For the 2025 FIA F3 season, PREMA Racing lined up two rookies — Ugo Ugochukwu and Brando Badoer — alongside returning driver Noel León, who joined the team from Van Amersfoort Racing. Despite being a team with a dominant history in the series, this season proved disappointing for PREMA. After winning five Teams’ Championships in the past six years, ending their campaign 7th with 92 points was undeniably a major setback. Here’s a look back at their season.
Worst season in the team’s history
The opening half of the season proved especially challenging for all three drivers, who appeared to be noticeably off the pace compared to their rivals. Although León and Ugochukwu managed to score 10th-place finishes in the Sprint and Feature Race respectively in Melbourne, their early-season battles remained largely in the lower end of the points. Both drivers only returned to points once again during the Imola Sprint Race, with Ugochukwu taking 8th and León taking 9th.
For Badoer, the mid-season stretch was particularly difficult. Between Monaco and Silverstone, the Italian endured four retirements in eight races. Things gradually improved for PREMA after León’s podium in the Silverstone Feature Race. Following a season-long drought, Badoer finally scored his first points of the season in the Spa-Francorchamps Sprint Race, while Ugochukwu secured his maiden podium by finishing 2nd. Ugochukwu added another podium to their tally during the Hungarian Sprint Race, and León capped off the year with a 3rd-place finish in the Monza Feature Race. Meanwhile, Badoer would only go on two more points-scoring outings to end his year.
Weight-saving tactics
One of the biggest talking points of PREMA’s season was weight-saving. As McLaren juniors, both Badoer and Ugochukwu initially ran the iconic papaya-coloured livery on their cars. But as the season continued to unfold, Ugochukwu switched to an all-black carbon-fibre car, with Badoer following soon after. The change made it clear that the added weight from the livery had been costing them time and performance. Once the black liveries were introduced, both drivers and León were able to fight more consistently towards the front. This explained the team’s stronger closing to the season.
Overall consensus of their season
The team has produced some of motorsport’s biggest names — Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Ollie Bearman among them — all of whom progressed to Formula 1 after their time with PREMA. Over the years, the outfit has earned a reputation as one of the most successful teams in the junior ranks. Despite a difficult campaign, Team Principal Rene Rosin reflected on their season and said he was “happy” with their turnaround. With just four podiums to show for 2025, PREMA will be eager to bounce back stronger next year.
