2024 Round 10 Post Feature Race Thoughts of the Top three

FIA Formula 3: Hello and welcome to the press conference for the Round 10 Feature Race Monza. In third place we have Leonardo Fornaroli from Trident, in second is Gabriele Mini from PREMA and taking the win today is Sami Meguetounif from Trident. Sami, F3 race winner again, for the final race of the 2024 Season. It was very eventful behind you, for you it was all about making sure you were managing the tyres, how was it?
Sami Meguetounif: With my season, I started today without a championship to play for. For me, it was more about helping Leo. Staying clean but more about helping him, that was my main goal. I passed him when he made a mistake but before that, I was going to help and follow him and try to move forward together. After that, I couldn’t help him anymore with him behind me, so I just kept going and driving clean. I tried to look after my tyres like I did in Imola, keeping in the DRS to Alex, and then I asked on the radio if it would be strategic to overtake, because I felt faster, and they said yes. I went for the move quite easily with the DRS and then after that I tried to push a bit more to pull away and I think it was Mansell behind me, get him out of DRS. After that, I just looked forward the whole race.
I didn’t look in my mirrors, my team was keeping me updated and I was looking after the tyres. I was a bit scared at the end with all the dust on the track. With the changes they made, the track was covered in gravel but I kept pulling away and felt so good with the car. It felt like we were in Imola. I think I could have done something similar many times this year, but in the second half of the season – sometimes it’s difficult to say because it sounds like excuses, but we’ve been unlucky during Qualifying’s. The first time we had a normal Qualifying, we were P3 on the grid in Silverstone, it started to rain and we were on the wrong strategy.
For me, the second half of the season was very difficult to accept the bad results knowing the potential was there. I don’t think I could’ve won all the races, but we could’ve fought for top fives quite often. So let’s say this is the best way to end up with a normal weekend and show how I could be. When I heard he was champion, I was so happy for him and the team. It was even more of a satisfying cool down lap for me.
FIA Formula 3: What is your opinion on our newly-crowned FIA Formula 3 Champion, Leonardo Fornaroli?
Meguetounif: I’ve known Leo a long time, since go-karts but we’ve never been teammates or close friends. But we started to get to know each other this year when I joined Trident and he has been a massive help for me to learn and to win, gain time and experience because it was his second year. In my opinion, outside he has been so consistent. Every race he’s done no mistakes, always there in Qualifying and the races, managing the tyres perfectly. He showed how you win the F3 Championship – with consistency. Even if he didn’t win, winning the Championship is done with consistency, so I’m happy for him.
FIA Formula 3: Thank you, well done on your first season in F3. Gabriele Minì, P2 in today’s final FIA Formula 3 race from third on the grid. It’s been a very eventful race, how was it from the car?
Gabriele Minì: It was very chaotic, very messy, there were so many lockups, so many overtakes, so many fights, some mistakes, a bit from everyone with the gravel on track, it was really hard sometimes to just stay on the line. Still, I gave a hundred and ten percent. I knew I had to do something special to win the Championship, that’s what I tried to do. I was there until the last corner but then at the last corner it ended. It’s a shame but still I think we did the maximum we could today, we did the best as a team and I think I improved as a driver during the season, so I am still really thankful.
FIA Formula 3: How difficult was it mentally to keep your head in the game? Keep hoping, keep pushing, how was it?
Minì: There were not so many Safety Cars so degradation was something that played a bigger role today. For sure I knew that there was going to be a lot of opportunities, so even when I thought that I couldn’t I still knew that I had to try because maybe some degradations or lockups could have happened. In the end it did so, it happened, I managed to catch P2 again and as I said it was really chaotic and really hard to stay there mentally but I think we did a good job.
FIA Formula 3: It’s been an incredibly tight season, just one point into the weekend between you and Leo, what do you make of your season as a whole, finishing second?
Minì: It’s frustrating to finish P2 but there are many positive things, we’ve been much more consistent than last year, not many little mistakes compared to the previous year, and that’s what I am really happy about. As I said, there was still more in it, there were two rounds where things went really wrong for us and we scored zero points and some of the races were just for example in Imola, an issue at the start made me lose seven places. Of course, there were many events that were not in our favour, but it was also the same for the other contenders so in the end I think it was a positive season, we showed good speed, and I am pretty happy about it.
FIA Formula 3: After a strong and positive season, what’s next for you?
Minì: Of course we can’t say yet the plans for next year but the main focus was still on today’s race because even though I know winning the Championship wouldn’t change much the continuation of my career, it did for me, I really wanted this. So, now from today on I am going to try and focus on next year’s plan but for now I cannot say much.
FIA Formula 3: Leo, P3 today in the most critical race of your career, it was very eventful, there was a lot a stake, you started from Pole Position, how was it from the car?
Leonardo Fornaroli: I knew the Pole Position was important. I really wanted the win today. I had a good start. We went a bit more conservative with the set up compared to yesterday so less aggressive and Alex Dunne was faster than me at the first phase. I let him by to stay in his tow without over pushing. Then after the Safety Car restart, it was a good one I was close to him, I saw that I was very dirty in Ascari but I didn’t expect it quite like that. The lap after the restart I di da normal line but I went completely in the dust, I lost the car and around three positions. I was thinking, okay this is not good, but I knew the pace was good so I overtook Dunne, Mini and Mansell. I was behind my teammate but he was so far away so I didn’t have the DRS. When overtaking Mansell I made a huge flat spot in T1. My tyres weren’t good and I also had some rear deg – it was not good. I had no DRS and I saw both cars behind me. When they both passed me I also had another flat spot and a wheel spin. My tyres were gone. I asked my engineer, am I F3 Champion? and he said, no. So I had to do something. In the last two laps I tried everything but with even more flat spots and the tyres gone I really couldn’t overtake him. In the last corner I knew it was the last chance, I had to send it. So I went on the inside. He was very fair to leave enough space for me and I didn’t want to be dirty. I managed to take the position and the Championship then. Even if it didn’t take the win, again starting from Pole, this time I don’t care. In the future I must take some wins because its hard for me to have a win. But we managed to take the title and I am super happy.
FIA Formula 3: Winning this very big title in Monza, in Italy on your home soil, does that add some extra sweetness?
Fornaroli: Yes, Monza is my home race. It is the track that is closest to my home. It’s one of my favourite circuits, it’s special to me. I was coming here at 7 years old. To take the title here in front of the home crowd, all my family are here to support me, my girlfriend as well, and also some friends. It’s amazing to take this title here in front of all my friends and family.
FIA Formula 3: Can you describe the feeling when you got the Parc Ferme?
Fornaroli: Right before the last corner I wasn’t feeling good. I could not accept to loose the title in the last race, knowing that the pace was so good and I was loosing the title because of mistakes during the race. I said to myself, no I can not, I will try on the last corner. When I managed to pass him, I knew I was Champion. The team started to scream on the radio, I was screaming as well. I couldn’t believe it. The last Championship I took was in carting 2016. I am so happy to take this title because I am demonstrating that I am at a good level to fight for World Championships. I won the best Formula 3 Championship in the world. Right now I can’t describe my feeling, I am the happiest person in the world right now. It’s one of the best days of my life.
FIA Formula 3: Congratulations everyone, well done for today and the season.