FIA Formula 3 Season Review – Time to return to Europe

23 December 2025

After two flyaway rounds to start the season, the paddock made its way back to Europe for Rounds 3 and 4, with the first stop being a trip to Imola.

Rafael Câmara continued his outstanding start to the season, although we started to see a few of his rivals emerge out of the shadows.

ROUND 3 – IMOLA

Câmara made it three Pole Positions to start the year with a run to the top spot on Friday in Imola.

He did not have it all his own way though, as the Brazilian was down in P14 ahead of his final lap and lost time in the first sector after an untidy run through the opening few corners.

But Câmara was outstanding for the rest of the lap and completed a 1:32.206 to take pole from Van Amersfoort Racing’s Santiago Ramos.

On to the Sprint Race, it was an all-MP Motorsport front row with Bruno del Pino ahead of Tim Tramnitz, while Campos Racing duo Mari Boya and Nikola Tsolov made up the second row.

Ramos was in brilliant form in Imola beating Stromsted and Câmara to victory in the Feature Race

Del Pino made a great start to stay, but Tramnitz took the lead heading into Turn 2 on Lap 3.

From then on, Tramnitz pulled away, while behind the battle for the podium places heated up, especially when Boya retired from P3.

Del Pino held on to take his first FIA F3 podium in second, while Tsolov held off Louis Sharp to take third.

STAT ATTACK: All the key numbers and records from the 2025 season

Sunday’s Feature Race saw Ramos make a tremendous start, rounding Câmara for P1 at Turn 2 to take the lead.

However, the TRIDENT driver took the place back at the start of Lap 4 at the same corner, although crucially, Ramos was staying with him.

Further behind and having made a slow start from third, Noah Stromsted was fighting his way through the field, overtaking Sharp and Tuukka Taponen to be back on the podium by Lap 10.

At the front, Ramos took P1 from Câmara on the run to Turn 2 on Lap 19 of 22. The Brazilian was struggling and also lost out to teammate Stromsted, leaving him in third across the line, with his VAR rival taking his second win of the season.

Tsolov became the second driver to take pole in 2025 with a great performance in Monte Carlo

ROUND 4 – MONTE CARLO

With the field split into two groups for Qualifying, the first set of 12 saw Campos drivers Tsolov and Boya go head-to-head for P1.

The Bulgarian completed a 1:24.882 to lead the way for Group A, with his teammate 0.127s behind. But was it enough for him to take pole, especially with Câmara in Group B?

The second group’s progress was however halted by a Red Flag with just over three minutes to go.

This proved vital, as the majority of the drivers got one more push lap, with Roman Bilinski completing a 1:25.332 to lead Group B ahead of his Rodin Motorsport teammate Callum Voisin.

It left Tsolov on pole for Sunday, and with Câmara fourth in Group B, it was a chance for his rivals to close in.

Their first chance came in the Saturday Sprint, but Alessandro Giusti made a slow start from pole, allowing Martinius Stenshorne to take the lead.

Tsolov converted pole into a Feature Race victory in Monte Carlo

The Frenchman was down to P4 by Turn 1 as Taponen and Laurens van Hoepen went up to second and third respectively.

There was plenty of battling for points positions, especially between Boya and Voisin for eighth. But out in front, Stenshorne was unbothered to take victory around the Principality, while Taponen and Van Hoepen making it a double podium for ART Grand Prix.

After ending up at the back of the field on Saturday, Tsolov was eager to make up for it on Sunday, and made a great start from pole ahead of Bilinski in the Feature Race.

By Lap 15, the Campos driver was over four seconds clear of the rest of the field, while Bilinski battled with Boya, Voisin and Tramnitz.

Tsolov would go on to achieve a record-breaking fifth win in F3. But it was a dramatic final few laps, with Câmara losing his rear right wheel and being forced to retire, while his TRIDENT teammate Charlie Wurz crashed into the barrier.

Tsolov had now moved up to third in the Standings, just behind Tramnitz. Câmara’s first non-score in the Feature Race meant he still held the lead, but he was only 13 points ahead going to Barcelona.