Bortoleto, Goethe claim memorable 1-2 finish in Bahrain

Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Goethe delivered a sensational 1-2 finish in a race that saw them as the main characters. Trident Motorsport climbed to the top of the team standings, while a puncture stopped Leonardo Fornaroli.
 
Trident Motorsport achieved a scintillating success in the Feature Race at Sakhir, as the opening round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship came to its conclusion in Bahrain. The Italian squad secured a 1-2 finish with Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Goethe. The Brazilian, who had scored the second fastest lap of qualifying, 0.057s away from pole, had a perfect start and cruised to the lead immediately. He then opened an impressive gap on the rest of the pack, pushing more than four seconds away.
 
When victory seemed inevitable for the 18-year-old Sao Paulo native, a safety-car regrouped the drivers. Bortoleto, who had pushed his tyres to build the advantage, temporarily lost the point to Minì, but a five-second penalty assessed to the Italian enabled him to just sail behind his rival without taking any risk. In the end, he brought home victory ahead of teammate Goethe. The Dane, who was fourth in qualifying, made a brilliant move and delivered an overall solid run to take P2. 
 
Thanks to the remarkable results claimed by the two rookies, Trident Motorsport powered at the top of the Team Championship with a large margin over the competitors. Leonardo Fornaroli didn't have a lucky day. The Italian fought in the leading pack but lost position due to a puncture. The FIA Formula 3 Championship will now head to Melbourne, for a fascinating first time for the series that needs to be prepared with great attention to detail.
 
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager
"We are extremely delighted with the outcome of today's race! Getting a one-two finish in the opening Feature Races of the season with two rookie drivers is a source of pride that should give us the motivation to do better and better. It was the first time for Trident Motorsport to field three rookies in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and I really think we won our bet in Bahrain. Bortoleto made a great start and immediately took the lead. When the safety car recompacted the group, we expected an attack from our direct rivals, as Gabriel had asked a lot from his tires to take the lead. As soon as we learned that Minì was going to be penalized, we decided not to take unnecessary risks and avoid overtaking maneuvers. This way, we got a memorable one-two result, with Bortoleto winning in front of teammate Goethe, who was very consistent and delivered an excellent overtaking move that earned him P2. Leonardo Fornaroli also provided a good performance, close to the leaders, but was stopped by a puncture."