After a successful 2023 season in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA), Tim Tramnitz stepped up to F3 for 2024, racing with MP Motorsport. While speaking on his move up to F3, Tramnitz, who was also announced as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team, described the opportunity as “wonderful.” He recalled MP Motorsport’s history of success in various competitions and described his 2023 post-season tests with them as “a joy.”
“It’s wonderful to be able to step up to FIA Formula 3 with a team such as MP Motorsport.”
“They have won in every single-seater category that they have competed in, and I’m confident that their experience will contribute to being on the pace in FIA F3 straight out of the blocks. It was a joy to test the car at those three tracks, and I worked well with the team. So now let’s translate that to the races – I can’t wait to get started!”
A strong opener in Bahrain
The German driver’s excitement, it turned out, was well placed, as he enjoyed a strong opener to his F3 career. In the 2024 Sakhir F3 round, he qualified seventh, only 0.397 seconds off Prema Racing’s Dino Beganovic’s top time of 1:46.321. This earned him a start from P6 for the sprint race, under the reverse-grid conditions. Tramnitz performed brilliantly in his debut race, and despite fierce competition from his rivals, Tramnitz crossed the line fifth, taking his first six points of the season. He went on to claim his maiden podium just a day later. He finished the feature race third, despite starting seventh on the grid. The rookie driver left Bahrain with the first 21 points of his F3 career.
Unfortunately, the German driver would suffer a different fortune in the Melbourne round a few weeks later. He struggled in qualifying, managing only a P22 finish. Though he would compete fiercely in the weekend’s sprint and feature races, making up a few places in both, he could not score points. Instead, he finished the sprint race 12th and the feature race 15th. This was a disappointing weekend for the young driver who had had such an incredibly start to his 2024 season.
Podiums in Imola and Monte Carlo
Though Melbourne was almost certainly a disappointment, it was not long before the MP Motorsport driver returned to the podium. After qualifying tenth in Imola, Tramnitz secured a start from the second row for the sprint race. Tramnitz went on to have an impressive race, even competing for the lead at some points. In the end, though he could not get past Campos Racing’s Oliver Goethe, he earned himself a second podium finish. He crossed the line second to take nine points.
These points would be his only for the weekend. Despite his best efforts, he was not able to make up positions. he finished 11th, missing out on points by less than a second.
He would have a similar but better weekend in the 2024 Monte Carlo F3 round. After qualifying fifth in Group B, Tramnitz earned himself a start from P3 under the reverse grid conditions. Despite the narrow Monaco circuit, Tramnitz claimed second place from ART Grand Prix’s Laurens van Hoepen. Despite a red flag after a major collision on the opening lap, and a safety car restart after Kacper Sztuka retired, Tramnitz held on to his position. He finished second, claiming his third podium of the season. He went on to add another four points to his tally a day later, finishing eighth after a start from P10.
A rollercoaster of a midseason
Tramnitz’s podium in Monaco, would, unfortunately, be his last until the season finale in Monza. His midseason could best be described as a rollercoaster as though he claimed points in every round except Silverstone, he failed to reach the highs of another podium and regularly found himself outside of the points. Though not a disappointing performance, especially for someone with his limited experience in the series, it was a step down from the strong showing in those early races.
An impressive finale in Monza
However, the German driver returned to the impressive form he had enjoyed in the early rounds of the 2024 F3 season just in time for the season finale in Monza. After finishing Group B qualifying sixth, Tramnitz earned himself a start from pole position for the sprint race under the reverse grid positions. Despite fierce competition from the likes of Trident’s Santiago Ramos, his MP Motorsport teammate Alex Dunne, and Prema Racing’s Dino Beganovic, Tramnitz held on to the race lead. He crossed the line 0.911 seconds ahead of Ramos to claim his maiden F3 victory. This, arguably, was Tramnitz’s best performance of the season. Though he would manage only a P6 finish in the feature race, after a P12 start, Tramnitz’s weekend in Italy was a successful one.
After adding 18 points – 10 from the sprint and 8 from the feature – Tramnitz ended the 2024 F3 season ninth in the drivers’ championship with 81 points.
Tramnitz to continue in F3 for 2025
Despite the low points, Tramnitz’s debut season in F3 was ultimately impressive and successful. The German driver showed his skill and intelligence behind the wheel. He showed his ability to compete for the title and will have the chance to do so again in 2025.
In October 2024, MP Motorsport announced that Tramnitz would continue with them for a second F3 season. When speaking on the decision, MP Motorsport Team Principal Sander Dorsman, praised Tramnitz’s excellent rookie season and stated that they aimed to build on his impressive 2024 performance in 2025.
