FORMULA 3: Shwartzman wins dramatic season opener in Spain

Robert Shwartzman won the opening race of the new-look FIA Formula 3 championship from Barcelona’s pole position grid slot – but his victory was far less conventional than it sounds...

The PREMA driver clambered out of his car in the parc ferme having thought he’d finished as runner up – only to see on-track winner Christian Lundgaard demoted to second place with a late five-second time penalty.

Lundgaard had lunged in-front of the pole-sitter on the second corner of lap 1 when Shwartzman’s attention was stolen by Marcus Armstrong’s unsuccessful play for first place. The trio would drive imperiously to secure their places on the podium, while further back Max Fewtrell and David Beckmann rose to fourth and fifth to secure an all PREMA/ART front five.

Trident’s Niko Kari will start on reverse grid pole when the drivers return to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday for round 2.

For full results and an in-depth report, click here.