R01 Melbourne – FIA Formula 3 Race 1 Report – PREMA Racing takes points finish after challenging qualifying

PREMA Racing came out of the opening race of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season with a points finish in Melbourne. Coming from a tough qualifying session, the team’s three drivers worked to maximize their positions despite two lengthy safety car situations and the small opportunities for passing.

Noel León eventually posted a top-ten finish, up nine from his grid position. The Mexican was solid all day, managing the most gains. Ugo Ugochukwu took off from fifth place but slipped back due to a troubled start and did not find his way back into the points. He ended up close to his teammate in P11. Having the toughest position at the start, Brando Badoer climbed up to P19 in a challenging maiden F3 race for him.
P8 tomorrow and our pace is really strong, so hopefully we can make some points back.”

#1 BRANDO BADOER
“Not an easy race overall. I made some places up from last, but it was quite a chaotic one. We still have something to adjust before the next one so let’s see what we can do for tomorrow.”

#2 NOEL LEON
“It was a positive sprint race. We finished in the points, the first of the season. It is not ideal, but with the qualy we had, we should be happy about the progress we made to P10. Let’s see what happens tomorrow when we have more laps in the race and more chances to make our position better.”

#3 UGO UGOCHUKWU
“We started in P5 for the sprint race, but a poor start put us a bit on a back foot. We had a lot of battling and safety cars, and just missed out on points. I’m starting from P8 tomorrow and our pace is really strong, so hopefully we can make some points back.”