“I am really happy to get this opportunity,” said Nikita Bedrin after confirming his F3 seat with PHM AIX Racing in February 2024.
“Very last minute news and very unexpected, so a lot of hard work will have to be done. Big thanks to PHM and AIX for making it happen, I’m ready to give it my all.”
The decision by the German team to promote Bedrin to their F3 line-up came after the driver’s stellar performance in the 2024 F4 UAE Championship. Despite missing the final two rounds of the season, he placed 5th overall.
A shaky start to 2024
After nearly missing out on a chance to return to F3, the driver needed to prove his talent to maximise his opportunities for a continued career in motorsport. He did this in the first round of the season, placing an efficient P13 in the sprint race of the 2024 Bahrain F3 round. He was less successful in the feature race, however, finishing only 20th.
The sprint race in Melbourne was a bit shaky for him, as he placed 21st in the sprint race. However, he rallied on and found himself placing eighth in the feature race, earning the first few points of the team.
He then scored points in the sprint race of Imola after he squeezed his way into the top ten, placing ninth and earning two more points for the team. Unfortunately, he did not finish the feature race and was classified P30.
The rough midseason
He was again forced to retire from the Monaco sprint race due to difficulties with his car. This streak of bad luck continued the next day as he placed 24th in the feature race. He also faced an early retirement in Barcelona after a collision with Callum Voisin during the sprint race. This saw him handed a post-race grid penalty which he served in the feature race.
While the Russian driver enjoyed some better fortune in the sprint race, finishing P13 in the sprint, his weekend ended on a sour note after a collision on Lap 11 forced another retirement.
Bedrin then came 13th in the Sprint Race at Silverstone. However, he improved in the feature, finishing ninth to earn two more points for the team. This was a bit of a turning point for Bedrin who showed a glimpse of his potential after a streak of bad luck.
A special podium
In Hungary, Bedrin proved his worth by earning a front-row start for the Sprint race alongside Prema Racing’s Dino Beganovic. Despite starting P2, Bedrin claimed an early lead after getting past pole-sitter Beganovic in Turn 2. Bedrin remained in complete control of the race, and though Beganovic attempted to reclaim the lead in Lap 10, the Russian driver defended well.
He finished the race first, earning his maiden FIA F3 victory and even helped AIX Racing to its first 1-2 podium.
The driver went on to place seventh in the Feature Race in Hungary, being the only driver of AIX Racing to bring them points in five different races.
The rest of the season went with Bedrin placing 13th in the sprint and 20th in the feature at Spa-Francorchamps. He then, unfortunately, faced his last retirement of the season at Monza’s sprint after which he placed 13th in his final race in the FIA F3 2024 season.
The 19-year-old Russian driver finished the season at 19th position having earned 25 championship points.
Bedrin’s unknown future
Despite claiming his first F3 win, Bedrin’s season was less than impressive. Unfortunately, as he has yet to claim a seat for the 2025 season, his future in the sport remains up in the air. He will be hoping for a repeat of 2024 where he secured his seat only weeks before the start of the season.
