An intensive back-to-back schedule of three rounds in as many weeks sees the Hitech FIA Formula 3 team already in Spielberg just days since they last raced in Barcelona. Round 6 of the 10-event calendar will be held at the Red Bull Ring from 28-30 June, with the next race just a week later at Silverstone.

We have already reached the halfway point of the F3 season, so with only five rounds remaining every point counts, particularly for Luke Browning, who has been in the hunt for the drivers’ title since the season-opener and has been engaged in a thrilling battle at the top of the standings ever since. Barcelona didn’t go his way, and while he’ll be looking to get back on the podium in Austria, consistency and points are proving as crucial as ever in the F3 title fight.

Martinius Stenshorne was buoyed by clear improvements in Barcelona, enjoying good pace from practice and a fourth-place finish in the Sprint. His Feature Race came to an unfortunate conclusion when he picked up a puncture while fighting for P7, but the potential was there to see and he’ll be keen to harness that momentum at the Red Bull Ring this weekend.

For Cian Shields, the progress since the early season test at the Circuit de Catalunya was evident once again during the race weekend, but the midfield pack is tight which means a strong performance doesn’t always translate in the standings. But he’ll be keen to open his points account in the coming races.

The Red Bull Ring is a short track compared to many and features a mix of medium and high-speed corners with three DRS zones. With so few corners brake wear isn’t too high but the braking point is crucial as a driver will put themselves at a disadvantage by losing time if they miss it.

Downforce levels are of course key to being as fast as possible on the straights, to ensure a driver isn’t vulnerable to being overtaken in the DRS train. At the same time, the car needs to be well-balanced for the corners, especially in the technical final sector.

Pirelli have allocated the red-walled Soft tyres for this event given that the forces exerted on the tyres at this track are well below average. Tyre wear at the Red Bull Ring is mainly determined by thermal degradation, and the changeable weather conditions at Spielberg also play a role.

Friday 28 June

08.55 Free Practice

14.00 Qualifying

Saturday 29 June

09.30 Sprint Race (21 laps)

Grid set by reversing Top 12 of Qualifying Results

Sunday 30 June

08.30 Feature Race (26 laps)

Grid set by Qualifying Results