PREVIEW: Round 4 and the iconic streets of Monte Carlo

The second round of the triple header sees the paddock take to the fabled streets of Monte Carlo for the fourth race weekend of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season.

Rafael Câmara and his TRIDENT team lead the way in both Championships, but Santiago Ramos and Van Amersfoort Racing go to Monaco in fine form after their Feature Race victory in Imola.

So, who will come out on top in Monaco?

WHAT TO EXPECT

Monte Carlo is a different weekend for so many reasons, but one of those is that the track action starts a day earlier than usual. The 45-minute Free Practice kicks off at 13:10 local time on Thursday afternoon.

The other difference is that Qualifying is split into two groups, with odd and even numbered drivers put into either Groups A or B.

The order in which they will run Qualifying will be determined by the draw held in the Drivers’ Briefing on Wednesday. Group A will head out on track on Friday morning at 11:05 local time, with Group B taking to the track at 11:29.

Onto Saturday and the Sprint Race is set for lights out at 10:45, a day before a 27-lap Feature Race on Sunday morning at 08:00 local time.

Who will come out on top in the Principality?

FAST FACTS

• Nikola Tsolov is the only driver on the grid to have won in Monte Carlo, winning the 2024 Sprint Race.

• Tsolov was joined in the top three by Laurens van Hoepen and Tim Tramnitz, and the trio of drivers are the only members of the 2025 grid to have been on the podium in Monaco.

• ART Grand Prix have also achieved four podium finishes in Monte Carlo, the most of any team.

• There is a 100% pole conversion rate in Monte Carlo, with Gabriele Minì having won the Feature Race from pole in 2023 and 2024. The Italian driver was also fastest in the Free Practice sessions on both weekends.

• Rafael Câmara not only leads the Drivers’ Championship but has also achieved Pole Position in each of the opening three rounds.

• 23 drivers have already scored points so far this season, the most after three rounds in Formula 3 history.

FROM THE GRID – Ugo Ugochukwu, PREMA Racing

“It’s definitely a very challenging track. I’ve never been there, so this is going to be my first time, but I am really looking forward to it, it’s such a special event. I have only competed at one street race circuit before and that was Macau, and I really enjoyed it.

“It is definitely the one race I am looking forward to this year and going there will be really special. The history behind it makes it special, as well as how tricky the circuit is to get right.

“You need to be so close to the walls in quali, to obviously get a good position for the race and from there the race is really long. You can’t make any mistakes and that’s probably the most challenging part.

“I think it’s probably one of the hardest tracks to overtake at. The hairpin is a possibility, it’s a little bit wider on entry, so maybe if everyone is bunching up, you can try a move there, but it’s really risky. If you are able to overtake in Monaco, you’ve done a really good job.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 3 Technical Director

“The Monte Carlo street circuit is one of the most demanding tracks the teams and drivers will face this season. The teams will be chasing maximum downforce as the drivers will want to increase the level of grip across the lap so that they can achieve the best lap time possible.

“Monaco also has several low speed corners, as well as one of the lowest average speeds on the 2025 calendar, so braking demands will not be high this weekend.

“Free Practice will be critical for the drivers as they will have 45-minutes to get used to the demands of Monte Carlo. But it is a street circuit that is scarcely used for racing, so the track will be quite green early on, and the drivers will not want to push too hard too soon as one misstep could see them end up in the barrier, putting them on the back foot for the rest of the weekend.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

The Soft is the compound chosen for Monaco. With this being the circuit with the lowest average speed of the season, the softest compound in the range experiences moderate degradation, as the forces exerted on the tyres are minimal. Last year, graining began to make itself felt after around eight laps, on both the front and rear axles, resulting in a drop in performance, although it remained manageable. As always in Monaco, qualifying plays a crucial role, even if overtaking in F3 is slightly easier than in F1 and F2, due to the cars being slightly smaller in size.