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Quick contenders make Campos Racing’s 2024 lineup must-watch
They have accumulated a talented trio of drivers but what does 2024 hold for Campos Racing’s young chargers? Last season was a solid albeit ultimately disappointing year for the Spanish outfit, though that is very much down to their lofty expectations after such a positive start to the campaign.
At least equalling the six podiums they achieved last season would be a decent starting point, but Oliver Goethe, Mari Boya and Sebastián Montoya will no doubt be aiming higher.
Each have stood on the podium in their F3 careers so far, but with them all heading into their second full campaign, what can we expect from Campos and their crew this time around?
There were six points finishes in the opening three rounds from a possible 18 as all three got to grips with their teams and rivals in the first few races. While that scoring rate improved, the need to make speed count more often is a clear area for improvement.
While all three are clearly quick, the missing ingredient in 2023 was consistency. Always tough when the level of competition is as high as it is in Formula 3, the trio could have added to their four combined podiums from last season.
Goethe is the only one of the three with an F3 victory on record, but he will have expected to make more rostrum appearances with Trident last year. Granted, his final chance from Monza Feature Race pole was taken away by a pre-race technical issue, but he too was involved in too many incidents to really make his speed count for more.
A run of nine non-scoring races between the Melbourne Sprint and his victory in the Silverstone Feature prevented him from contending for a top five finish in 2023 in the Drivers’ Championship.
READ MORE: Goethe: ‘Inconsistency hampered 2023 title fight expectations with Trident’
Of his six points scoring results in 2023, just one of Goethe’s finishes was outside the top five. Yes, he would no doubt have liked more on his scorecard, the impressive results when he was contending for the top places points to strong race pace.
Once he secured his maiden F3 victory, Goethe recorded top five finishes for the rest of the season, albeit with three retirements in that time span. Keeping himself out of trouble and capitalising on his late-season performances last year should ensure a strong opening to the 2024 season with his new team.
After kicking off his F3 career with two points finishes in Sakhir, an early season podium in the Melbourne Sprint Race pointed to a competitive season in the offing, but things didn’t progress the way the Colombian envisioned.
Contact in the closing laps of the Monte Carlo Feature Race in his battle with Caio Collet ruined his race prior to post-race disqualification for an unrelated tyre infringement. In Spielberg, the Colombian had pulled off one of the moves of the season in his fight back to podium contention, but late race contact with Franco Colapinto left him down the order in 20th by the chequered flag.
Three points finishes followed in the remaining races as his form continued to fluctuate until the finale at Monza. He reflected after the season that he had perhaps been chasing performance outside of the ideal window which had cost him points finishes as he sought out bigger prizes.
The self-reflection already suggests that he’s refocused his energy on the areas he needs to improve for 2024, but he’s a driver that is well capable of more this time around.
For Boya, early season struggles dented his rookie campaign but by the end of 2023, he’d established himself as a regular contender inside the top 10. His first season in Formula 3 was capped off with a podium in the Monza Sprint Race after a hard-fought battle with then MP Motorsport teammate Colapinto.
The area of improvement that will have the biggest impact is arguably Fridays, where Boya struggled relative to his closest rivals in the Championship. The Spaniard should have made it inside the top 12 more regularly but did so just twice all season.
READ MORE: Campos Racing season review: On the up after title challenge With a full F3 campaign worth of experience now, Boya should be more than up to the task of taking a step forward in Qualifying sessions and putting himself into contention for both the Sprint and Feature Races.
All three drivers know where their strengths and weaknesses lie and after having an extended period to both reflect and prepare for the coming season, expect all of them to be up contending for podiums and race victories in 2024.