Tim Tramnitz Triumphs in Turbulent F3 Sprint at Imola

Winner - Tim Tramnitz

MP Motorsport driver takes first win of the season in safety car–affected race

MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz delivered a confident performance in Imola to win the FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race, marking his first victory since Monza last season. The German driver took the lead from teammate Bruno del Pino early on and maintained control despite two safety car interruptions that threatened to reset the field.

Starting second on the reverse grid, Tramnitz wasted no time applying pressure to del Pino, who had launched from pole. The Spanish rookie defended well into the opening corners, but the power of the Drag Reduction System (DRS) gave Tramnitz the advantage down the main straight. On lap three, he swept past into the lead at Turn 1 and never looked back.

Del Pino held firm in second to complete an MP Motorsport one-two, while Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov claimed third after teammate Mari Boya dropped down the order with mechanical issues following the race’s first restart.

Safety Cars Shake Up the Midfield

The race was disrupted early when AIX Racing’s Nicola Marinangelli suffered a rear tyre failure at the exit of Tosa, prompting the first safety car on lap five. Racing resumed four laps later, but green-flag action was short-lived.

Another safety car was deployed after Matias Zagazeta of DAMS was forced into the gravel at Tamburello following contact with Rodin Motorsport’s Callum Voisin. Voisin was later handed a 10-second penalty for causing the collision.

Despite the interruptions, Tramnitz remained composed at the front. Although he couldn’t break clear of del Pino’s DRS range entirely, he managed the restarts well and was never seriously challenged for the lead.

Strong Midfield Battles

Behind the leaders, Rodin’s Louis Sharp made solid gains to finish fourth, ahead of teammate Roman Bilinski in fifth. Trident’s Noah Strømsted mounted a late charge to finish sixth, having started ninth, and also took the fastest lap of the race.

ART Grand Prix’s Tukka Taponen made an assertive move on Prema’s Noel León at the Tosa hairpin, while Ugo Ugochukwu lost out after running wide at Acque Minerali.

MP’s Alessandro Giusti rounded out the points in 10th, while championship leader Rafael Câmara failed to score. The Trident driver will, however, start Sunday’s Feature Race from pole, having secured his third consecutive qualifying top spot.

Tramnitz Closes the Gap

The victory moves Tim Tramnitz up to second in the championship standings with 40 points, reducing the gap to Câmara to just 16 points. With the momentum now in his corner, the Red Bull junior will be looking to carry that pace into Sunday’s Feature Race and beyond.