Tim Tramnitz controlled things from the front to convert reverse grid pole into Sprint Race victory at Monza. The MP Motorsport driver fended off Sebastián Montoya, who fought with Santiago Ramos for the final podium positions as the pair finished second and third respectively.
Luke Browning put on a spirited fightback to go from 17th to seventh, while Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriele Minì picked up potentially crucial points in ninth and 10th places.
AS IT HAPPENED
Before the lights could go out, title contender Christian Mansell radioed into his ART Grand Prix that he was stuck in third gear. A second formation lap was required but the Australian was able to get off the grid, though he had to start from the pitlane for causing the delay.
At the race start proper, reverse grid pole sitter Tramnitz covered off Dino Beganovic on the run to Turn 1 before going wheel-to-wheel with Montoya, who had to skip over Turn 2 but settled into second after passing the PREMA Racing driver ahead of the first corner.
Fornaroli was on the move early on and was up three spots to 13th on the opening lap.
A Safety Car was deployed on Lap 2 after Noel León and Nikita Bedrin wound up in the gravel after contact at Turn 2 with Tommy Smith, requiring the former cars to be cleared away. Smith was later handed a 10-second time penalty for the incident.
Racing got back underway entering Lap 6 but a big snap through Parabolica put Montoya under immediate pressure from Beganovic. However, the Colombian held onto second into the first chicane.
Joseph Loake and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak ran through the gravel at Turn 4, allowing Lindblad and Fornaroli to move up into the points in ninth and 10th places respectively, with Browning and Minì following directly behind the pair in 11th and 12th.
ith DRS on the run to Ascari, Fornaroli battled by Lindblad on Lap 7 to secure ninth position from the PREMA driver.
Teammate Ramos meanwhile was able to move ahead of Beganovic to take third place, and he was quickly onto the rear wing of Campos’ Montoya in the fight for second.
Onto Lap 9 and with another helping of DRS, Fornaroli moved ahead of Martinius Stenshorne at Turn 1 to put himself into the top eight, while up ahead Ramos surged by Montoya through the Curva Grande for second.
Lap 10 and after two previous unsuccessful attempts, Browning passed Lindblad for 10th position to move into the points. Meanwhile, Fornaroli’s charge continued as he passed Mari Boya for seventh position, as Stenshorne followed through on the Spaniard into Turn 1 on Lap 11.
Montoya stuck with Ramos after being passed and re-took second into the first corner on Lap 12, while teammate Sami Meguetounif was able to move ahead of Beganovic at the same spot. Alex Dunne meanwhile relegated Beganovic to sixth just before the second Safety Car of the race.
Max Esterson and Piotr Wisnicki had collided at the first chicane and were out of the running. Both drivers were OK, but their cars needed clearing away.
With the track clear the Safety Car was withdrawn going into the final lap of the race, setting up a one-lap shootout to the end.
Tramnitz retained the lead but further back, Browning cleared Fornaroli into Turn 1 to take eighth place.
The leader held on from Montoya and Ramos, while Dunne and Beganovic rounded out the top five.
Meguetounif cleared Boya after the Campos driver ran through the gravel at Ascari, a mistake that allowed Browning to move up one place further to earn seventh.
Boya fell to eighth while Fornaroli and Minì rounded out the points to set up a final day showdown for the 2024 Drivers’ Championship.
KEY QUOTE – Tim Tramnitz, MP Motorsport
“Just finished the Sprint Race in P1, very happy to secure my first victory of the season. One more race to go tomorrow, really looking forward to it.”
THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
The Drivers’ Championship fight goes to the final day and Leonardo Fornaroli has 132 points to Gabriele Minì’s 129. Luke Browning is a close third, now on 127. Arvid Lindblad remains fourth on 113 points while Dino Beganovic moved onto 106 in fifth place. Christian Mansell is now out of Championship contention after failing to score in the Sprint and staying on 97.
2024 Teams’ Champions PREMA Racing added seven points to their tally to go onto 348. Trident took a healthy haul of points to go onto 233 and up to second position. ART Grand Prix fall to third, still on 226.
UP NEXT
It’s the final showdown in Monza as we get ready for the last race of the season. Leonardo Fornaroli starts the Feature Race from Pole Position, with title rival Gabriele Minì right behind him in third. Lights out is scheduled for 08:35 local time.
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