Monza Preview: The final showdown

It is time for the 10th and final round of the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship and after a back-and-forth campaign, six drivers are vying for the crown.
PREMA Racing have been confirmed as the Teams’ Champions for the fifth time in six years, but who will go into the history books as the 2024 Drivers’ Champion?
Here is all you need to know ahead of the season finale.
THE FORM BOOK
Once again, the advantage in the Standings changed hands and it’s Leonardo Fornaroli who heads the field going into the finale. The Trident driver leads the way on 129 points, one ahead of compatriot Gabriele Minì, with the PREMA driver one behind on 128.
Hitech Pulse-Eight driver Luke Browning follows in third position with 123 points to his name while compatriot and PREMA driver Arvid Lindblad is the highest-placed rookie on 113 in P4.
Dino Beganovic is the only other driver in triple digits on 100 in fifth position, while Christian Mansell is an outside contender for the title, currently sixth on 97 points.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Oliver Goethe had been set to be involved in the title fight, but his call up to Formula 2 with MP Motorsport means he will play no further part in the Championship battle. Campos Racing have confirmed that Noah Stromsted will race in his place this weekend.
PREMA Racing are already Teams’ Champions and lead the pack on 341 points. ART Grand Prix remain in second position with 226 points, while Trident will be aiming for a strong home weekend to lift themselves back ahead. The Italian outfit are third on 217 points.
FROM THE GRID – Charlie Wurz, Jenzer Motorsport
“Monza is a track I really enjoy. I’ve raced there the past two years in Formula 4 and Euroformula and I’ve always been quick. I qualified on pole in F4, won the race in Italian F4 with a grid of 46 cars. In Euroformula I won the race so two years in a row, looking for a third but we’ll see how it goes.
“I really like the track. It’s very difficult in Qualifying because slipstream is all that matters so finding the right gap is important and then getting a feel with the car because you run really low downforce which makes the car tricky to drive. It’s like dancing on the edge of disaster.
“When you’re really on the edge and you find the limit, then you can be really fast. It’s really exciting and I’m looking forward to getting started.
“Everywhere can be an overtaking opportunity around Monza. It’s about slipstream games so sometimes you don’t want to be first until the last corner on the last lap. It can often go to the last corner in deciding if you’re going to win the race.
“You have to play the game and make moves at the right time and not lose DRS which makes the racing very chaotic and very exciting.”
TECHNICAL PREVIEW
Straight-line speed is king around Monza, so downforce requirements are very low compared to the rest of the circuits on the 2024 calendar.
Braking demand at Turn 1 is the most extensive test of stopping power around the lap as drivers brake from top speed into the revamped first chicane.
With the majority of the lap comprised of straight-line blasts, fuel consumption is also comparatively high versus other venues, though the lack of corners means tyre wear shouldn’t become much of an issue for anyone.
RACE STRATEGY
For the Monza weekend, the final round of this exciting championship, the chosen compound is the P Zero Red soft, with a carry-over from the previous round at Spa-Francorchamps of the P Zero Yellow medium, which can only be used during free practice. However, the use of the harder tyre could see teams not gathering sufficient data relating to how the Soft performs on the new surface which, on paper, should offer more grip but also lead to higher degradation, and maybe even the appearance of graining: all factors that could make the situation even more uncertain.
The Monza round also marks the final appearance of this generation of Formula 3 cars. A new car will be used as from next season and it will be presented this coming Saturday 31 August. One of the major changes concerns the Pirelli tyres which will increase in size from the current 13” to 16”, thus getting closer to those used in the senior Formula 1 and Formula 2 categories, which run 18” tyres.
STAT PACK
DID YOU KNOW?
Qualifying will be split into two groups this year, with Group A running first ahead of Group B.
Drivers will be split by their race numbers, with odd and even-numbered cars running in different groups.
The order in which both groups will run is determined on Thursday ahead of on-track running getting underway.