NAEL TAKES FIRST F3 WIN IN BARCELONA FEATURE RACE
Théophile Nael delivered a mature and composed performance to claim his first FIA Formula 3 victory in the Barcelona Feature Race, holding off constant pressure from behind in a tightly fought race full of strategy, incidents, and track limits battles.
Starting from pole position for Campos Racing, Nael made a clean getaway and immediately defended the lead into Turn 1. Early pressure came from Hiyu Yamakoshi, who briefly challenged for the top spot, but Nael held firm and maintained control of the race after the opening exchanges.
His Campos teammate Ugo Ugochukwu initially dropped a position off the line, falling behind Yamakoshi, but remained in the leading group. The early laps quickly became a tactical battle, with drivers managing tyre wear while staying within DRS range of each other.
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed early after debris was left on track following contact between Woohyun Shin and Yevan David, briefly neutralising the field. Racing resumed with Nael still leading, but Yamakoshi remained close, setting the fastest lap of the race at one stage and keeping the gap around half a second.
Further disruption followed when contact between DAMS Lucas Oil drivers Nicola Lacorte and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi caused another VSC period, removing Lacorte from the race and reshuffling the midfield.
As the race settled into a rhythm, Nael began to gradually extend his advantage. Despite early pressure, he found consistent pace and started to open the gap beyond one second, preventing Yamakoshi from activating DRS effectively in the closing stages.
Behind the leaders, Ugochukwu lost and regained positions in a tight fight for the podium, eventually coming under pressure from Bruno del Pino. The Spaniard briefly moved ahead, but Ugochukwu fought back later in the race to reclaim third place using DRS on the main straight.
Further back, multiple midfield battles defined the second half of the race, including strong recovery drives and late overtakes from drivers such as Freddie Slater and Brando Badoer, who both gained positions as others struggled with pace and track limits.
In the final laps, Nael remained calm at the front and controlled the gap, crossing the line to take his maiden F3 victory by just under a second ahead of Yamakoshi. The result was particularly significant as it came at the home race for Campos Racing, securing a strong team performance with a podium finish as well.
Ugochukwu completed the podium in third, followed by Badoer, Deligny, and Del Pino. Rivera, Slater, Kato, and Gladysz completed the points-paying positions.
The result tightens the championship battle, with Ugochukwu still leading the standings but Nael closing the gap to just six points after his breakthrough win. Campos Racing also strengthens its position at the top of the Teams’ Championship after another strong points haul.
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