Gabriel Bortoleto is the 2023 Formula 3 champion: Teammate Oliver Goethe stuffed his car into the tyre barrier – making the Brazilian the champion
Gabriel Bortoleto is this year’s FIA Formula 3 champion! This decision was already made on Friday in the chaotic qualifying in Monza, which was interrupted a total of three times due to several incidents. Curious: Oliver Goethe, of all people, Bortoleto’s German team-mate, caused the title decision with his crash.
“Finally we can say that we are FIA Formula 3 champions in my rookie season 2023,” Bortoleto cheered. “It’s very special for me to have everyone from my family here and it’s an honour for me to be crowned champion in Monza. I am very, very happy and I don’t even know what to say anymore.”
Although there were still ten minutes on the clock, race officials decided not to start qualifying due to the tight schedule at Monza. Goethe was also allowed to cheer despite his accident: the German-Dane snatched the fastest time with 1:38.909 minutes shortly before his departure and thus starts the main race in Monza from pole position.
Caio Collet is second, Paul Aron starts from third place on Sunday. Jonny Edgar takes fourth position on the grid, followed by new champion Bortoleto. Gabriele Mini sets the sixth fastest time ahead of Zak O’Sullivan and Leonardo Fornaroli. All three Trident cars thus start in the top eight. Brits Luke Browning and Taylor Barnard complete the top ten.
Bortoleto impossible to catch
Bortoleto’s closest championship rivals, second-placed Paul Aron and third-placed Josep Maria ‘Pepe’ Marti, still had a mathematical chance of winning the championship before qualifying – but they would have had to be on pole position to do so. Because in Formula 3, two points are awarded for this.
Before the two races on Saturday (from 9:40 a.m.) and Sunday (from 8:15 a.m.), Bortoleto is leading the overall standings with 144 points. Second-placed Aron has 38 points less and cannot close the gap in the final two races of the season, in which only 37 points will be awarded.
CAMPEÃO!!!
Gabriel Bortoleto is our @Formula3 Champion! F1 RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/hzn0o37ZtV
– Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2023
Bortoleto convinced with an (almost) flawless season. Already at the second race weekend in Australier, the Brazilian took the overall lead, which he continuously extended. “Many thanks to everyone who has supported me this season, including everyone in Brazil,” says the new Formula 3 champion. “We’ll keep stepping on the gas!”
With his title win, Bortoleto joins a list of great talents: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri crowned himself Formula 3 champion in the 2020 season. In the GP3 series, the predecessor of today’s FIA Formula 3, Esteban Ocon (2015), Charles Leclerc (2016) and George Russell (2017) also celebrated title wins.