Montmeló, no points in a ruined race
The FIA Formula 3 Championship went back in action on the hilly track of Montmeló, for the fifth round of the season and half-mark of the 2025 championship. In an extremely hardly fought qualifying session, the Trident Motorsport team confirmed the remarkable form of the team based in Ossona, which earned the fourth pole position in five races this season, achieving an absolute record in the series.
Rafael Câmara once again shone in qualifying and except for the Monte Carlo event, where he was slowed by a rival, the 19-year-old from Recife has never been rivaled in qualifying.
Noah Strømsted obtained a positive eighth time, showing progress from Monte Carlo. Charlie Wurz, followed by a run-off in the sand, damaged the flat bottom in his first push. The mistake left him in 11th position.
Due to the inversion of the first twelve qualifying positions on the grid of the Sprint Race, Strømsted and Câmara took the start from the fifth and twelfth row, respectively, in the grid of the shorter race of the weekend. When the traffic lights went out, Câmara hit an opponent who had stalled in the grid. In the impact, the Brazilian's car was seriously damaged, with Câmara unable to do anything else than retire.
The initial phase of the race saw a collective crash, of which Strømsted could take advantage, climbing to second position. The 17-year-old Dane then put on an intense and close fight with the race leader, setting also the fastest lap. Unfortunately, three laps from the checkered flag, Strømsted was forced to stop due to a technical problem.
Charlie Wurz rewarded the work of Trident Motorsport’s mechanics to the best. The Austrian, who started from the 18th position on the grid, climbed up the standings by finishing the Sprint Race 15th.
Trident Motorsport's drivers and technical staff will now analyze all data collected today in the usual preparation work for the Feature Race, scheduled for tomorrow at 8:30.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: "We did not collect points at the end of an anomalous race, in which Rafael Câmara rammed a rival who had stalled on the track and Noah Strømsted was blocked by a technical problem which we are investigating. Charlie Wurz's comeback is remarkable, but the position on the track too far back has prevented him aiming for points.”