Closing out the double-header, Formula 3 took to the unforgiving streets of the Principality for the 2025 Monaco GP F3 weekend.
Under the lights of glitz, glamour and drama, two drivers shone throughout the weekend. Martinus Stenshorne took the top step on Saturday, claiming his first victory of the season after an early lunge. The following day, Nikola Tsolov grabbed a second consecutive Feature Race victory in a dominant outing around the 2.078-mile long circuit. While celebrations erupted on one side of the paddock, disappointment pained the Trident camp, with Rafael Cámara struggling.
The Chronicle Headlines
- Nikola Tsolov dominated the 2025 Monaco GP F3 weekend – The Bulgarian secured pole position on Friday with a 1:24.882. A disappointing retirement on Saturday saw Tsolov hungry for redemption; he led every lap before crossing the line with the fastest lap to secure victory on Sunday.
- Rafael Câmara hangs onto championship lead – Leaving the crown jewel with only four points, Câmara holds onto the championship lead by 13 points.
- Campos Racing secures strong weekend result – A win from Tsolov and a podium from Mari Boya on Sunday grabbed 46 crucial points in the team standings. Campos Racing sits behind Trident by 38 points in the constructors’ championship.
Free Practice – Tsolov Sets the Benchmark
Practice for the 2025 Monaco GP F3 weekend took place on Thursday, with Nikola Tsolov setting a statement with the quickest time of 1:25.662. Behind him, Tim Tramnitz’s MP Motorsport car slotted in with a 1:25.841, with Charlie Wurz rounding out the session.
Championship leader Câmara kept close to the top of the pack, rounding out the session in fourth.
The session was briefly red-flagged after Noah Stromsyed hit the barrier at Sainte Dévote. When the session resumed, the cars took to the track for the closing ten minutes with a variety of drivers topping the timing sheets before Tsolov’s time.
Qualifying – Tsolov Triumphs and Secures Pole Position
The 31-driver field was split into two groups with 15 drivers in each for qualifying. Just like Saturday, the Bulgarian was in a league of his own, as he seized pole position for Sunday’s feature race. During the opening flying laps, Tsolov quickly set a provisional pole before quickening his time, which would remain undefeated. Câmara was unable to add a fourth pole position of the season to his name, settling for eighth.
A red flag was brought out around the Sainte Dévote barrier after Brando Badoer had a big shunt. The session later resumed after the debris was cleared, and Roman Bilinski in Group B claimed the fastest lap of 1:25.332. However, the time wasn’t enough to dethrone Tsolov. Alessandro Giusti claimed 12th position and took reserve pole position with Martinus Stenshorne behind him.
Sprint – Martinius Stenshorne Lunges to Victory
Stenshorne claimed his first victory of the session on Saturday with a quick reaction from the Hitech TGR driver catching Giusti off-guard. Stenshorne remained at the top of the pecking order, building a steady gap of two seconds to Tukka Tapponen. The reverse pole-sitter, Giusti, left Saturday disappointed after a slow reaction dropped him down to fourth, finishing just ahead of teammate Tramnitz.
The race wasn’t without drama, with Callum Voisin’s car running over the top of Noel Leon’s PREMA car, causing irreparable damage. The incident caused a domino effect behind, with Lacorte getting tapped on the rear by Santiago Ramos, spinning the Alpine Academy driver out of the race.
One of the major storylines from the race involved Sunday’s pole-sitter, Tsolov, who retreated to the pits after engine issues and retired from the race.
Post-Race Penalities
Race control handed out several penalties following the Sprint race. The stewards deemed Lacorte responsible for the lap-one incident with Santiago Ramos and issued him a 10-second penalty. However, since he failed to finish the race, they converted it into a five-place grid drop for the next event.
Officials also penalised Del Pino for a false start. Although footage confirmed he gained no significant advantage, they still gave him a five-second time penalty.
Lastly, the stewards penalised Tsanapol for positioning his car outside the box during the first-lap Safety Car. They initially handed him a ten-second penalty, later increasing it to 30 seconds.It dropped the Campos driver from 18th to 23rd.
James Hedley also announced post-race that he would be withdrawing from the remainder of the Monaco race weekend. This was consequently due to sustaining a hand injury after his collision with Domingues. He will serve his five-second penalty for being out of his grid box at the start of the next race.
Feature Race – Tsolov Back on Top
After retiring from Saturday’s Sprint Race, Tsolov was out hunting for redemption. As a result, the Bulgarian cruised to a dominant victory around the crown jewel, leading all 27 laps and claiming the fastest lap. Behind him to round out the podium, Bilinski crossed the line in second with Boya just behind him.
Cámara looked to bounce back after a difficult weekend; however, he was unable to salvage a result in Monaco after losing his rear right wheel. His teammate, Wurz, hadn’t fared much better; he sustained a puncture and front-wing damage, which put him out of the race near the end of the race.
Leon was another driver unable to find a positive in the Principality. After his early race checkout on Saturday, Leon found the wall at Portier and retired from the race on lap 18.
Championship Picture
Despite having a tough weekend, Câmara remains at the top of the championship table by 13 points. Behind him is Tramnitz, who kept a quiet but secured 16 crucial points to close the gap to the Brazilian.
A stellar weekend from Tsolov gives the Bulgarian a boost in the standings, placing him third, trailing behind the leader by just 16 points. In the teams standings, Trident remains in the lead with a comfortable gap of 38 points. But Campos Racing chipped away at the gap after securing 46 points to Trident’s nine. Can the Spanish-based outfit bring the gap down further at their home turf at the end of the month?
The fight for the championship continues with the fifth round of the F3 season taking place in Barcelona on the 27-29 of June.
Image credits: Red Bull Content Pool