Hello and welcome back to the scenic Styrian hills, where Formula 3 qualifying for Round 6 of the 2025 season has just concluded at the Red Bull Ring. After setting the pace in Practice earlier in the day, Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov carried that momentum into Qualifying and delivered under pressure to secure a superb pole position in Spielberg.
Campos Racing Set the Early Benchmark
As the session got underway under clear skies, it was Tsolov who laid down the early benchmark with a 1:21.282 – immediately reminding the field that his practice pace was no fluke. His teammate Mari Boya briefly made it a Campos 1–2, as the team appeared to have found a strong operating window with both cars comfortably atop the timesheets in the opening minutes.
Camara and PREMA Enter the Mix
However, the rest of the field quickly responded. PREMA’s Rafael Camara, slashed the gap to Tsolov down to just 0.172s and moved into second, with Ugo Ugochukwu following close behind in third. The pace was hot from the outset, with the top 14 drivers separated by just half a second – a testament to the competitiveness of the series and the short, fast nature of the Red Bull Ring layout.
Track Limits and Early Errors
Mistakes were inevitable under the pressure. Tuukka Taponen and ART’s Laurens van Hoepen both ran wide at Turn 1, collecting track limits warnings along the way. Still, the first runs were tidy enough across the board, and with the opportunity for multiple attempts, attention quickly turned to the pitlane as drivers returned for a fresh set of soft tyres.
Surprise Packages: MP and AIX On the Rise
One of the standout performances in the middle phase of qualifying came from Brad Benavides, who broke into the top ten for AIX Racing before leaping to a sensational P4. MP Motorsport also showed strong pace, with Alessandro Giusti going third at one stage behind teammate Tim Tramnitz, who was just 0.064s off provisional pole. MP, third in the teams’ championship, once again demonstrated consistency and pace with both drivers firmly in the mix.
Calm Before the Storm
With just over 10 minutes to go, the track fell quiet as the field prepared for one final push. The calm before the storm was briefly interrupted by a loose engine cover on James Wharton’s car, but the Australian managed to return to the pits in time to get it fixed and rejoin the fray.
Final Runs Deliver Late Drama
The final runs began with just over five minutes left, and the expectation was clear: lap times were about to tumble into the high 1:20s. Camara set the tone with a purple middle sector and crossed the line with a 1:21.011 – enough for provisional pole. But it wouldn’t last. Tsolov hit back immediately, reclaiming the top spot with a 1:20.927, and then found even more time with a blistering 1:20.743 to firmly stamp his authority on the session.
Benavides rose to second with an outstanding lap for AIX Racing, only 0.176s adrift of Tsolov, while TRIDENT’s Noah Stromsted delivered late improvements to slot into third. MP’s Bruno del Pino impressed with a strong final effort to take fourth, ahead of Thai racer Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak in fifth and Callum Voisin rounding out the top six.
Ugochukwu Spins at the Worst Moment
Drama struck in the last moments when Ugochukwu, who had gone purple in the middle sector, spun at Turn 10 just as he looked ready to challenge for pole. The incident triggered yellow flags and disrupted the laps of several drivers behind him – including Camara, who had to back off and ended up seventh despite his earlier pace.
Pole for Tsolov as Grid Shakes Up
In the end, it was Nikola Tsolov who triumphed, securing another pole position and continuing what has been a quietly consistent campaign for the Bulgarian in his third year of Formula 3.
Full Top 12 – Austrian GP F3 Qualifying
With a tightly packed field and overtaking opportunities aplenty at Spielberg, tomorrow’s Feature Race promises to be a classic. Can Tsolov convert pole into victory, or will Benavides, Stromsted, and the rest of the chasing pack have something to say about it? Don’t miss it.