F3: Enzo returns to a familiar asphalt

Monza, 3 September 2020 - A week on from his maiden outing at Spa-Francorchamps, Enzo Fittipaldi is now about to tackle Monza, a track he knows well. The Ferrari Driver Academy’s Brazilian student knows the venue well having raced here in Formula 4 and Formula Regional, having his final race in this category here.

Key moment. The eighth and penultimate round of the Formula 3 championship returns to a track which saw the most chaotic qualifying session ever last year, when no fewer than 17 drivers were penalised for having slowed too much prior to the Parabolica corner so as to pick up a tow to do their quick lap. Qualifying will be a key part of the weekend, when Fittipaldi will have to master a skill that is not easy as it was demonstrated in 2019.

Expert at fighting back. Enzo’s Spa weekend produced plenty of positives. In Race-2 he fought back from 26th on the grid to 13th at the flag, a show of force which confirmed that his race pace could ensure a good weekend in Monza. “Even though he didn’t score any points, Enzo showed on his first ever visit to Spa that he is making progress, so that he should now be capable of getting some seriously strong results,” said Marco Matassa, head of the FDA technical department. “He needs to qualify in the top ten to exploit his potential. Qualifying will be a demanding exercise as he also has to find the right lap without any chaos and maybe exploiting a good slipstream.”

Programme. At the Italian Grand Prix weekend, the Formula 3 cars take to the track on Friday at 9.35 CET for free practice, followed by qualifying (14.05) with Race 1 on Saturday at 10.25. Race 2 brings the weekend to a close, starting at 9.45 on Sunday.