PREVIEW: The second half of the season starts at Round 6 in Spielberg

26 June 2025

The second half of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season is set to get underway this weekend in Spielberg, with the drivers ready to resume battle after the short break in action.

Rafael Câmara and TRIDENT continue to set the pace in both Championships, but which one of their rivals can take the fight to them at Round 6?

Here is everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s Red Bull Ring action …

WHAT TO EXPECT

The on-track action starts with Free Practice on Friday at 09:55 local time. That 45-minute session will be key to the drivers’ preparations for Qualifying, which will take place later in the day at 15:00.

We will reverse the Qualifying order on Saturday for the first race of the weekend, the 21-lap Sprint set to take place at 10:05 local time.

The drivers will then be back in their cars on Sunday morning for the longer Feature Race, where lights out is set for 08:30 local time. Who will come out on top in the 26-lap event?

FAST FACTS

Championship leader Rafael Câmara has already won three Feature Races in 2025, the most by one driver in a single season.
Hitech TGR’s Martinius Stenshorne is the only driver to have not been outqualified by a teammate this season.
Câmara and Stenshorne are part of a group of 16 drivers that have stood on the podium this season, the most after the first 10 races of any Formula 3 season.
Stenshorne also finished second in the 2024 Spielberg Sprint Race behind winner Nikola Tsolov.
Zak O’Sullivan claimed the Spielberg Feature Race victory from sixth on the grid in 2023, the only time that the winner has come from outside of the top three at the Red Bull Ring.
Nikita Johnson will replace the suspended Nicola Lacorte at DAMS Lucas Oil in Spielberg after the Italian driver went over the FIA Penalty Points limit.

FROM THE GRID - Théophile Nael, Van Amersfoort Racing

“I really like the track, it’s typically a high-speed track, but there are still some low-speed corners like T3, which is the best corner to overtake. So it’s a very complete track with high-speed and low-speed corners.

“We have to be careful at T3 though, because it’s really hard on the brakes, but it’s still the best place to overtake.

“The weather there can also be unpredictable, so that is something that can be very challenging.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 3 Technical Director

“The Red Bull Ring is the shortest lap on the calendar, but all 10 corners of the circuit provide a stern test for both the drivers and their teams.

“The long straights reward top-end speed, but they are followed by low-speed right hand corners. The final six turns of the lap are primarily high-speed corners, meaning the aerodynamic performance will also be key, as a lot of lap time can be won or lost in this section, especially in Qualifying.

“Downforce levels will be big this weekend as a result, as while the teams will want to be competitive on the straights, making sure their cars are balanced through the corners, particularly in the final sector, is key.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

The compound available for Spielberg is the Soft, as has been the case in previous years. Thermal degradation is the main challenge for tyres at the Red Bull Ring, especially on the rear axle. In last year’s Feature Race, graining also appeared between laps 8 and 12, which led to increased wear in the closing stages of the race. Drivers who did the best job of managing this phenomenon thus gained an advantage over their competitors. The warm-up phase is crucial, especially in high temperatures, because if drivers push too hard in the early stages, they may find themselves struggling in the final few laps.