | MP Motorsport | 23 | +37.812 | 19 | |
| 19 | 25 | Nikola Tsolov | ART Grand Prix | 23 | +38.222 | 7 | |
| 20 | 16 | Cian Shields | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 23 | +42.693 | 28 | |
| 21 | 29 | Callum Voisin | Rodin Motorsport | 23 | +44.080 | 23 | |
| 22 | 28 | Joshua Dufek | PHM AIX Racing | 23 | +52.748 | 13 | |
| 23 | 30 | Piotr Wiśnicki | Rodin Motorsport | 23 | +1:01.595 | 27 | |
| 24 | 6 | Santiago Ramos | Trident | 23 | +1:09.926 | 18 | |
| 25 | 20 | Noel León | Van Amersfoort Racing | 23 | +1:10.635 | 16 | |
| 26 | 15 | Martinius Stenshorne | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 23 | +1:14.235 | 11 | |
| DNF | 21 | Sophia Flörsch | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1 | Collision damage | 25 | |
| DNF | 22 | Tommy Smith | Van Amersfoort Racing | 0 | Collision | 30 | |
| DNF | 31 | Joseph Loake | Rodin Motorsport | 0 | Collision | 29 | |
| DNF | 26 | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | PHM AIX Racing | 0 | Collision damage | 24 | |
| Fastest lap set by Dino Beganovic: 1:35.588 (lap 7) ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||

## Standings after the event

| | Pos. | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Luke Browning | 37 |
| 2 | 2 | Leonardo Fornaroli | 37 |
| 4 | 3 | Gabriele Minì | 32 |
| 11 | 4 | Dino Beganovic | 28 |
| | 5 | Arvid Lindblad | 23 |
| | Pos. | Team | Points |
| 2 | 1 | Prema Racing | 83 |
| 1 | 2 | Trident | 60 |
| 1 | 3 | Hitech Pulse-Eight | 47 |
| 2 | 4 | ART Grand Prix | 46 |
| 1 | 5 | Campos Racing | 39 |
* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.