Tuukka Taponen will be one of the names to watch in the 2025 Formula 3 season. The young Finnish driver, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, joins the series after successful campaigns in lower series.
A stellar racing curriculum
Taponen has a very impressive karting curriculum. Most recently, he emerged victor of the 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Championship and concluded his rookie Formula Regional European Championship in P3 overall.
After joining the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2023, he also made his Formula 3 debut in the Belgian round, achieving a P14 as best finish in his first Sprint race.
Taponen set an incredibly high goal for his first Formula 3 full campaign, on the edge of a very impressive performance during the three days Barcelona testing. In fact, he told selected media including Pit Debrief that he believes himself to be capable of fighting for a title in the upcoming 2025 season:
“I think we have really similar expectations for the season. It’s clearly fighting for the championship straight away. So I would say finishing in the top five in the championship is the minimum target we want to achieve.”
“And after Barcelona test, there is no doubt that I can fight for a championship. So I think we have the same kind of target and same kind of target for the championships and races as well.”
A tough challenge awaits
The young talent also admitted that there will also be plenty of unknowns, considering the new tyre specifications and the newer tracks for him as well, paired with a packed season finale:
“It’s going to be tough as well with the new car. We are going to a bit unknown to Melbourne with the new compound of tyres. For sure it will be fun as well. And in the end, quite a hectic season.”
Though new to the series, Taponen believes that Ferrari’s help has been important in his mental and physical preparation for F3, as it was in his previous campaigns.
“They have been helping so far mainly on the things out of the track. So on a preparation for the race weekends, for example, physical and mental side training. And I think during this year, as well as hopefully next year, they will be helping me also more on the track side and giving me some advice that could help me to prepare more for the track side as well”
