AIX Racing’s Brad Benavides claimed his second pole position of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season in Qualifying at the Italian GP. The American was delighted with the result, admitting it was just as unexpected as his first Aramco Pole Award back in Round 8 at Spa.
“Yes, I was definitely over the moon, unexpected this time, unlike, well, pretty much like all the other qualifying sessions that I’ve ever done well this season so far. But yeah, it’s the last dance, right, of the championship. So definitely glad and humbled to be able to do it again here for that reason.“
His Qualifying lap
Speaking to the media, including Pit Debrief, after Qualifying, Brad Benavides reflected on the unexpected nature of his second pole position of the season. He compared it to his Spa heroics earlier in the year, where he started the session down in P22 before pulling off a shock pole.
At Monza, the American admitted his opening laps hadn’t been strong, but it all came together on his final attempt.
“So the reason why I reiterate that it was unexpected is because so Spa was coming from like P22 in the moment, you know, that I went up to pole. For example, Austria, something similar occurred. And then here, obviously, I’m not fully aware of where I was in the standings before I went up to pole. But my engineer didn’t sound too happy, you know, when he was relaying me all the information and data.
“So I could guess I wasn’t doing too well. And all of a sudden, you know, one last Hail Mary on that last third push, and then it was pole. So that’s why I say it was unexpected. But definitely as a end result, we could say that, you know, out of the last seven rounds, I’ve been on the front row three times now, counting for this one. So yeah, I guess it’s not that unexpected anymore.“
On the way to his first F3 Feature Race victory
Back in Round 8 at Spa, when Benavides secured his maiden pole position, he never had the chance to capitalise on it. Torrential rain left drivers aquaplaning and with almost no visibility during the safety car laps, forcing the Feature Race to be red-flagged and ultimately cancelled.
This time, for the F3 Italian GP, the outlook for Benavides after Qualifying is far more promising. With no rain in the forecast for Sunday, Benavides is determined to finally make the most of his front-row start.
“Yeah, it’s funny enough, my engineers, my engineer and my TVA would say, well, I think there’s a 0% chance of rain, by the way, guys, if you didn’t notice. I think for Sunday, yeah, chances are it won’t be raining, at least so far in the [forecast]. So definitely excited for that.“
Comparision between the old specs and new
Back at Monza a year ago, the 2025 Formula 3 car was unveiled. The latest generation not only introduced a new design but also integrated safety systems and performance features that closely mirror those found in Formula 2 and Formula 1 machinery.
When asked to compare the current car to the one he raced in his first stint in Formula 3 back in 2022, Benavides explained that the difference is not as dramatic as some might expect. According to him, the most noticeable change is the higher profile of the new car, but in terms of outright pace, he doesn’t feel a major difference.
“That was 2022, 2025. So you did the maths, I guess, it’s been three years. The difference between previous generation and the current one, mainly, I think, is just this higher profile. This one is higher. I think, honestly, that’s, at least on my end, that’s the only difference that I feel. Because in terms of lap time, it’s pretty similar. We’re still doing the same lap times around here. Pole last year was 38.2, and now it was 1. So it was pretty much the same lap times. Not very different, honestly.“
The cars also run on Aramco’s advanced fuel, which was developed to be complaint with the FIA’s 100% sustainable fuel standard in 2025.
“I think I was aware of that. I think it’s a good testament to the advancement of sustainability. So, on that end, it’s good news. And on the other end, the car now looks really nice, right? I mean, it’s an upgrade in terms of looks, literally, as well, so that’s good.“
Will Benavides be able to claim the Feature Race victory?
Recent history at the F3 Italian GP has shown that the Qualifying pole position is no guarantee of victory in Formula 3. In fact, over the last three years, no driver starting from P1 has managed to convert it into a Feature Race win. Despite this statistic, Benavides remains confident in his approach. He has faith in the work he is putting in, and if that translates into a Feature Race victory, he admits he would be “beyond grateful and blessed” with the result.
“Well, come Sunday, I guess, I’ll cross that bridge when it comes. It would be obviously nice to break that kind of record. But then again, I never really regard much those kind of things. I have unshakeable faith in what I’m doing. And, yeah, I just always do my best, truly. And then if that is converted into a win, I would be beyond grateful and blessed. So that’s pretty much it.“
Did splitting the drivers into Group A and Group B make a difference?
As Benavides competed in Group B of the F3 Italian GP Qualifying session, questions were raised about whether running second offered an advantage in terms of track knowledge and expectations. Ugo Ugochukwu had set the pace in Group A with a provisional pole time, but once Group B completed their laps, Benavides eclipsed his benchmark. As a result, Ugochukwu was pushed down to P2, while Benavides secured pole.
While Group A opted to wait before heading out, Group B took a different approach, with most drivers immediately seizing the opportunity to get on track.
“Well, unfortunately, and funny enough, I didn’t get a good lap on my first push. And then second push had an abort, I made a mistake in the second sector. I really left it all on the line there on that last lap. So I guess it would have been important to put in a good lap as a banker, but I didn’t. I was lucky enough to really be able to seal the deal.“
Contrast between the two
This contrast in strategy proved telling. Many in Group A managed only a single flying lap, with several unable to fully capitalise. By comparison, the Group B runners had more time to build rhythm and prepare, giving them multiple chances to deliver a crucial qualifying lap.
“And in terms of if it was an advantage to be in Group B versus Group A, I guess those kind of nuanced insights is always impossible to, I guess, unpack. Do you know what I mean? Because perhaps people got nervous from seeing that nobody got more than one lap in the first group. And that’s why they went earlier on the second group. But literally, all I’d have to say is that because they got nervous. And so that’s why they went earlier. So I guess adding to that, perhaps there was an advantage as there was three push rather than one.
“And in my case, my particular case, if I only had one, then yeah, I wouldn’t have been on pole. So if there is an advantage there along the lines, then that’d be it.“
Alternate strategies providing the pole position for Benavides in the F3 Italian GP Qualifying session
With the group split introduced due to Monza’s short track length, the question arose as to whether the outcome would have been different had all 30 drivers been on track together. Ultimately, it would have been a gamble for most to set a clean flying lap, with traffic playing a major role and the limited time in Qualifying adding further pressure. Benavides acknowledged this factor, noting that much of the session came down to managing that very gamble.
“I definitely don’t have a degree on quali sessions engineering. But what I could say from a driver point of view is that having one group would be nice on paper, at least for Ugo’s position. I mean, he did the best that he could and that wasn’t for the pole. So perhaps if we were all together, the result might have been different. But two quali groups, it definitely does alleviate and remedy the traffic side of things. So I guess it’s just part of the casino, like they say. It’s part of the amuse.“
