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2025 F3 Australia: Câmara Dominates in Challenging Conditions

The 2025 F3 Championship kicked off in Australia at Melbourne’s iconic Albert Park circuit from March 14-16.

Melbourne Race Weekend Round-up

The 2025 F3 weekend began in Australia with a highly competitive Free Practice session on Friday morning.

Free Practice: Câmara sets the benchmark

Rafael Câmara of Trident topped the charts with a time of 1:34.652, narrowly ahead of Tim Tramnitz (MP Motorsport) and Mari Boya (Campos Racing), who finished second and third.

Louis Sharp’s car stopped on track near Turn 4, briefly halting the session and causing a red flag with just four minutes remaining.

Due to time constraints, officials did not restart the session, solidifying Câmara’s position at the top.

Qualifying: TRIDENT locks out the front row

Later that day, the Qualifying session saw immense competition for pole position.

Câmara carried his strong form into this session, securing pole position with a lap time of 1:34.999.

His teammate, Noah Strømsted, ensured a TRIDENT front-row lockout, qualifying second, just 0.129 seconds behind.

Théophile Naël (Van Amersfoort Racing) secured third on the grid, but officials investigated him for an unsafe release during the session.

The session saw disruptions, including a red flag, after Brando Badoer crashed at Turn 2.

Shortly after, Christian Ho’s car stopped on track, bringing out another red flag and limiting the opportunity for drivers to improve their lap times.

Sprint Race: Ramos claims maiden victory

The Sprint Race on Saturday proved to be an intense and thrilling battle, with Santiago Ramos (Van Amersfoort Racing) taking the victory in his first-ever Formula 3 race.

Key Moments from the Sprint Race:

  • Ramos started from the front row and held his position despite significant pressure from Martinius Stenshorne (Hitech TGR) and Roman Bilinski (Rodin Motorsport).
  • Câmara collided with Laurens van Hoepen (ART Grand Prix) on Lap 3, causing both drivers to retire from the race.
  • The race featured a Safety Car period after the incident and several others later, including one involving Bruno del Pino (MP Motorsport) and Javier Sagrera (Rodin Motorsport).
  • Despite multiple interruptions, Ramos held his lead and secured his first-ever Formula 3 win ahead of Stenshorne, who finished in second and Bilinski, who finished third in his debut race.

Ramos showed immense composure throughout the race, maintaining his lead despite multiple Safety Car interruptions.

Stenshorne remained close behind, waiting for an opportunity to strike, but with the race ending under caution, he had to settle for second.

Bilinski’s performance was another highlight, as the Polish driver impressed on his Formula 3 debut.

READ MORE: Prema Racing’s Melbourne Strategy: Can They Dominate the Season Opener?

Feature Race: Câmara Controls the Wet Conditions

Sunday’s Feature Race was a dramatic contest, heavily influenced by the challenging wet conditions at the Albert Park circuit.

After multiple formation laps behind the safety car, the race began with a rolling start. Câmara immediately managed to assert his control from pole position.

Race Highlights:

  • Câmara made a perfect start and built a substantial lead, maintaining his composure despite the worsening weather.
  • An early incident involving Nikola Tsolov (ART Grand Prix) and Callum Voisin (MP Motorsport) at Turn 9 triggered the first Safety Car of the race.
  • As the rain intensified, grip levels deteriorated, and the track became increasingly difficult. However, Câmara continued to manage his pace effectively, keeping his competitors at bay.
  • A second Safety Car was deployed on Lap 13 after Christian Ho (DAMS) crashed at Turn 6.
  • The race was red-flagged on Lap 18 due to worsening weather, and Câmara was declared the winner after a dominant performance.

Despite the treacherous conditions, Câmara’s steady pace was key to his success.

He handled the pressure of the changing weather, maintaining his advantage over the field.

Noah Strømsted (TRIDENT) and Théophile Naël (Van Amersfoort Racing) completed the podium.

Both drivers showed great consistency and adaptability in the rain, making them serious contenders as the season progresses.

The race was also marked by a strong performance from Nikita Bedrin (AIX Racing), who finished in fourth, ahead of Tim Tramnitz (MP Motorsport) in fifth.

The Austrian Charlie Wurz (TRIDENT) finished in sixth, while Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (Campos Racing) managed to hold off a charge from Martinius Stenshorne for seventh place.

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Reactions from the Top Three

Hear from the podium placers:

Reflecting on his victory, Câmara said:

“Very happy about the result of today, expecially after the race yesterday, where we had the crash. […] Tough conditions, where it was the first time on wets this weekend.” – Rafael Câmara, Trident.

Strømsted acknowledged the challenges of the rain:

“Tough race, especially the restarts with the spray, was very difficult to follow, so you always kind of open the gap and then you stay there.” – Noah Strømsted, TRIDENT.

Naël was pleased with the results despite the tough conditions:

“Plenty of points this weekend so far. So I was not expecting a first weekend like that, especially after the testing in Barcelona. We were not really happy, but we worked very hard before coming here. […] The conditions were really tricky.  I was trying to find the grip, find the line. Yeah, it was a tough race.” – Théophile Naël, Van Amersfoort Racing.

Championship Standings after Round 1

Following the opening round of the F3 Championship in Australia, Rafael Câmara of TRIDENT leads the Driver’s Standings with 28 points, thanks to his commanding Feature Race victory.

He is followed by Théophile Naël (Van Amersfoort Racing) with 19 points, and Câmara’s teammate Noah Strømsted sits in third with 18 points.

In the Team’s Standings, TRIDENT has taken an early lead with 54 points, reflecting their strong performance in both races.

Van Amersfoort Racing holds second place with 29 points, while AIX Racing is third with 17 points.

A Strong Start to the Season

The 2025 F3 weekend in Australia provided a dramatic and exciting start to the season.

Câmara’s dominant performance in Qualifying and the Feature Race confirmed his early status as a title contender.

Meanwhile, Ramos’s Sprint Race victory showed that the competition this season will be fierce.

With unpredictable weather, intense battles and standout performances, the round at Albert Park lived up to its expectations.

As the season progresses, the pressure will only increase, and all eyes will be set on the next round to see if Câmara can continue his impressive form or if new challengers will emerge to take the lead.

READ NEXT: 2025 Australian Grand Prix: A Thrilling Start to the Season in Melbourne

Main Photo

IMAGO / PsnewZ

Recording Date: 16.03.2025

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