PREVIEW: Monza brings the 2025 season to an end

It is the final round of what has been a special 2025 FIA Formula 3 campaign and while Rafael Câmara has already been crowned Champion, there is still a lot on the line at Monza.

One of those being the Teams’ Championship, with both TRIDENT and Campos Racing vying for the title, while each driver on the grid will want to end the season on a high.

So here is everything you need to know ahead of our return to action at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza…

WHAT TO EXPECT

The on-track action kicks off with the final Free Practice of the season at 09:35 local time on Friday morning before Qualifying later in the day.

As it was last year, the grid will be split into two parts, with the odd and even numbered drivers put into either Groups A or B.

The order in which they will run in Qualifying will be determined by the draw held in the Drivers’ Briefing on Wednesday. Group A is scheduled to head out on track at 15:00 local time, with Group B leaving the pitlane at 15:20.

Next up is the 18-lap Sprint Race which is set to get underway at 09:15 local time on Saturday morning.

Sunday will bring the competitive action in 2025 to a close with the last Feature Race of the season at 08:15 local time. So who will come out on top in the final weekend of the campaign?

FAST FACTS

• Rafael Câmara needs one more victory to take the record for the most wins in a Formula 3 season with five.

• Martinius Stenshorne needs one more fastest lap to overtake Dennis Hauger and Victor Martins (5) for the greatest number of fastest laps in Formula 3 history.

• The Teams’ Championship is set to go down to the wire in Monza, with TRIDENT currently leading Campos Racing by 19 points heading into the final round.

• TRIDENT have taken pole at five of Formula 3’s last six trips to Italy (Roman Stanek at Imola in 2022, Oliver Goethe at Monza in 2023, Santiago Ramos at Imola in 2024, Leonardo Fornaroli at Monza in 2024 and Rafael Câmara earlier this season in Imola).

• On Formula 3’s last three visits to Monza, the pole-sitter has not been able to convert their P1 start into a Feature Race victory.

FROM THE GRID – Brando Badoer, PREMA Racing

“Monza is a very high-speed track, it’s called the Temple of Speed for a reason. But it’s also very technical and because there are not a lot of corners, you have to get those corners right.

“There are a lot of very slow speed corners, so it’s important to maximise the braking and also to get a good exit. Then you also have the medium speed corners, like the Lesmos, Ascari and Parabolica.

“I think the best place to pull an overtake is T1. It’s a very strong braking zone after a long straight, where you can get a tow from the car ahead, so I think it’s the best place.

“This weekend is special as it’s my home race, so I can’t wait to drive there.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 3 Technical Director

“Monza is all about straight-line speed with over 80% of the lap spent at full throttle, so downforce requirements are much lower here than at any other circuit on the calendar. In addition to that, given the high speeds, fuel consumption will be quite high.

“The heaviest braking zone the drivers will face this week is at the Turn 1, although with three tight chicanes across the lap all at the end of long straights, brake wear is quite high.

“Looking at Qualifying, each driver will want a tow to aid their speeds down the straights, but the aim is to be close enough to get a little help but not too close as it could disturb them in the medium speed corners.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

For the final round of the season, drivers will have a choice of the Soft and the Medium carried over from the previous round in Budapest, at which Rafael Câmara clinched the title. As per the regulations, the harder compound may only be used during Free Practice. The track was resurfaced exactly one year ago and should have the same grip qualities as experienced back then. Therefore, degradation could be significant, providing a further challenge for those drivers who struggle to manage their tyres well, especially in the closing stages of the race.