Théophile Naël converted pole position into a maiden FIA Formula 3 victory after a tense and incident-filled Feature Race. The French driver leading home Hiyu Yamakoshi and Ugo Ugochukwu following 25 laps of intense competition at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Campos Racing arrived on Sunday in a commanding position after locking out the front row in qualifying. While, Naël sat in front of teammate Ugochukwu on the grid. However, the race quickly developed into a strategic and fiercely contested affair, with multiple Virtual Safety Car interruptions preventing any driver from establishing a comfortable advantage.
Yamakoshi’s Lightning Start
When the lights went out, Naël made a strong getaway, but it was Yamakoshi who immediately grabbed the headlines. The Japanese driver launched superbly from the second row and challenged for the lead into Turn 1. Forced across the escape road during the battle, he nevertheless rejoined in second place ahead of Ugochukwu, immediately establishing himself as Nael’s closest challenger.
Further back, Freddie Slater wasted no time moving through the field. Starting tenth, the TRIDENT driver climbed to seventh on the second lap with an impressive move around the outside of Deligny at Turn 1 without the aid of DRS.
Early Drama and Safety Car Interruptions
The opening phase was disrupted by a series of incidents. As Christian Ho was forced into the pits with a puncture, while debris briefly brought out yellow flags. More punctures followed for David and Shin on Lap 3, leading to the first Virtual Safety Car period as marshals cleared damaged car parts from the track.
Racing resumed on Lap 4 with Bruno del Pino immediately applying pressure to Ugochukwu for third place. DRS was enabled, but Nael was unable to escape from Yamakoshi. The Japanese driver remaining firmly within one second of the race leader. By Lap 5, the leading five drivers, Nael, Yamakoshi, Ugochukwu, del Pino and Badoer, were covered by just 2.4 seconds, highlighting how closely matched the front-runners were.
While the leaders fought among themselves, Slater continued his remarkable progress. Having already climbed into the points, he moved ahead of Rivera for sixth place before later overtaking Brando Badoer into Turn 1 on Lap 10 to secure fifth position. However, the Briton’s race was complicated by a five-second time penalty, issued following an earlier investigation.
DAMS Teammates Collide
Another major incident occurred on Lap 7 when Nicola Lacorte and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi collided while battling each other at Turn 10. Both drivers braked extremely late into the corner, moved to the inside, and made contact. The clash left Lacorte stranded at the side of the circuit and brought out another Virtual Safety Car. The neutralisation once again prevented the leading group from breaking away, ensuring the battle for victory remained wide open.
Del Pino Takes the Podium Fight to Campos
After another brief Virtual Safety Car period for debris removal on Lap 11, attention returned to the fight at the front. Yamakoshi remained glued to Nael’s gearbox, while Ugochukwu and del Pino continued their private battle for third.
A crucial moment arrived on Lap 15. Exiting the final corner, Ugochukwu ran wide, opening the door for local favourite Bruno del Pino. The Spaniard seized the opportunity and swept into third position to the delight of the home crowd. Despite the overtake, del Pino could not escape from the pursuing pack. Ugochukwu remained within striking distance, while Slater and Badoer lurked close behind.
Ugochukwu Strikes Back
The battle for the final podium position swung back in Ugochukwu’s favour on Lap 20. The Campos driver produced a decisive move around the outside of Turn 1 to reclaim third place from del Pino and restore the team’s hopes of a double podium finish.
Behind them, Slater’s race began to unravel. A mistake exiting the final corner on Lap 21 allowed Badoer through, and one lap later Deligny also found a way past the TRIDENT driver. Meanwhile, Badoer continued his strong late-race charge by overtaking del Pino for fourth place at the start of the penultimate lap.
Naël Holds Firm for First Victory
Despite relentless pressure throughout the race, Naël never put a wheel wrong. Yamakoshi remained within DRS range for much of the contest but was unable to launch a decisive attack. The Campos driver managed the pressure expertly and crossed the line to secure his first FIA Formula 3 victory.
Yamakoshi completed an impressive afternoon in second place for VAR, while Ugochukwu recovered to finish third and complete the podium. Although Slater crossed the finish line in sixth position on the road, his five-second penalty dropped him to eighth in the final classification. Del Pino and Rivera were promoted as a result. As Kato and Gladysz rounded off the Top 10.
Nael’s breakthrough victory capped a memorable weekend for Campos Racing, while Yamakoshi’s relentless challenge and Ugochukwu’s drive ensured the Barcelona Feature Race delivered drama from lights out to the chequered flag.