The Feature Race, which closed out the ninth weekend of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, held on the twisty Hungaroring circuit, crowned Rafael Câmara as the new champion of the category. The Brazilian secured the drivers' title for Trident Motorsport, closing the season one round from the end. In addition to Câmara's victory, the team can also celebrate Charlie Wurz's fourth-place finish and a strong performance from Noah Strømsted.
Rain, which fell before the start, forced race officials to order a rolling start. Having secured pole position, Rafael Câmara immediately took the lead as soon as the lights went out. With a daring drive on the still-damp and slippery track, the 20-year-old Brazilian quickly pulled away from his rivals.
Not even the two safety car interventions, prompted by two incidents, fazed Câmara, who once again demonstrated his composure and determination in managing the race. Perfectly at ease on the Hungaroring track, the Ferrari Driver Academy driver also attempted to set the fastest lap. He narrowly missed the target by a matter of thousandths of a second right at the end.
With four wins and five pole positions, Rafael Câmara has demonstrated throughout the season that he is both quick on a single lap and effective in managing the various phases of a race. The FIA Formula 3 Championship title is therefore a well-deserved achievement for the Brazilian driver.
Rafael Câmara's magnificent performance, however, did not overshadow the excellent performance of Charlie Wurz. Starting from sixth on the grid, the Austrian was able to handle every situation. The Trident Motorsport driver fought until the very end to reach the podium, but had to settle for a positive fourth place.
Charged to work his way up from thirteenth on the starting grid, Noah Strømsted attempted to make his way through the field by exploiting the challenging track conditions. The seventeen-year-old Dane managed to climb to ninth, but the progressive consumption of his wet tires on the drying asphalt caused him to slip to twelfth place.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is now taking a break. The single-seater engines will rev up for the grand finale in Monza in September, with Trident Motorsport aiming to complete a positive season by also clinching the Teams' title.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: “We are very pleased to have won the FIA Formula 3 Championship Drivers' title with Rafael Câmara for the third consecutive year. It was a season in which we faced extremely well-prepared rivals, a factor that adds further value to our achievement. It's very difficult to win such a competitive championship, and repeating it is even more so. Today, I can finally thank the team for their excellent work and Rafael Câmara, a driver of unquestionable talent who has a brilliant career ahead of him. Charlie Wurz's fourth-place finish in today’s race was a positive result too, while Noah Strømsted engaged in several close calls that cost him time. Our goal now is to focus on the Team's title. We currently lead the standings, and everything will be decided in the final round of the season in Monza.”