Russian Formulation 3 driver Alexander Smolyar has reversed his choice to not take part within the FIA collection this 12 months and entered as a impartial driver.
Smolyar announced last week he “will not compete in FIA F3 and any international racing series this year.” His choice adopted the FIA’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
The governing physique declared any Russian drivers taking part in its collection should accomplish that as impartial opponents. They’re additionally required to “signal a declaration committing to stick to the FIA’s rules of peace and political neutrality.”
The FIA entry record for this weekend’s season-opening races in Bahrain exhibits Smolyar has entered as an Authorised Impartial Driver.
Smolyar’s affirmation completes the 30-strong F3 grid for 2022. Niko Kari took the final vacant spot on the grid, at Jenzer.
On the remainder of the grid, returning race winner Arthur Leclerc and podium finisher Jak Crawford discover themselves contending with hotly-tipped multiple-F4 collection champion Oliver Bearman at Prema. Juan Manuel Correa continues his spectacular return to motorsport at ART, alongside a really sturdy line-up of race winner Victor Martins and Formulation Regional European champion Gregoire Saucy.
Hitech’s Isack Hadjar impressed in the course of the Bahrain take a look at a number of weeks in the past, topping the second and third days’ instances and setting the outright quickest lap of testing earlier than operating was curtailed by a sandstorm.
Like Formulation 2, F3 is returning to a two-race weekend structure this 12 months, having held three races per occasion in 2021. Though each F3 races are the identical size, with no pit cease, nominally the Saturday race is a dash and so will set the grid by reversing the highest 12 from Friday’s qualifying session, with the Sunday race utilizing the order from qualifying.
2022 Formulation 3 discipline
| Staff | Driver | Driver | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prema | Oliver Bearman | Arthur Leclerc | Jak Crawford |
| Trident | Jonny Edgar | Zane Maloney | Roman Stanek |
| ART | Gregoire Saucy | Juan Manuel Correa | Victor Martins |
| Hitech | Isack Hadjar | Kaylen Frederick | Nazim Azman |
| Van Amersfoort | Reece Ushijima | Rafael Villagomez | Franco Colapinto |
| MP | Caio Collet | Kush Maini | Alexander Smolyar |
| Campos | Pepe Marti | Hunter Yeany | David Vidales |
| Carlin | Zak O’Sullivan | Brad Benevides | Enzo Trulli |
| Jenzer | Ido Cohen | William Alatalo | Niko Kari |
| Charouz | Laszlo Toth | Francesco Pizzi | Ayrton Simmons |
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This story has been amended to appropriate an error concerning Smolyar’s licence
