Round 7 Post-Feature Race Press Conference

FIA Formula 3: Welcome everyone to today's FIA Formula 3 Press Conference following the Feature Race here in Budapest. Joining us in P3 from Rodin Motorsport, it's Brando Badoer. In second place from Campos Racing, it's Ugo Ugochukwu, and from TRIDENT, capturing his first win of the season, it's Freddie Slater. Freddie, congratulations. Your first win in F3, how does that one feel?

Freddie Slater: Yeah, that one's special, you know, it's been coming for a while. I think we just haven't quite had that race pace to just maximise the result and we put ourselves in quite difficult situations. And then today we controlled the race really well. We maximised the safety car restarts, but also the VSCs, was very on it with the deltas and everything. We managed to put a win in at the end. Was a tricky race with degradation and marbles and loads of different factors. And also the Tarmac here is changing every run. So it was a tricky race, but a really enjoyable one.

FIA Formula 3: Yeah, you mentioned the Safety Car there. The final Safety Car, you were able to pull out a second lead, break the DRS for a few laps. Was that the winning move for you today?

Slater: I think it was going to be controlled no matter what. It was just, do you want to take the pressure early on or do you want to wait to the end? Like it's just a bit of a different strategy, I guess I tried. I guess it worked at that point, but then you still have to think there were still five, six laps to go. And that's the crucial part of the race with the degradation. So I knew that those last five laps were the most tricky part of the race up until that point they were coming. So I just knew I had to manage in a certain way and we did the job.

FIA Formula 3: With that victory, you take over the lead in the Drivers' Championship standings. What's it going to take to win this?

Slater: It's going to just take execution. I think it's been clear, just no mistakes and finishing where you can and having good qualifying, just doing the 98% laps and 99% laps and getting a lap on the board and then fighting in the races. You know, it's very chaotic in the sprint race, especially. Now it's a good way to go into the summer break. It's perfect. Now we have a bit of a relaxation time, nice time with the family, and then we get back to it.

FIA Formula 3: Congratulations on the victory. Ugo, coming to you, P6 to P2 is a great drive out there. You had some incredible passes. Take me through your race.

Ugo Ugochukwu: Yeah, it was a good race for us. Starting P6 to P2 is still good points. Yeah, start was fairly clean. I managed to do a good move in P2, in T2, which made my race. From there, it was pretty difficult to make the move for the lead. I think we had decent pace, but it's really difficult to overtake on this track when everyone settles in. We saw that yesterday as well. I was the only one doing some action. I think overall we're pretty happy with this. We know where we have to improve in that race to maybe be able to attack. But still, I think we've come away from this weekend having some nice points.

FIA Formula 3: It feels like a Championship. It is really going to come down to the final few races, for sure. From your side, what will it take to win it?

Ugochukwu: Yeah, I think consistency is going to be important. You know, Fred's been doing that quite well, always putting himself in a good position. So yeah, a few unlucky runs. I have to say Spa we have a kind of compromised the weekend quite a bit. Some issues on Sunday as well there. So this weekend has been good to get back onto, the good scoring positions. But you know, of course, we always want more. So we're going be pushing for more wins in the last few rounds.

FIA Formula 3: Well, congrats on the P2, great drive. P3, Brando, fourth podium of the season. Can you take me through your race?

Brando Badoer: Yeah, it was a pretty calm race, I would say. Good first lap. Initially went to P3, then dropped to P4, but got the podium back during the race. Then lots of interruption with VSC and Safety Cars, but managed the restarts pretty well. I tried to stay as close as possible to the two guys in front. It wasn't really possible to get by, so I just brought it home. I would say happy with the weekend, over 20 points, so that's what we need to do from now to the end of the season.

FIA Formula 3: Coming off that final safety car, was there anything left in the tyre to make a final push up to Ugo and Freddie?

Badoer: I mean, I got something left, but these guys had the same, so we were in a quite similar pace. Then in the last laps, I started to struggle slightly more. And yeah, as I said before, it wasn't really possible to make the move. So yeah.

FIA Formula 3: Congratulations on the P3.