The 2025 F3 season arrived at a pivotal juncture as the field tackled the penultimate round at the Hungaroring. With 13 drivers, including Campos Racing’s Mari Boya, still mathematically in the 2025 F3 title hunt, qualifying at the 2025 Hungarian GP carried immense weight. The narrow, technical Hungaroring circuit magnifies even the smallest mistake—making grid position vital in a championship renowned for tight margins and minimal overtaking opportunities.
Despite the pressure, however, Boya delivered one of the most compelling performances of Friday’s Qualifying session, securing a front row start after narrowly missing out on pole position by just 0.008 seconds to Rafael Câmara. In a high-pressure environment, Boya’s composed and confident demeanour stood out—both on and off the track—as he reflected on his performance, the season so far, and his mindset heading into the weekend.
Narrowly missing pole: “That sector was not ideal”
Boya’s final flying lap placed him second on the grid with a 1:32.518, only thousandths off Câmara’s pole time. It was an exceptional effort that nearly handed him a maiden pole position in F3. Despite missing the top spot by the slimmest of margins, the Spaniard remained philosophical in his assessment.
When asked if he had felt the time slipping away from him in the final stint of F3 Qualifying at the 2025 Hungarian GP during post-qualifying press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Boya replied, “Yeah, for sure.”
He continued, “That sector was not ideal. I knew where I lost [time] when I analyse data with the team and everything. But, yeah, I cannot be frustrated. I have had many bad Fridays this year and in my career. So, it’s a good place, not only for Sunday. I am 100% sure that Saturday will be a long race.”
Boya added, “I know how to race in this track. I have experience on the team as well. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to the races. I’m really confident and, for sure, happy about the day and proud of the job that can proceed.”
A qualifying breakthrough
Friday’s second-place result marked Boya’s best Qualifying performance of the 2025 campaign. After a series of challenging Fridays earlier in the season, his Hungaroring showing suggests a step forward in both pace and consistency—something he acknowledged has been a work in progress.
“Yeah, except maybe at Spa. The last weekends have been really good. At Spa, we know what happened. It was something outside the control of the team and outside my control on the last set of qualifying. We had a little issue. But, still, already in there, I was really feeling that all was possible. And, indeed, we came here, I did exactly the same job as in there and since set one, we were in the fight.”
“So, for sure, I am feeling [that I am] in one of my best moments of the year and maybe in my career. And just enjoying all the time on track. So, for sure, I would love to have some more races on the championship. But it is what it is. And just enjoying the time on track and enjoying all that is left of the championship – these two races and Monza, for sure.”
Not focused on the title
While many of his competitors remain entrenched in championship calculations, Boya has taken a different approach. With earlier misfortunes—often beyond his control—having dented his title hopes, the Spaniard says he has chosen to focus instead on enjoyment and execution.
“If I will focus on the championship, I will be frustrated, because we have had a lot of moments where the team and I were not in control and we lost a lot of points. So, as I say, I just will enjoy the races, I will enjoy all the time that I have and I think if we do the job that we think is right, I think it will be good. So, yes, I will just go and enjoy it.”
Race preparation at the Hungaroring: “We know what to expect”
The Hungaroring’s demanding layout poses a particular challenge on tyres. With high levels of degradation expected, especially on the medium compound, long-run management becomes just as crucial as outright pace. Boya, in response to a question from Pit Debrief, confirmed that tyre management and adaptability are front and centre in his preparations.
“Well, I knew before coming here that the races are really long. And especially with the medium [tyres], it will be a long race. So just feel the car, feel the tyres and lap by lap, we’ll see how it goes, everything, but we have a lot of data and we have been working. I think we know what to expect and to do on Sunday but if not, we are ready to adapt a bit to the situation.”
With a long Feature Race ahead and strategic flexibility expected to play a role, Boya’s readiness to react to unfolding conditions could be a key asset, especially with poor weather predicted on Sunday.
The strategy behind success
Campos Racing took a strategic gamble in F3 Qualifying at the 2025 Hungarian GP, opting to send their cars out at alternate phases of the session. The approach helped them avoid heavy traffic, particularly in the final sector, where slow-moving cars often disrupt tyre preparation. The strategy enabled Mari Boya to produce competitive lap times across all three runs, and he was quick to credit the team for executing it to near perfection.
“Yeah, I think the team did a really good strategy. We knew that we didn’t have the best place on the pit lane. We know how short this track is and how easy it is to be too slow in the last sector and not have the tyres ready to start the push.”
This awareness of the Hungaroring’s unique characteristics allowed Campos to maximise their performance early in each run. Boya highlighted the effectiveness of the first two segments, which laid the foundation for his front row start.
“So I think we aximized really well, set one and set two especially. And set three was also going all to plan, but yeah, well, a little error cost us maybe a little time [that] I would say that maybe could have put us on pole.”
A “really good job” by Campos Racing
Despite falling just 0.008 seconds short of pole, Boya expressed satisfaction with the overall result in F3 Qualifying at the 2025 Hungarian GP and the underlying strategy that delivered it. With overtaking notoriously difficult at the Hungaroring, starting in the top five remains the critical target.
“But still, in F3, qualifying in the top five is the most important thing and today, with the strategy we had, even if we didn’t need to go for the last set, we will be in P3. So the strategy was really good.”
Boya also reflected on the calm mindset he carried through the session—contrasting his experience with that of pole-sitter Rafael Câmara, who faced greater pressure to deliver late in the day.
“And quite different compared to Rafa [Câmara], I was pretty calm in the session. As already my both laps were quite good to be there. So I think Campos today did a really good job and they can be really proud.”
A confident mood for the weekend ahead
While Boya may not be the name most associated with the title favourites this year, his steady rise in performance and maturity in execution has made him one of the most compelling figures in the final phase of the season. With only two rounds left, and Monza looming as the finale, the Spaniard is positioning himself for a strong conclusion.
His front row start at the Hungaroring on Sunday—achieved in style and with grace—underscores a driver at peace with the ups and downs of a season that has required both patience and resilience. Whether or not the championship slips fully out of reach, Boya is determined to leave his mark on the final chapters of 2025.
