Rafael Câmara reflects on back-to-back poles at the Bahrain GP

Ferrari Driver Academy driver Rafael Câmara continued to turn heads with another standout performance in Formula 3 Qualifying during the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Brazilian secured his second consecutive pole position of the 2025 season, further cementing his status as a championship contender.

Post-qualifying, Câmara spoke to the media, including Pit Debrief, about his tyre strategy, pressure management, and approach to today’s Feature Race.

A confident start for Câmara

Rafa Câmara was pleased with his weekend leading into qualifying. The Brazilian driver managed to top qualifying and the only practice session around Bahrain, continuing Trident’s solid form in 2025. Câmara acknowledged the strength of his final lap and praised the team’s brilliant execution.

“I think it was a good lap in the end. We went for the strategy to only use two new tyres. It was quite tricky, especially in the last lap you just need to close the lap. But I’m quite happy. In FP everything went very smoothly so it was a good way to start the weekend.”

The Trident Driver furthered this point with praise for his team who managed to make his good session better. Sending him out at the right times to ensure he had a clear, green track to set the pace.

“In Qualifying, the team did an amazing job to keep it nice and clean for me. I always had clean laps, never traffic so that was a really positive thing. Now just looking forward to the races.”

Managing the Bahrain heat

Trident and Câmara remained calm and unfazed throughout Friday, anticipating a higher rate of tyre degradation. In turn, this causes the F3 drivers to heavily manage their tyres in the heat.

“Not really. We were expecting that, it was something already in the plan. We knew that it was going to be tight anyway. So, for me, I think everything was quite calm.”

With Formula 3 racing in the afternoon over the weekend, the temperature on the track and in the cockpit will be soaring. The Ferrari-backed driver admitted the weekend would be physically demanding for everyone.

“Yeah, it will be quite tricky, especially racing at 1pm, so it will be the toughest part of the day. It’s the same for everyone, so for the moment, I’m okay. Let’s see how it will be tomorrow.”

Speaking to Pit Debrief after qualifying, he added, “Yes, I think for the races it will be quite tricky with the tyres, but especially where it’s going to be very hot, even more than the test. I know the test was already tough, so I think this is a big topic, but I think we managed to do quite well, so I don’t really know what to do. I think with the track limits, it wasn’t a big issue for me until now, so I’m not worried about that.”

Consistency is key for Câmara

When asked about his strategy over the weekend, Câmara emphasised the importance of consistency. Leading the championship, the Brazilian believes that being consistent is the key to winning this championship.

“Yeah, I think that’s more the midfield, it’s a bit more tricky. But I think, as always, you just want to maximise what you can do in that race and bring some points home, even if it’s not a lot. But the one that you can always take a bit, of course, will count a lot at the end of the championship.”

Consistency has proved crucial in Formula 3, with last year’s champion Leonardo Fornaroli securing the championship without a single race win in 2024.

“Just try to maximise and keep it clean, not like Melbourne. But, yes, I just want to make sure that I’m still on track and grab some points for the championship.”

How Trident are handling the teammate battle

Câmara also addressed the strength of his team, Trident, and the potential challenge of competing against teammates later in the season. Noah Strømsted finished second to the Ferrari driver in Australia, and with a car as strong as Trident a teammate battle will inevitably arise.

“I think it’s always the same. Of course, you just have the respect for the other competitors. So the way you’re battling with the others is the same as always.”

“I think it’s true that we have a good package. I think we started the right way, but it doesn’t mean that we can relax now. There’s still a lot of work to do, and we just need to keep pushing how we start this season to prepare everything we have done before the season. For sure, everyone in the paddock is working very hard. So we keep our heads down and keep working.”

Handling the pressure at the front

Câmara has had experience starting at the front of the field. The wet race in Melbourne served as a way to calm the nerves of the former FRECA Champion. In turn, Câmara believes that despite the pressure that comes with pole position, he will remain level-headed.

“Yeah, I think the approach we have is always the same. I mean, not always the same, but just making sure that everything is clean.”

“Sometimes you’re never going to win always, so even if you’re finishing P2 or P3 for a long championship like this, you just want to have the points home and then be consistent. That is what can help you to win the championship.”

“I think it’s good. It gives some confidence until now that we’ve been doing a good job. But I think how we prepare for the race is always the same mentality.”