With 30 drivers in the field, Monaco is one of the toughest tracks for the junior series drivers to get a clean start on. The pole sitter, Nikola Tsolov, went into the race hoping to retain his position and gain another win in the 2025 Formula 3 season. Unfortunately, just 29 cars started the race after AIX Racing’s James Hedley withdrew due to an injury in yesterday’s Sprint.
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Clean Start
As the first race of the day got underway, the drivers approached Turn 1 with caution, many slipping and sliding across the damp surface. A few were forced to cut the corner to avoid contact in the tight pack of cars jostling for position. Despite a tense tussle between the drivers in P3 and P4, all 29 cars made it through unscathed, completing the opening lap of the 27-lap race. However, MP Motorsport’s Bruno Del Pino was unexpectedly forced to return to the pit lane. He rejoined the race several laps later, with the team keen to gather valuable data from every lap completed.
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Championship Points Gap Closes In
At the beginning of the race, championship leader Rafael Camara was pushing hard to get himself into the points. He sat in 11th at the beginning of the race, with one of his closest rivals – Nikola Tsolov – holding steady in P1.
Around the halfway mark, the field settled into a rhythm as a DRS train formed. This prevented many drivers from overtaking those in front and getting further up the field.
Track Limits
Many drivers seemed to be struggling to keep their cars on the track and cut corners every lap. Unfortunately, AIX Racing driver Brad Benavides became the first driver of the day to get a 10-second time penalty.
Personal Bests
Tsolov was the only driver constantly unlocking new fastest laps, lap after lap. He kept pushing the limits with every turn and pulled away from the field. His relentless pace saw him stretch his lead to eight seconds over Roman Bilinski in second place.
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Safety Car!
On lap 19, PREMA driver Noel León slammed into the barrier, triggering a Safety Car. The incident shook up the race and played perfectly into the hands of championship leader Rafael Camara, who jumped into the points as the field bunched up. It was a short safety car period, and Tsolov had to quickly ready himself for a restart.
After battling to keep his car under control during the earlier Safety Car period, Charlie Wurz came to a halt on track, unable to continue. Moments later, PREMA’s Brando Badoer was hit from behind, prompting the Safety Car to return to the circuit once again.
Tough Day for Trident
In a shocking twist, Rafael Camara tumbled down the order and was forced to pit after a wheel came off his car. With Charlie Wurz already out of the race and Noah Strømsted slipping out of the points, it turned into a disastrous outing for the Trident team in Monaco.
Victory for Tsolov
On the final lap of the race, Tsolov’s teammate Mari Boya was in a tight battle with Rodin driver Callum Voisin as they fought for the final podium position. Boya ultimately won out in the end, providing Campos Racing with a double podium. Bilinski finished the race in P2, securing another podium in his debut F3 season. However, for Nikola Tsolov, it was the perfect race, with a superb lights-to-flag win for the Bulgarian driver. He became the first driver to reach five wins in Formula 3 on the anniversary of his first win in the Monaco Sprint Race last year.
Featured Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool // Dutch Photo Agency
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