Round 3 of the 2025 FIA F3 Championship roared to life at the iconic Imola circuit, marking the beginning of the European leg of the season and the first of three consecutive race weekends. The historic venue didn’t disappoint, offering a dramatic mix of changing conditions, debut appearances, and late-session heroics.
Friday’s action saw a reshuffled AIX Racing lineup and a damp start to Free Practice, before championship leader Rafael Câmara reasserted his dominance in Qualifying with a stunning late lap to claim his third consecutive pole position of the season. With close margins throughout the midfield and a reversed grid for Saturday’s Sprint, the stage is set for a thrilling weekend in Italy.
Free Practice – 2025 Imola F3 Round
Shake-ups at AIX Racing at the European Leg begins
Round 3 of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship kicked off at the historic Imola circuit, marking the start of a triple-header over the next three weekends. The Imola GP also welcomed a new addition to the F3 grid: Brad Benavides made his debut with AIX Racing, joining teammates James Hedley, who replaced Javier Sagrera, and Nicola Marinangeli. He was expected to continue with the team in Monaco and Barcelona.
As the first European circuit of the season, Imola offered familiarity to many drivers who had raced here in junior categories. The 4.909-kilometre layout, combined with a single DRS zone and 33 metres of elevation change, promised to challenge the grid—especially those unfamiliar with the track.
Cautious start on a damp track
The practice session began under Virtual Safety Car conditions to allow drivers to assess the still-damp track. Though several drivers had previous experience at Imola, the tricky surface demanded caution. In contrast to the unfamiliar and wet conditions in Melbourne, Imola’s layout allowed experienced drivers to find rhythm quickly, while rookies took longer to adapt.
Initially, few drivers completed full laps. With 30 minutes remaining, only eight cars had set representative times. Ivan Domingues of Van Amersfoort Racing led the early charts with a 1:35.564, followed closely by DAMS Lucas Oil teammates Nicola Lacorte and Matías Zagazeta. However, the session gained momentum soon after, as 29 of the 30 drivers took to the circuit.
Challenges for several drivers
Not all drivers found smooth progress. James Wharton endured a frustrating session as ART Grand Prix worked on his car in the garage. The Australian failed to log a flying lap, adding to a string of early-season difficulties.
Meanwhile, Callum Voisin disrupted the session after clipping a bollard on his lap. This small but significant incident impacted subsequent runs, as drivers rely on bollards for reference when navigating the tight chicanes.
Câmara sets the benchmark
Championship leader Rafael Câmara once again demonstrated his pace and control. The Trident driver logged a 1:33.433 on his first flyer and then shaved a further tenth off his best, lowering the benchmark to 1:33.091. MP Motorsport’s Alessandro Giusti briefly came close with a 1:33.165, while teammate Tim Tramnitz’s attempt was hampered by traffic from Van Amersfoort and Campos Racing cars.
All cars briefly returned to the pit lane before the final 10-minute push. In that time, both Câmara and Giusti improved their times further, while others jostled for position in the tightly packed midfield.
Late crash ends session under red flag
With just two minutes remaining, PREMA’s Ugo Ugochukwu crashed after going wide and spinning into the gravel. Although his car tapped the barrier, there appeared to be no significant damage, which bodes well for qualifying later in the day. Race control promptly brought out the red flag, ending the session early.
Ultimately, Câmara topped the timesheets, ahead of Giusti in P2 and Tramnitz in P3. The midfield battle remained incredibly close, with just under a second separating 9th to 17th. Qualifying promised to be intensely competitive.
Qualifying – 2025 Imola F3 Round
Early battle for track position
The third F3 Qualifying session of the season began with all 30 drivers immediately jostling for position, hoping to maximise slipstream advantage on Imola’s long straights. Santiago Ramos set the initial benchmark with a 1:33.439, but it was quickly bettered by championship leader Rafael Câmara. The Trident driver delivered a sharp 1:32.909, two-tenths clear of Brando Badoer and Tim Tramnitz, who followed closely with strong opening laps.
Shortly after, Laurens van Hoepen ran wide into the gravel at Turn 18, losing his lap time to track limits. Meanwhile, Tramnitz showed strong pace but backed off before the final corner, opting to pit for fresh tyres rather than commit to a second flyer.
Most of the grid followed suit, heading into the pits to prepare for a final run on fresh rubber. Nikola Tsolov also aborted his lap after bottoming out at the penultimate corner.
Mid-season shuffle and a red lag
With fifteen minutes remaining, cars returned to the circuit for the decisive second half. While Callum Voisin and another driver still hadn’t set a representative time, others like Ramos resumed flying laps. Martinius Stenshorne briefly moved to the front row with a strong 1:32.928, powered by a purple final sector.
Drama struck when Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak beached his car in the gravel at Turn 11, bringing out a red flag. Just moments before, local favourite Brando Badoer crossed the line to temporarily steal provisional pole with a 1:32.894, narrowly edging ahead of Câmara and Stenshorne.
After the brief pause, most of the grid rushed out to capitalise on improving track conditions—except the three Trident cars and Callum Voisin, who curiously remained in the pit lane.
Late surge and stunning lap from Câmara
Track evolution played a key role in the final minutes. Ramos rocketed to P1 with a 1:32.442, followed closely by Tuukka Taponen, who clocked a 1:32.533. The leaderboard continued to shuffle: Roman Bilinski grabbed P3, only to be replaced immediately by teammate Louis Sharp.
But Rafael Câmara still had a lap in hand. After sitting in P14, the Brazilian delivered a blistering final flyer, featuring a purple second sector and a flawless finish to reclaim pole with a stunning 1:32.206.
While Câmara sealed the top spot, further drama unfolded behind. Van Hoepen spun again, narrowly missing Noah Strømsted, who still managed to slot into P3 with a 1:32.442.
Câmara fastest in QUalifying
With Câmara on pole for Sunday’s Feature Race, the Top 12 will be reversed for Saturday’s Sprint. As a result, Bruno Del Pino and Tim Tramnitz will start on the front row. Stewards noted both Mari Boya and Câmara for possible impeding, with decisions pending.
Full results of the 2025 Imola F3 Round Qualifying
- Rafael Câmara 1:32.206
- Santiago Ramos
- Noah Strømsted
- Tuukka Taponen
- Louis Sharp
- Roman Bilinski
- Ugo Ugochukwu
- Noel Leon
- Nikola Tsolov
- Mari Boya
- Tim Tramnitz
- Bruno Del Pino
- Alessandro Giusti
- Brad Benavides
- Brando Badoer
- Martinius Stenshorne
- Laurens Van Hoepen
- Nicola Lacorte
- Joshua Dufek
- James Wharton
- Théophile Naël
- Callum Voisin
- James Hedley
- Ivan Domingues
- Christian Ho
- Matías Zagazeta
- Gerard Xie
- Charlie Wurz
- Nicola Marinangeli
- Tasanpol Inthraphuvasak
Sprint Race Front Row:
- Bruno Del Pino
- Tim Tramnitz
