On the second day of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 pre-season testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Nikola Tsolov of Campos Racing emerged as the standout performer.
FIA Formula 3 Pre-Season Testing – Day 2 Report
Nikoa Tsolov set the fastest time in the morning and afternoon sessions of F3 pre-season testing ahead of the 2025 season.
The Bulgarian driver demonstrated impressive consistency and speed, strengthening his position as a strong contender for the upcoming season.
Morning Session Highlights
The morning session commenced with over a third of the 30-car field heading out promptly, eager to maximise track time.
ART Grand Prix‘s Tuuka Taponen set the initial benchmark with a lap time of 1:28.879, leading his teammate James Wharton by 0.376 seconds.
Rodin Motorsport’s Sharp and Voisin followed closely, with Tsolov and AIX Racings’s newly announced driver Nicola Marinangeli also within a second of the early pace.
Trident’s strategic decision to delay their initial runs allowed them to capitalise on clearer track conditions.
Noah Stromsted made an immediate impact, posting a 1:27.714, propelling him to the top of the timesheets – 0.581 seconds ahead of his teammate Rafael Câmara.
As the session progressed, Taponen reclaimed the lead with a 1:26.838, narrowly edging out his teammate Laurens van Hoepen by 0.042 seconds.
However, it was Tsolov who dominated the morning.
With a blistering lap of 1:26.618, he secured the fastest time, demonstrating both his and Campos Racing’s effective adaptation to the new Dallara F3 2025 chassis.
A brief red flag interruption occurred when DAMS’ Lacorte stopped on track at Turn 8. However, the session resumed promptly, concluding with Tsolov leading Taponen and Stromsted.
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Afternoon session Highlights
Following a two-hour intermission, the afternoon session saw Tsolov continue his impressive form.
Early in the session, he led a Campos Racing 1-2-3, setting a time of 1:27.373, placing him ahead of teammates Tasanopol Inthraphuvasak and Mari Boya.
Tsolov further improved his time to 1:27.249, extending his lead over Inthraphuvasak.
Hitech´s Stenshorne disrupted the Campos stronghold by moving into third with a 1:27.569.
Later, Tramnitz (MP Motorsport) posted a 1:27.564, securing third place and relegating Stenshorne to fourth.
The session concluded without further changes at the top, with Tsolov maintaining his position, followed by Inthraphuvasak and Tramnitz.
Reflecting on the new chassis, the Bulgarian shared his insights:
“The car is so different to the old one, you can’t even compare it. Everything you can think of feels different.
“We were expecting the car to be a bit slower, but in the end, it’s faster than the old one, even though it’s heavier, which is a positive thing to see.” – Nicola Tsolov, Campos Racing.
Testing Results
Day two ✅
Here’s how we finished after six hours of running 👀👇#F3 #F3Testing pic.twitter.com/9haLaloW24
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) February 20, 2025
1. Nikola Tsolov (Campos Racing) – 1:26.618
2. Tuukka Taponen (ART Grand Prix) – 1:26.782
3. Noah Strømsted (TRIDENT) – 1:26.938
4. Laurens van Hoepen (ART Grand Prix) – 1:26.995
5. Mari Boya (Campos Racing) – 1:27.156
6. Louis Sharp (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:27.206
7. Roman Bilinski (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:27.210
8. Rafael Câmara (TRIDENT) – 1:27.249
9. Charlie Wurz (TRIDENT) – 1:27.370
10. Noel Léon (PREMA Racing) – 1:27.427
Key Takeaways from Day 2
Tsolov’s Performance: The Bulgarian driver’s ability to extract the best from his Campos Racing machine suggests strong pre-season preparation.
ART Grand Prix & Trident: Taponen, Van Hoepen and Strømsted proved that both teams remain highly competitive.
Rodin Motorsport’s Progress: Sharp and Bilinski showed promising speed, keeping up with the front-runners.
With one more day of testing to go, teams will continue fine-tuning their setups in preparation for the 2025 F3 season opener in Melbourne.
READ NEXT: F3 Pre-Season Testing: What to Expect on the Final Day
Main Photo
Credit: Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
