Leclerc and Bearman in the final rush

With two rounds remaining the Formula 3 season is heading for a close finish and the two Ferrari Driver Academy drivers are among the “magnificent five” that can aspire to the 2022 title.

After last weekend’s races in Spa-Francorchamps, Formula 3 has moved to Zandvoort, a distance of just 300 kilometres, for the penultimate round of the year. After Spa-Francorchamps, the points gaps are even tighter than before with five drivers covered by just ten points.

Oliver. With a win and a third place in Belgium, Oliver Bearman has moved up to second, just one point off the leader. It’s an impressive performance given that the 17 year old Englishman had never raced at Spa-Francorchamps before. “I can’t wait for the Zandvoort round to get underway,” he said. “It will be a crucial moment in my season. I’ve consistently been a front runner in recent races, but the gaps are always very close, so we will have to leave nothing to chance.”

Arthur. Arthur Leclerc did not do as well as expected in Belgium but he is still very much in the title fight. “Last weekend wasn’t the best in terms of points, as everything was made more difficult by a disappointing qualifying,” commented the Monegasque. “But I’m now focussed on Zandvoort and I’m still well placed in the championship, so we’ll see what happens.”

Two key weekends. “We’re going into a four race mini-championship,” commented the head of the FDA, Marco Matassa. “It’s like a play-off for five drivers with Bearman and Leclerc among them. They can both fight for the title and that is already an achievement given how closely matched everyone has been right from the first race. At this point in the season, it will be vital for them not to make any mistakes and to grasp all opportunities that come their way. We’re ready for it.”

Programme. The cars take to the 4.259 kilometre Zandvoort track for the first time on Friday, with free practice at 8.55 local time, followed by qualifying at 14. The Sprint Race starts on Saturday morning at 10.25, with the final Feature Race getting underway on Sunday at 08.45.