Round 9 Post Feature Race Thoughts of the Top 3

FIA Formula 3: Win in the Feature Race today at the Hungaroring from Pole Position and in difficult conditions in a hugely important race. How was it from the car?

Rafael Câmara: In the end, it was a perfect weekend. I scored many points, we as a team did a very good job this weekend, always there at the top, since FP. I am just very happy to close the Championship, also with how I managed the race. It was quite tough because Mari was always behind, so I had to make sure there were no mistakes. Now we can enjoy the moment, it was a very good season, we have been very consistent from the beginning, also a big thanks to the team to give me this chance to fight for the Championship and now we have done it, so we can enjoy a bit now.

FIA Formula 3: Can you take us through that final lap, what was going through your mind?

Câmara: Giacomo always told me to keep it safe, don’t make any mistakes and focus. I think they were more worried than me, I was just focusing on myself, doing everything from the beginning of the race to not make mistakes, just keeping it clean. When you are close, you know what is about to happen, you think about everything, all the hard work you did before, all the things you did to achieve this, and for sure you get a bit emotional, but super happy. It was a very tough weekend for me, already from quali it was stressful. Yesterday I had to keep it clean, it’s not easy when everyone is chasing you, like you cannot make any mistakes. For myself, I can be proud that I managed the weekend in a very good way and now we can relax.

FIA Formula 3: Massive congratulations. Mari Boya, P2 at the Hungaroring. It felt like a difficult race, you knew that you had to take the win to keep the title hopes alive. But are you still happy with the job you did today?

Mari Boya: For sure. As a driver I am never satisfied with P2, but it was a really good race. We had really good speed in all conditions, also in Qualifying that is also where we had to work a bit harder, but I wanted to win. I felt today we had a good chance, even in these conditions I felt it was possible to win. But maybe a Safety Car at the beginning when I felt I was slightly stronger than him with DRS it was possible. But after this when I was getting close to him, I was losing a lot of grip in the car, pressures were going super high, it was just being there, trying to see if he would make a mistake. He did a really good job and still happy with P2 but as a team we always try to go for everything and maybe today P2 was the maximum.

FIA Formula 3: P2 was the maximum today and it’s P2 also in the Drivers' Championship. Looking at how the season started and where you are now it feels like something has clicked. What are you looking for at the final round in Monza?

Boya: I will try to enjoy it. If I look on the Championship, the only thing I will get is frustrated, because at the beginning of the season it was crazy the amount of things that happened to us, completely outside of the control of the team and myself. But this is racing, and maybe we could have changed some things to improve, we learned, but still the best thing I can say is we ended the Championship with a really good dynamic, I feel like I am in the best moment of my career. The only thing I can say is I would love this Championship to last longer, I feel super strong. I feel happy with the team and myself but it’s like this. I will try to enjoy the last race for sure in F3, and let’s see.

FIA Formula 3: Thank you. Tuukka Taponen, P3 today at the Hungaroring. Your first Feature Race podium, that must feel quite nice?

Tuukka Taponen: Yeah, it feels nice. We had been struggling a bit all year but we have been a couple of times very close with fourth place on Sunday. Finally, we were able to get that third place, which is very good. I am really happy with what the team has done to get this. We have improved all year but still I am here to win and I want to improve and we need to work a bit harder for Monza to try to fight for the win properly and not for the podium only. This is the first step and the next step is to win.

FIA Formula 3: It felt like a lonely race for you, did it feel that way in the car?

Taponen: Yeah, it was quite lonely. Before the last six laps, I asked my engineer how many laps remaining because it started to feel like the cars behind were a bit quicker than me. They were much quicker than me, but I managed to hold the third place, but it was not easy in the end.

FIA Formula 3: You are from the Ferrari Driver Academy as is Rafael Câmara. Do you have a word on this year’s FIA Formula 3 Champion because you might know him better than we do?

Taponen: I want to congratulate him. He has done a good job. They have been strong since the first race this year, they have been doing a good job. When you win a Championship, you have been the best, so for sure he has done a good job, together with the team.