In a comeback that at times reached epic proportions, the Thai and Bulgarian drivers finished first and second in Sunday’s race, securing the Teams’ Championship for Campos Racing. Boya also contributed with a ninth place after a fantastic recovery drive. Tsolov finishes as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Boya, who ends up third. Inthraphuvasak concluded the season in seventh place
A better script for the season finale of the FIA Formula 3 Teams’ title fight could hardly have been dreamed of. It had to be decided in the very last race of the year, at a historic venue such as Monza, after a nail-biting showdown in which a 16-point deficit was overturned on Sunday thanks to the flawless work of the entire team – from engineers to mechanics and, of course, a driver line-up of the highest calibre. Three names to be written in capital letters: Nikola Tsolov, member of the Red Bull Junior Team; Mari Boya, part of the Aston Martin Academy; and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, the Thai talent who has been one of the big revelations of the season.
In any case, the efforts of all of them materialised in Campos Racing’s first ever FIA Formula 3 Teams’ crown, a season that will immediately go down in the history books of the Alzira-based squad.
On Friday, during free practice, Tsolov led Campos Racing’s charge by setting the second fastest lap with a 1m38.601s. Inthraphuvasak and Boya followed in seventh and eighth place respectively, with best laps of 1m38.921s and 1m39.004s. Later in the afternoon came the two qualifying sessions, split into even and odd-numbered groups, as in Monaco, to avoid “trains” of cars chasing slipstreams. Although this objective was only partially achieved, Inthraphuvasak tackled Group A qualifying with justified optimism, and indeed the Thai was in the pole position fight from the outset. Ultimately, the drivers had barely one flying lap to set their times, with Inthraphuvasak stopping the clock at 1m38.626s, a mere 13 thousandths off Ugo Ugochukwu. Afterwards it was the turn of Group B, with Tsolov and Boya. Despite losing one of his laps, the “Bulgarian Lion” set a 1m38.467s lap that secured him third place in the group, while Boya could not improve on his 1m38.638s effort. With both sessions combined, Inthraphuvasak and Tsolov lined up fourth and fifth, while Boya had to settle for 17th.
Saturday’s 18-lap race was the first opportunity to close the gap to Trident in the Teams’ standings. With the top twelve on the grid reversed, Tsolov and Inthraphuvasak started eighth and ninth. As is customary in Monza, the opening lap was chaotic. Inthraphuvasak was hit from behind at Ascari and went off track, losing ten places. The Safety Car, deployed at the end of the first lap, had Tsolov running eighth while Boya had climbed to 13th. On lap five the race resumed, with a charging Boya immediately overtaking Charlie Wurz. The Spaniard’s comeback was relentless, and shortly after he also passed Tukka Taponen and teammate Tsolov down the main straight. When the Safety Car reappeared on lap 15, following an incident involving Wurz and Brando Badoer, Boya was already seventh and Tsolov ninth. Inthraphuvasak, after the opening lap incident, was 16th. With only one lap remaining when green flags flew again, Boya overtook Alessandro Giusti at Ascari to snatch sixth. Tsolov tried to copy his teammate at Parabolica, but the Frenchman shut the door at the last instant, causing the Bulgarian to spin just before the finish line. Boya, in sixth, was the only Campos driver to score points. Inthraphuvasak came home 12th and Tsolov 22nd.
Everything would be decided on Sunday in the 22-lap feature race. All odds were against them. But the three drivers of the Alzira-based team were about to turn it around. The start was once again eventful, with Wurz eliminated in the opening metres, which brought out the Safety Car. Inthraphuvasak and Tsolov, biding their time, completed these early stages in third and fifth. On lap three, racing resumed and Tsolov overtook Noel León, who was between the two Campos cars, to move into fourth. The race was interrupted again on lap five, when another car went off in Ascari and got stuck in the gravel. Another restart followed, in which both Tsolov and León passed Inthraphuvasak before Ugochukwu, running second, lost control at Ascari and also ended up in the gravel trap, prompting yet another Safety Car. On lap 11, the Safety Car returned to the pits, and Tsolov went on the attack, taking the lead from Benavides, although the American fought back to reclaim first. Behind them, the excitement grew as Inthraphuvasak overtook León for third. By then, just past the halfway point, Boya was already knocking on the door of the points. Benavides managed to hold off Tsolov, which allowed Inthraphuvasak to overtake the Bulgarian at Ascari. But the best was yet to come. With five laps to go, both Inthraphuvasak and Tsolov simultaneously overtook Benavides. With minimal gaps, the two Campos drivers maintained the one-two all the way to the chequered flag. For Inthraphuvasak, it was his third victory of the season, but the first in a feature race. Boya, with another superb performance considering his starting position, crossed the line in ninth. The title feat had been achieved.
After ten race weekends and nineteen races, Campos Racing sealed the Teams’ Championship with 314 points, 11 ahead of Trident. In the Drivers’ Championship, runner-up honours went to Tsolov thanks to his 124 points, against Boya’s 116. Inthraphuvasak made a huge leap with his win and closed the year seventh with 74 points.
The current season ends, but preparations for 2026 are already underway. The first tests are scheduled at Jerez on October 7-8, followed by Barcelona on October 15-16, and Imola to close the programme on October 21-22.
Nikola Tsolov (Campos Racing driver in FIA Formula 3): “Yeah, overall it was a solid weekend and obviously fantastic for the team to secure the Constructors’ title, which was exactly what we were aiming for. On a personal level, finishing second in the Drivers’ Championship was also amazing. It wasn’t easy – free practice and qualifying went well, but in the sprint race we had some issues. We analysed everything carefully, solved it, and on Sunday we delivered a mega performance as a team, taking the win. I was absolutely over the moon about it. I’m really happy to close the season in this way and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Mari Boya (Campos Racing driver in FIA Formula 3): “It was a great way to end the year and I’m really happy for the whole team. Closing this chapter in Formula 3 was very special and I knew how important it was to win the championship. Beyond the title, I take with me the fact that it has been an amazing season, full of emotions, and I’m really looking forward to whatever the future may bring.”
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (Campos Racing driver in FIA Formula 3): “The perfect way to end the season for the team and myself. Coming out on top after such a chaotic last race of the season. I want to say a massive thanks to everyone at Campos Racing for their continued efforts through the season. Super happy to be a part of the team’s first F3 title. See you all next year!”
