Interview
Waple: Badoer ‘in complete control’ as Rodin impress around Monte Carlo again
Two podium results including a first FIA Formula 3 victory for one of their drivers capped off an impressive weekend in Monte Carlo for Rodin Motorsport.
Brando Badoer came away with the biggest trophy after winning the Feature Race from P2 on the grid, while teammate Pedro Clerot earned his first F3 top three after his promotion to third in the Sprint.
For Team Manager Sam Waple, it was the culmination of a lot of hard work the team did in the break between Rounds 1 and 2, as they impressed around a venue they have enjoyed in seasons past.
“We came into the weekend really confident,” Waple admitted on Sunday after Badoer’s win. “We had a good package last year here, so we knew that we could be on the front foot.
“In Free Practice, we already started quite well, so we were fairly confident going into Qualifying. To have these results is brilliant for everyone, for the drivers, for the team. It's really needed.”
It marked the second consecutive year the team has battled at the front in at least one of the Monaco races on an F3 weekend, with Roman Bilinski earning a podium for the British-based team in 2025.
Waple says while he can’t pinpoint the precise reason the team do well around the streets of Monaco, he was thankful that the team was able to show their potential on an important weekend, with the F3 season only ramping up from this point going forward.
“I don't know why exactly, we've always sort of clicked here. It's just one of those circuits where we come to a bit of good knowledge of what we need to do.
“We do a lot of prep for it. You want to kick off the European season well, so we've obviously had a bit more time with the break. We just came here quite confident.
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“It was very important to get some momentum too. In June and July, we've got many race weekends back-to-back. For everyone's confidence and for the drivers to keep moving forward, I think it is important.
“You carry the momentum through. Hopefully, we can roll on to next week and have another good one.”
For Badoer, it was his first visit to the top step in the Championship in what is his second campaign. The Italian surged off the front row in the Feature Race, passing pole sitter Théophile Nael in the opening meters and then never looking back.
He controlled the Safety Car restart and was a worthy winner on Sunday, as he launched himself up the Drivers’ Championship to fourth heading into Round 3.
Waple says it was a well-earned reward for his work behind the scenes with Rodin as he makes steps from his rookie 2025 season.
“He had it completely under control. You could tell on the radio that he was aware of the job he had to do. Once he got in the lead off the start, it was just his race to manage really. He did a great job and credit to him.
“His work ethic, his dedication is higher than most drivers here. He's earned it. I'm really, really happy for him.”
With Round 3 following immediately this weekend, the Rodin Team Manager is eager to use the momentum of their strong Monaco showing to achieve similar results this weekend and beyond.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is a world away from the style of track in Monte Carlo, and with teams visiting for pre-season testing earlier this year, he expects Qualifying to be a closely fought contest once again.
“It will be very tough. Obviously, we do a lot of testing there. It's always very tight in Qualifying. We'll just have to do our best and hope for another good result.
“We can get some good points, that's the main thing, It’s a very different circuit, very different characteristics than here. But we’ll enter with the same goal, and the same effort from everyone. Hopefully, it will go well.”