There was something poignant about Esteban Ocon, Max Verstappen and Tom Blomqvist all nabbing a victory each at the penultimate FIA European Formula 3 round at Imola this weekend.
The trio have been at the top of the championship for virtually its entire run this year, but it was Ocon who would be crowned champion.
And rightly so.
The French teenager has excelled this season and while Verstappen may be about the grab the headlines as Red Bull’s latest protégé in Formula One, there is little doubt that he and Ocon will have a rivalry that will endure for many years to come.
With Formula Renault 3.5 on the horizon for Ocon, it only remains to see whom he will be driving for in the Renault Word Series category. A couple of rounds with Comtec whetted his appetite, but it is unlikely that they will be his ultimate destination.
Blomqvist too has shun bright, but a lack of funding meaning his future is somewhat less clear.
Soon we will know all their futures and declarations of intent, but first there is the matter of the FIA European F3 finale at Hockenheim next week and then the Macau F3 Grand Prix in November and that will be one stellar battleground for these fabulous talents.
