WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The keys to success in Barcelona and Round 5

28 May 2025

It’s the final leg of the triple-header and the drivers and teams will all be seeking to end it on a high note around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

A venue most will already be well versed with, the weekend will have plenty of action and items you’ll be wanting to pay close attention to.

Here are a few that could change the shape of the weekend and as we approach halfway in the 2025 season, the course of the Championship.

TYRE DEG

Degradation can make or break a driver's race so keeping the Pirelli tyres in the window is key

The circuit is renowned for how hard it works the tyres, and while the teams will have the hardest in the Pirelli range available to them, the while-walled Hard tyres will still be put to the test this weekend.

As will the drivers, who will need to manage things from the cockpit in order to both maximise stint length and maintain pace.

Those that can achieve both simultaneously will be handsomely rewarded, while those that burn through the best of the tyre early on in their race stints will likely face a long drive to the chequered flag.

Clean air is king then, as drivers out front will avoid overworking their Pirelli rubber in the dirty wake of the car ahead.

That makes Qualifying crucial, and as has been proven time and time again around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, your grid position really does mean a lot.

QUALIFYING IS KING

This weekend's Aramco Pole Position Award will be highly coveted

Since 2019, there have been six FIA F3 Feature Races around the Barcelona circuit and in each event, the winner has come from the front row.

First and second positions on the grid have shared honours evenly, with three coming from pole position, and three from the next-best position in P2.

But the dominance of the front row comes as no surprise with overtaking focused in two main areas of the track, both at the end of DRS zones into Turns 1 and 10.

If the lead driver can escape the one-second window to the car behind and avoid giving up a meaningful tow down the main start/finish and back straights, their job becomes a lot more straightforward in terms of keeping hold of the lead.

However, ensuring you’re on the front row is easier said than done, and we’ve seen many a driver come unstuck in the past having looked set to be competitive in Friday Qualifying.

TRACK POSITION

Track position will be vital in Qualifying as will choosing when to begin a final flying lap

The Friday Qualifying session is crucial then to the chances going into the rest of the weekend, especially in regard to Sunday’s Feature Race, when the points on offer are biggest.

A top 12 starting position is always the aim in F3, to remain in contention for points in both races, but with a view to the aforementioned statistic of a front row start being key to success, it’s paramount this weekend.

Nailing a clean lap becomes the focus and arguably the key to the weekend, and teams have shown through the years there are a variety of ways of achieving that.

Last season, provisional pole changed hands four times in the final seconds, but it was Christian Mansell that secured top spot. He was the last driver to begin their lap, theoretically seizing the best of the track conditions and timing his run to perfection.

Conversely, such was his speed in 2023 that Josep María Martí earned his maiden F3 pole position with a laptime completed ahead of the final minutes of the session.

He and Campos were so confident of their pace, they opted to go early and ensure they had a laptime on the board in case of any Yellow or Red Flags preventing him from setting a time.

So, do you wait for the best of the track? Or make sure you have a competitive time recorded early to be safe?