The Thai driver was one of the standout performers in the season opener with a remarkable performance in both practice and race sessions, finishing just shy of the podium on Saturday. Tsolov and Boya saw their chances compromised in qualifying due to red flags, though the Bulgarian managed to recover and score points
After months of preparation and hard work over the winter, the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season kicked off this past weekend at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit. The opening round brought several positive aspects for Campos Racing and its drivers but also left the feeling that there was potential for even more. Nevertheless, Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and Nikola Tsolov finished in the points, with the Thai driver scoring in both races and coming close to the podium. Meanwhile, Tsolov managed to score on Saturday thanks to an impressive recovery drive, while Mari Boya also fought back but narrowly missed out on the top ten.
Friday’s on-track action began with the morning free practice session, which saw Campos Racing’s trio deliver a strong performance, all finishing within the top six. Boya set a time of 1m34.908s to place third, just ahead of Tsolov, who recorded a lap of 1m34.962s. Inthraphuvasak rounded out the top six with a time of 1m35.219s. However, the lottery of the qualifying session worked against two of the team’s drivers. Both Bulgarian Tsolov and Spaniard Boya had their best flying laps aborted due to red flags, which would impact their entire weekend. Inthraphuvasak managed a 1m35.924s lap to qualify seventh. Tsolov was less fortunate, setting a 1m36.490s time to place 16th, while Boya ended up 23rd with a best effort of 1m37.426s.
In Saturday’s 20-lap sprint race, Inthraphuvasak was the center of attention at the start. Lining up sixth on the reversed grid, the Campos Racing driver made a lightning-fast getaway, briefly running in second before running wide in the third sector, which dropped him to fifth as they crossed the line for the first time. By then, both Tsolov and Boya had also gained positions. After a brief Virtual Safety Car period due to an incident, the race resumed at full speed on lap three. Inthraphuvasak, now fifth following Tim Tramnitz’s retirement, separated himself from the chasing pack as the top five pulled away from the rest of the field. On lap 15, he gained another position by overtaking Matías Zagazeta to move into fourth. Meanwhile, Tsolov’s charge through the field was relentless, as he passed Noel León, Noah Stromsted, and Callum Voisin to climb to eighth by lap 16. Boya also made an impressive recovery, reaching 13th despite starting even further back than Tsolov. However, just as he was closing in on the top ten, the safety car was deployed, and the race was not restarted, freezing the positions until the checkered flag.
Sunday’s feature race proved even more challenging due to rain, which forced drivers to complete three formation laps behind the safety car before the rolling start. With a thick spray of water reducing visibility, Tsolov’s race ended early due to a puncture leading to a collision with Voisin, leaving the Red Bull junior stranded in the run-off area. The safety car remained on track until lap six, at which point Inthraphuvasak began to pressure Charles Wurz. As the rain intensified, another car went off, prompting another safety car deployment before race control red-flagged the event after just 16 laps due to worsening track conditions. Inthraphuvasak finished seventh, while Boya climbed to 17th.
Inthraphuvasak leaves Melbourne sixth in the drivers’ standings with 13 points, while Campos Racing sits fourth in the teams’ championship with 16 points.
The second round of the championship will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 12-13.
Photos: © Dutch Photo Agency
