Dufek ‘leaving no stone unturned’ after switch to Hitech TGR for 2025

With fresh surroundings for 2025 and a full campaign under his belt, Joshua Dufek is already excited to kick this year’s Formula 3 season off in Melbourne as he joins Hitech TGR.

Following on from last year’s experiences, Dufek has already been focused on making improvements from his 2024 season and adjusting to his new team.

“It feels good to finally have it confirmed, it’s a really good feeling,” he said reflecting on his signing and prospects for 2025. “After the test I did with the team, it’s given me a lot of confidence for next year just with the way I’ve been able to work with them.

“I’m really excited, the team has been amazing, so I’m really excited for next season to get underway.”

Reflecting further on the post-season tests last year he carried out with Hitech, Dufek says that the experience was a hugely valuable one ahead of the 2025 season getting underway properly.

Having the chance to sample how the team sets up the car and operates was an important step in his adaptation to the British outfit, and one he says has filled him with confidence over the decision to move across.

“The tests were good. It was quite different compared to the AIX car I drove, just in the way it felt. Every team sets their cars up differently, so the way the car reacted to my inputs was very different to the way the AIX car did.

“So there was some adjustment to that, to be back on my side and how I liked it again. But I did get used to it and it was really good. I was able to show that and was right there at the front and it just gave me more experience and confidence for next season.

“I felt at home straight away working with the engineers and mechanics. That was such a nice feeling to have because that’s something you don’t always get right from the get-go.

“It makes everything more fluid and the process from point A to point B is much quicker as well. So that was a hugely positive experience.”

Attention now switches to preparations away from the track ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona. The Hitech driver is now focusing on his own mental and physical training before he gets behind the wheel of the new F3 car.

Dufek says that he has a list of items he’ll be going over in more detail ahead of the test and Round 1, aiming to hit the ground running with his new team in 2025.

A crucial element will be simulator work undertaken before sampling the real thing, as teams and drivers look to get their heads around the next generation of car as quickly as possible.

“So from now until the test, it’s just going to be as much prep as possible off track. I’ll be using the sim mostly, then going through some more things in preparation for next year, going back over races from last season and trying to take what I can from those to be as prepared as possible for 2025.

“There’s not much you can do on track-wise, but I feel that the sim is where I can make the most difference in preparation for next year. That’s what I’m going to try and do. I’ve already been quite a few times to the UK and the Hitech sim, but I’m going to go as much as possible to make the most of that.

“Otherwise, it’s about training and making sure I’m fit for next year and keeping my weight down. I’m implementing some cognitive stuff with my trainer also, just to see what we can do on that side.

“There are a lot of things that are actually overlooked that can really make a difference as well. So while it’s racing, it’s a sport where every detail matters, so it will be really important to leave no stone unturned.”

With the season fast approaching, the expectations and excitement levels continue to rise and that’s the same for the drivers.

Eager to put into practice the lessons he learned last year, Dufek is expecting to be able to show a marked step forward in performance, and along with the Hitech team, the feeling is good as to what 2025 holds.

“Last year was very frustrating, but it gave me a lot of good experience and I’ve been able to learn plenty, so hopefully that can give me a good edge for this year.

“Hitech have shown last year and beyond that they’ve consistently delivered a very good car. I felt that in the test as well, it was always competitive and right at the top or around about at the top.

“So from the car and team side, I only have positive feelings. I think they did an excellent job and I’m already excited for the season ahead.”