Trident 2024 Review: An incredible ending

18 September 2024

It was another impressive year for Trident as they secured back-to-back Drivers’ Championship titles, but the Teams’ crown slipped away from them once more.

The Italian outfit secured wins with two out of their three drivers, and each of them scored a podium in a campaign that Team Manager Giacomo Ricci says they will look back on with fondness.

“Once again, we won the Drivers’ title, so we’re extremely pleased with that,” he stated reflecting back on the 2024 season. “On that side, it was extremely positive. I feel a little bit disappointed on the other side in a way that we have not been able to challenge for the Teams’ title this year.

“Some races we had some incidents, and we were not able to be up there, or if we were it was only with one car. But we’re still pleased to have taken second position, and looking overall at the season, it was once again a strong and competitive year for us.”

Of course, their finest moment came right at the end as Leonardo Fornaroli made it two Champion drivers in a row for Trident, as he secured the title in a last gasp pass on home turf in Monza.

Ricci says he showed great progression from his 2023 rookie campaign, adding race and tyre management to his already remarkable Qualifying pace.

The Trident Team Manager says that even if the Italian wasn’t on the top step in 2024, he was a deserved Champion, with consistency his rivals just could not match.

Meguetounif was a winner twice in 2024 but could have done even better says Ricci

“We were massively impressed. Leo was always quick. Last year on a single push lap, he was able to challenge as a front runner but in the races, he was struggling with tyre management and degradation. This season, he did a massive step forward and was very consistent throughout the season.

“I don’t like when people say he won the Championship but didn’t win any races. I mean, he had two chances to win a Feature Race this year and not through his own fault, was not able to win them.

“But at the end of the day, what counts is the final result, and he won the Championship at the end of a year of being extremely consistent. For me, he showed that in Qualifying over a push lap, he was the best this year.”

Teammate Santiago Ramos also finished on a high note, able to take his first F3 podium finish at Monza in the Sprint Race. The Mexican driver had his bright spots, with his Imola Pole Position being a standout, though he was unable to convert that into a victory.

Ricci says that he believes the driver didn’t live up to his full potential for a variety of reasons, but showed his true speed at Monza and delivered what he was capable of.

“Santiago was under a lot of pressure this year. In Imola, when he had the chance to win the race, a Trident mistake meant he could not challenge for the win. That one was quite hard on him.

Ramos was able to cap off his 2024 campaign with a podium at Monza

“After that, he had a couple of bad races but then he was able to finish on top and we are extremely glad he was able to get his first podium in FIA F3 in Monza.

“It was a little bit of an inconsistent season, a little bit too many ups and downs, and he was never really able to show himself as a title contender. I still rate him as a very good and capable driver, but sometimes for different reasons, things didn’t go in the right direction.

“I believe that his potential is a lot higher compared to what was on show this year.”

Sami Meguetounif was the other rookie that completed Trident’s 2024 line-up and Ricci says he was hugely impressed by what the Frenchman was able to do.

He claimed two Feature Race victories across the campaign, first in Imola before rounding out the season on the top step at Monza.

The Trident leader was full of praise for Meguetounif, who he says was unfortunate to not win more often such was his competitive pace all year long.

“Sami, for me, as a rookie – his speed all year has been impressive. So many times, he had the chance to put the car on pole, or on the first two rows, so he had massive speed and ability to be able to extract a fast lap.

Fornaroli's title-winning move will live long in the memory

“The season started quite positively, then in Australia when he was going for a super lap, he had that big crash. I think that knocked his confidence a bit in that moment. Then there was the crash between the two cars in Barcelona. Those are the only two negative points for me of his season.

“The rest has been impressive. Silverstone for example, that was difficult for him to manage. We had Practice in the wet, arrived in Qualifying and it started to rain and then in the final lap, the track switched on again and he delivered P3 with only one lap of slick conditions. That for me was amazing.

“Budapest also, he was going for a very quick lap but then we had the Red Flag. So he had massive potential and he can be extremely proud of himself and the season he did. The speed, the driver’s ability, the feedback, it was all very strong this year.”

Asked to pinpoint the highlight of the campaign though, there was only going to be one winner.

“The last corner of the season, of course. I still dream about it. That last corner was crazy. I’m not joking, exiting Ascari everyone was thinking we won’t win this Championship. I opened the radio: ‘Leo it’s all in, you have to do this!’

“His dive on Mansell – it was like an explosion of emotions. That for me was the best moment of the season.”