Round 5 Post Feature Race thoughts from the Top 3

FIA Formula 3: Rafael Câmara another race win for you, from Pole Position in Barcelona, how was the race for you today?

Rafael Câmara: A very good race, it went very smoothly. We had a good start, a clean one. After that I was just thinking about tyres the whole time, especially after what happened in Imola. I just wanted to make sure I had it all under control. Then good Safety Car restarts and we got the win so very happy with the result, and a big thanks to the team who fixed the car for today and made sure everything was perfect.

FIA Formula 3: We need to rewind to talk about the Sprint Race unfortunately a collision for you, what happened there?

Câmara: It was quite, in a way stupid from my side, but the thing was it was a bit unlucky because I didn’t have a good launch. I was looking to the sides and then once I looked in front it was too late. So then I had the contact.

FIA Formula 3: How important was it for you to rebound and get the win from Pole Position?

Câmara: Yeah I think this was a very important one for the Championship, so that is why I was very focused to getting everything right on my side, and making sure everything was perfect, especially after what happened yesterday. The Sprint Race has been a weak point, something I need to work on. Now just head down, I’ll keep working with the team and see where we can improve and be strong for the Red Bull Ring.

FIA Formula 3: It’s been a triple header, three weeks of non-stop racing. How would you rate those three weeks from your side? Câmara: I think it was very positive; we always had the speed. We were always fighting for good points. Like I said, the Sprint Race was not a good point but just one weekend where it was a bit off was in Monaco. In Qualifying there was a bit of traffic on my lap, so everything was more difficult in the races. That was a weekend where we could have had a bit more. For myself I don’t feel very tired after these three races. So it means the environment within the team is going very well. For me we could keep going because I am not very tired. It will be a boring month waiting for the next round. But it’s good that we can have a stop and have a look a bit more with the team at what we can improve.

FIA Formula 3: Thanks Rafa. Théophile Nael, P2 in today's race, your best result in F3, how was the race for you?

Nael: The race went really good. I had a good start and a really good Lap 1. Then I was staying close to van Hoepen before the Safety Car. The pace was quite good, I was managing the tyres and then after the Safety Car managed to make a really good move in T1 and then just try to push until the end. Thanks to the team, we did an amazing weekend, an amazing comeback. The past two weeks were difficult for me and for the team as well. So I think they can be happy with the result.

FIA Formula 3: Looking at today's race, we know it is a high tyre degradation track out there, how difficult was it to manage with the Safety Car restarts, trying to attack but also defend?

Nael: At the beginning I had a gap behind, so it was quite easy to manage and to follow the pace ahead, taking care of the fronts – for me that was the main issue the front tyres. So just to take care of it and then after the second Safety Car I had again some pace on the tyres and I could attack. It was good.

FIA Formula 3: Looking at today's result for you but also overall for your team, what learnings can you take from this great performance going into the rest of the season?

Naël: Well, the main point was the Qualifying. We all did a really good quali compared to the last rounds. So that was the main area to gain, and we worked on it. This weekend it paid off. But we have to analyse everything, what happened in quali, why it was good and try to put everything together for the second half of the season.

FIA Formula 3: Thank you, good job today. Alessandro Giusti, P3 for you today, your first podium finish in F3, how are you feeling right now?

Giusti: I feel good, first podium in F3. I think it was the first weekend where we put everything together in quali. I think other weekends we could have been close to the podium or on the podium, but in Barcelona we made a good weekend of it all, including the Sprint. So I am quite happy.

FIA Formula 3: How much work has gone into making this result possible today, because we saw flashes of good things at the start of the season but putting it all together has taken a little bit of time would you say?

Giusti: Yeah, honestly, I think it was quite hard to adapt to only having one push on each set. Doing too much on that set or over pushing a bit on the set but in Barcelona we didn’t over push. I think Monaco as well, but we had the Red Flag when I was purple so that wasn’t nice.

FIA Formula 3: How much of a confidence boost will this result give you going into the remainder of the season?

Giusti: Yeah, I think we needed a bit of confidence to do P6 and P3, so that’s 20 points in a weekend which is good for the Championship. I think the pace in the race is really good, we just need a bit more in Quali for Spielberg and I think we can fight on top.

FIA Formula 3: Well, done good job today.