Academy Report: Our F3 quartet taste the streets of Monaco

The first visit of third-tier racing to Monaco for over a decade had FIA Formula 3 running around the principality this weekend for the season's toughest weekend.

Without an Imola event, it has been a long two months for the Williams Racing Driver Academy, which now boasts new member Luke Browning in its ranks.

Here's how our four F3 racers found the streets of Monte Carlo.

The reigning GB3 champion made an immediate impact in Williams Racing colours, narrowly missing out on a front-row start by just 0.003s. With Qualifying split into two groups, Luke still secured his best Quali of the year, with his Friday afternoon effort netting him P4.

Keeping out of trouble ensured a few points in Saturday's Sprint Race, but it was Sunday's Feature Race where the 21-year-old Brit scored most.

Even though it was his first race in Monaco, Luke kept the podium positions within touching distance to cross the line in an impressive P4, just 0.3s behind third place.

A double points finish for Franco was just what our Argentinian needed after a team disqualification and crash marred his Australian weekend last time out.

The well-earned points formed from a P4 qualification in Group A to net two top-10 starts.

Franco came off best in a Sprint Race hairpin fight when he put an on-track overtake on Taylor Barnard once the Safety Car peeled in to take P4.

In the Feature Race, a hectic opening lap had the MP Motorsport driver do well to avoid damage from the cars around him, and a rally-style powerslide out of the hairpin had Franco settle into a P6 position he would finish the race in.

One-tenth was the gap between Zak's qualifying time and a reverse-grid pole, with his P7 qualification in Group B meaning he'd start both races from P13.

A day of learning the track on Saturday stuck behind teammate Dino Beganovic in a processional Sprint Race led to a P13 finish, too.

As with Formula 1, securing points from lower down is a tall order, but Zak shook that aside with an incredible opening lap. His battle with Sprint Race winner, Pepe Marti, was a clean and thrilling fight Zak won, and he gained three positions in just one tour of the Circuit de Monaco.

With others taking time penalties and failing to finish, Zak's P7 finish had him leave Monaco with six valuable points.

A first visit to Monaco for Ollie had the youngest member of the Williams Racing Driver Academy knuckle down and keep out of trouble, even when trouble tried to find him.

Ollie out-qualified both of his Carlin teammates but would spend the weekend in the lower positions among the busy midfield, meaning few overtaking opportunities for the Brit.

An attempted move on Tommy Smith in the Sprint Race in the final corners nearly came off on Ollie's route to P22. In the Feature Race, teammate Ido Cohen battled close by through the tunnel but hit the barriers, leaving Ollie to use his survival instincts to emerge unscathed at the Nouvelle chicane to keep up his 100% finishing record, crossing the line in P19.