Round 5 Post Qualifying Press Conference

FIA Formula 3: Hello and welcome to Barcelona where it’s time for our post-qualifying press conference with our top three finishers in Formula 3. In third place, we have Laurens van Hoepen of ART Grand Prix. In second, Nikola Tsolov for Campos Racing and on Pole Position once again in 2025, Rafael Câmara for TRIDENT. Rafael, first of all congratulations, that’s your fourth pole of the season. What a performance today, just how happy are you with that one? Rafael Câmara: Very happy, especially after Monaco where it was a difficult weekend, it was good to be back fighting already for pole position. We started the weekend well, already in Free Practice we had good pace. Now I think I am just looking forward to the race tomorrow which has been a weak point for me. Just focusing on scoring points and having a clean race.

FIA Formula 3: As you said, it comes after a tougher weekend than you might have hoped for in Monte Carlo last time out. How confident were you to bounce back right away here in Barcelona?

Câmara: I think that the pressure is always the same, just taking it race by race. Even if it wasn’t a good weekend, just keep learning new things. What was positive was to learn what the mistakes were from that race and then move on. Obviously, you think about what you could have done better but you shouldn’t spend too much time in this place otherwise you get a bit lost. I was quite relaxed for this weekend, already after FP it gave me some confidence for quali. It was a good one.

FIA Formula 3: We saw that there was a lot of traffic, and we heard you over the radio asking to make sure you waited for a clean track in your second stint, how difficult was the conditions out there? Câmara: I think traffic is a big thing here in Barcelona, in qualifying. I think everyone is slowing down in the last sector, so it is a bit of a mess. In the end I think the team did a very good job to place me, especially in Set 2 where it was my best lap. I basically was fully alone, and I was able to open the lap very cleanly. I think it was a very good job by the team and also myself I did a good job on Set 2. It was able to give me some margin to try a bit more on the last set. In this case, it was not very good, but happy with that. The car was quite nice to drive even if it was very hot, it was quite tricky to over push. Just very happy with this, I think it was an important one for the Championship. Now just focusing for the races.

FIA Formula 3: This is your fourth pole position in five rounds in 2025, what is clicking for you and the team on Fridays at the moment? Câmara: Yeah I think the team is doing a very good job. The way we prepared for the season, of course it helped us to start in a good way in Melbourne. We were able to understand how the car needs to be. Every time we keep trying to understand better and improve and the car is feeling good. From my side I am able to adapt quite quick and understand the limits in FP. I think, like this, you make it easier on yourself in Qualifying. You understand the balance more if you’re set up in a good way, and from there on you can build the weekend in a good way, and make it calmer for myself.

FIA Formula 3: Thanks, Rafa congratulations. Nikola, coming to you now. P2 right at the end there. A positive day for yourself and the team, how confident were you that you could get to that position?

Nikola Tsolov: It’s a good way to end it but I have to say we haven’t really been very strong in most of the laps until the end. Before the weekend I thought we were going to be really strong and then things obviously change, and we haven’t been finding what we need until the last set, where we did. I did something really different, and I am glad it worked out. Right now, we know what to focus on for the future because definitely Quali has been a weak point for us. Monaco was pole but it was a different track, it is a bit different to a normal one. So I am happy we have found what we need for the rest of the season.

FIA Formula 3: We saw you had your first laptime deleted for track limits. What does that do to your plan going into the next run both for yourself and the team? Does it change much or was it business as usual?

Tsolov: Business as usual. First set doesn’t really matter so much unless there is a Red Flag. I went off in my lap anyway. Went off in a bad place so it was a slow lap, so it didn’t change much for me.

FIA Formula 3: Another front row start for you and the last one worked out pretty well. Overtaking’s a little bit easier here than Monaco so how hopeful are you ahead of the rest of the weekend?

Tsolov: Although it might be a bit easier it is still on the difficult side to overtake here. I think race pace has been really strong for me all year. I just don’t think it is enough if Rafa does a good job. We will have to think of other ways to try and attack and see what we can pick up in the end. At the moment, the Championship fight is probably with him as Tim is a little further back. Let’s see what we can do.

FIA Formula 3: Thanks Nikola. Laurens, thanks for waiting. P3 for you and your best Qualifying result of the season so far. How happy are you to be back in the top three on a Friday after a tough start to 2025?

Laurens van Hoepen: Yeah it’s obviously been a very very difficult start, but we have just been working hard after every round, step by step to be coming closer and closer to Rafa most of the time. It’s going well, for sure we still have some way to go but at least it’s good to really see the improvement. It makes me happy to at least see some reward for the hard work that we have been putting in.

FIA Formula 3: It looked like a much more positive day for you and ART, just like it was in Monaco. Do you feel like the team have made a step forward in recent weeks?

Van Hoepen: For sure we did not fully understand everything about the car in the beginning of the year. We have just been analysing a lot and trying different things. I think so far it has been working and that car has been getting better and better each weekend. It is just a boost in morale that finally we are getting there and getting closer.

FIA Formula 3: Lots of points on offer for you going into Saturday and Sunday. How confident are you that this can be another huge boost to your season?

Van Hoepen: We have to focus on the races now to be able to do a good job there as well, but I am quite confident for that. I think race pace has been strong all year, it’s just Fridays that we have been struggling. I’m just excited to finally start from a better position and see what we can do from there.

FIA Formula 3: Thanks Laurens, well done all.