Vesti wins Mugello opener as F3 title fight tightens up
Frederik Vesti claimed his third victory of the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship season in a thrilling first race at Mugello, as the title fight closed up.
Vesti put in a late charge to surge past long-time race-leaders Lirim Zendeli and Jake Hughes and take the win, though he had to battle past Hughes twice, only sealing the win on the final lap as he swept around the outside of Turn 1.
Hughes was left to settle for second place just three-tenths back from the Prema driver, while Theo Pourchaire snuck past Zendeli in the closing stages to claim the final spot on the podium to take his seventh rostrum of the year and keep himself in the championship hunt.
The 17-year-old ART Grand Prix driver holds third place in the standings, just nine points behind Prema pair Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant who are locked on level points heading into Sunday’s finale.
Zendeli took fourth ahead of Enzo Fittipaldi, who crucially pulled off a late overtake on Sargeant to deny the American the chance to move into the points lead.
Sargeant was still able to score crucial points to move level with his Prema teammate Piastri, who only heads the championship by virtue of his extra second-place finishes on countback.
Behind Sargeant, Alex Smoylar, David Beckmann, Sebastian Fernandez and Liam Lawson completed the top-10, with Piastri just missing out on the points and what could have been a vital reverse grid pole position for the final race of the season.
