F3 | Qualifying | Australian GP | Câmara claims maiden F3 Pole - Motorsport

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Ferrari Academy talent Rafael Câmara secured his first F3 pole position during a disrupted Qualifying session at the Albert Park circuit, setting the stage for an exciting Australian GP.

The Brazilian driver, who had already shown strong pace by topping the earlier Free Practice session, claimed pole with an impressive lap time of 1:34.999s. Trident secured a front-row lockout with Strømsted finishing just 0.129s behind in second place, while Théophile Nael completed the top three for Van Amersfoort Racing.

Green light

The 30-minute session featured multiple interruptions as drivers adapted to the challenging Albert Park layout. Roman Bilinski initially set the early benchmark with a 1:36.125s before Strømsted briefly took command. Nikita Bedrin, a late addition to the grid who only learned of his participation a week before the event, temporarily held provisional pole for AIX Racing with a 1:35.873s lap.

Nael then moved to the top spot with a 1:35.566s before Câmara delivered his stunning lap, going over half a second quicker to secure pole position. Strømsted matched the Brazilian through the first sector but couldn’t maintain the pace through the remainder of the lap.

Two red flags

The session saw two red flag periods that significantly impacted qualifying. Prema’s Brando Badoer lost control on the astroturf at Turn 1, spinning into the barriers with just over five minutes remaining.

Badoer into the barrier! Red flag 💥https://t.co/xAX6ElVdTD #F3 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/VT0oofNriS
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) March 14, 2025

After a brief restart, Christian Ho’s stranded DAMS Lucas Oil car brought out another red flag, prompting officials to end the session prematurely.

Nael faced a serious setback during the brief restart when his team left a cooler attached to his car as he attempted to return to the pits. Despite this mishap, he maintained his third-place position.

The final Australian GP F3 Qualifying order behind the top three saw Bedrin in fourth, followed by MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz, the highest-ranked returning driver from 2024, in fifth. Charlie Wurz secured sixth for Trident, while Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and Ugo Ugochukwu took seventh and eighth respectively. Martinius Stenshorne and Bilinski completed the top ten.

Santiago Ramos will start from pole position in Saturday’s Sprint Race after qualifying 12th, in accordance with F3’s reverse-grid format.

The 2025 season introduces larger 16-inch Pirelli tires, designed to help drivers develop tire management skills applicable to future Formula 2 and Formula 1 careers. With 13 returning drivers and several rookies making their debuts, the stage is set for an intriguing opening weekend in Melbourne.