As he steps into the newest chapter of his racing career, McLaren Driver Development programme member Brando Badoer is really proud to be partnered with the esteemed PREMA Racing for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 championship. Badoer joins PREMA after a fifth-place finish in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) and will partner with Noel León who joins the Italian team from Van Amersfoort Racing, and fellow McLaren Driver Development programme member Ugo Ugochukwu for the 2025 F3 season.
Badoer has a “good team on [his] shoulders” as he prepares for 2025 F3 championship
When responding to a question from Pit Debrief during a recent media event, Badoer noted PREMA’s “good history” in F3 and praised the very professional environment of the team.
“Yeah, I’m really proud. Hi, everyone. First of all, really proud to be a Prema driver. PREMA has a good history in the category. They work really well. They are very professional.”
With his team’s support behind him, Badoer believes that he is ready to take on the 2025 F3 championship and looks forward to starting his “new adventure” with the Italian team.
“So yeah, I have a good team on my shoulders and I feel [prepared] to go [to] Australia and start this new adventure with [the] PREMA team.”
Badoer proud to be a part of McLaren Driver Development Programme
The Italian driver also discussed his association with the McLaren Driver Development Programme, which he joined on a full-time basis in October 2024.
Badoer stated that he is “very happy and proud” to be a part of the “unique” programme, noting McLaren’s emphasis on developing the skills and talents of their junior drivers.
“Yeah, I’m very happy and proud to be part of the McLaren driver development programme. It’s a very unique programme. McLaren puts a lot of support on the development of their junior drivers.”
Badoer hopes to repay McLaren’s confidence and investment in him, and though he enters the 2025 F3 season as a rookie, he aims to maximise the opportunities presented to him and learn as much as possible from McLaren, PREMA, and F3.
“So I’m trying to maximise the opportunity with them to help me with all my growth as a driver. They put a lot of effort on this. So yeah, I’m trying to learn as much as I can, as much as I can from them.”
He added, “And I’ll try to keep working on this way and grow as a driver.”
2025 Formula Regional Middle East experience “positive” for Badoer’s driver development
Badoer has not restricted his preparation for the 2025 F3 season to testing or time in the simulator. Instead, he, like his teammate Ugochukwu, challenged himself in the 2025 Formula Regional Middle East Championship.
The Italian driver enjoyed a successful five rounds in the championship with PHM Racing, claiming a win in the second race of the second round at the Yas Marina Circuit. He also claimed three other podium finishes to finish fourth in the championship with 156 points. Ugochukwu, competing with R-ace GP finished third with 205 points.
While speaking with the media, including Pit Debrief, Ugochukwu described the experience as beneficial for keeping sharp. Though he noted “quite a big difference” between the car used in that championship and the F3 car, he stated that he believed that additional experience was “always good” for driver.
Badoer agreed with his teammate’s assessment, highlighting the importance of racing during lengthy off-seasons. While he too acknowledged the differences between the cars, he believes that the experience will positively contribute to his preparation for the 2025 F3 season opener in Melbourne.
“Yeah, I pretty much agree on what Ugo said. So the car is very different, but it’s a very high-level championship still. And I think it’s important to keep racing, and it will probably contribute to be ready in Australia. So it’s a positive thing.”
A “good relationship” between Badoer and Ugochukwu
Badoer also spoke about his relationship with Ugochukwu and how he expects their familiarity with each other to affect their relationship as teammates in the 2025 F3 season.
Though he acknowledges that he had Ugochukwu have a history of competing against each other, stretching back to their days in karting, Badoer insists that his approach to racing against Ugochukwu will remain the same.
“Me and Ugo have been racing together since karting, so we know each other pretty well. I think the approach stays the same.”
However, though he and Ugochukwu will remain rivals on track, as they have throughout their competitive careers, they will maintain the good relationship that they have developed, as they work together at PREMA and McLaren.
“We have a good relationship. We work in PREMA and in McLaren together. Of course, we are rivals on track, but yeah, we have a good relationship.”
