The first half of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 World Championship proved turbulent for AIX Racing, with three different drivers cycling through the Number 26 seat across the opening five rounds. Unfortunately, misfortune struck each of them, and none managed to secure a single point. The instability of the driver line-up and a streak of bad luck contributed to a challenging start to the season for the team.
Javier Sagrera
Javier Sagrera was the first to take the Number 26 seat after stepping up to FIA Formula 3 from a strong 2025 Eurocup-3 campaign with MP Motorsport.
Silver linings to a miserable Melbourne Round
His debut in Melbourne proved difficult. He qualified P20—several places ahead of teammate Nicola Marinangeli—but remained well off the pace of fellow teammate Nikita Bedrin, who secured P4.
His situation worsened in the Sprint Race, where a collision with MP Motorsport’s Bruno del Pino—his former Eurocup-3 teammate—forced him to retire on Lap 15. He did, however, enjoy better fortunes during Sunday’s Feature Race. Despite wet conditions, Sagrera made up five positions to finish P15. While it was not the points finish he had hoped for, it marked an encouraging moment in an otherwise disappointing weekend.
Bad luck bites in Bahrain
In Bahrain, Sagrera showed early improvement, qualifying P15 and demonstrating signs of adaptation. However, his race pace again failed to match his one-lap performance. During the Sprint Race, while battling for P14, he collided with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Théophile Naël and DAMS Lucas Oil’s Nicola Lacorte. The collision forced both rivals to retire, although Sagrera continued with damage and crossed the line in P12. Post-race, the Stewards handed him a 10-second penalty for causing the incident, which dropped him to P23.
His Feature Race performance also disappointed. Starting P15, he slipped back through the field to finish P22, later demoted to P24 after receiving a five-second penalty for track limits infringements.
An F3 stint marked by promise and adversity
Javier Sagrera’s time in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship was brief but eventful. His tenacity in Melbourne’s wet conditions and his resilience in Bahrain’s Sprint Race showed potential, but incidents and penalties consistently compromised his results. After only two rounds, Sagrera parted ways with AIX Racing. He left the series ranked P29 in the standings, having scored no points but gaining valuable experience in one of the sport’s most unforgiving junior categories.
James Hedley
James Hedley replaced Sagrera for the Imola round. The British driver had last appeared in F3 as a stand-in at the 2024 Monte Carlo round for Jenzer Motorsport, and spent the 2024 season racing in GB3 with VRD by Arden.
Into the deep end in Imola
Thrown into the deep end, Hedley struggled in Qualifying at Imola. He placed P23, once again ahead of Nicola Marinangeli but notably behind teammate and fellow returnee Brad Benavides, who qualified P14. He showed modest improvement in the Sprint Race, gaining places to finish P18—an encouraging sign on a highly competitive grid. However, Sunday’s Feature Race saw him drop back, crossing the line in P23.
Monaco misery
Hedley continued with AIX Racing for the Monte Carlo round, returning to the scene of his 2024 F3 debut. Qualifying again proved a challenge. He finished P15 in Group A, placing him at the back of the grid for both races. His weekend came to an early end when he became involved in a Lap 1 collision that resulted in the retirement of four other drivers. Hedley sustained a hand injury in the crash, which ruled him out of Sunday’s Feature Race and the subsequent round in Barcelona.
A miserable return for Hedley
James Hedley’s second stint in FIA Formula 3 has been plagued by bad luck and underperformance. His measured drive in Imola’s Sprint Race offered a glimmer of progress, but his campaign quickly derailed in Monaco. The first-lap collision and resulting injury forced him out of action for at least one round. He currently sits P32 in the championship with 0 points. Hedley is expected to return to the grid in Austria, where he will aim to revive his season and establish momentum.
José Garfias
In Hedley’s absence, AIX Racing turned to José Garfias for the Barcelona round. Garfias, who competes full-time in the 2025 Euroformula Open Championship with Team Motopark, received a last-minute call-up to fill the Number 26 seat.
A baptism of fire in Barcelona
The Mexican driver’s F3 debut proved challenging from the outset. He qualified P25 and was unable to make significant progress during the Sprint Race. After completing 19 laps, a wheel issue forced him into retirement, although he was classified P24. His weekend worsened in Sunday’s Feature Race, where he retired on Lap 3 after a collision with Rodin Motorsport’s Roman Bilinski.
A forgettable debut
Garfias left Barcelona without a points finish, and with two race retirements, his debut F3 weekend ended in disappointment. He currently sits P35 in the standings with 0 points and has not been confirmed for any future rounds.
A seat in flux
AIX Racing’s Number 26 seat has been the most unstable in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship to date. With three drivers sharing the seat over five rounds, the team has endured retirements, penalties, injuries, and mechanical failures without a single points finish.
Javier Sagrera brought moments of promise but struggled with consistency and discipline. James Hedley showed flashes of competitiveness but fell victim to misfortune in Monaco. José Garfias, drafted in under difficult circumstances, was unable to make an impact. As the season approaches its midpoint, AIX Racing will hope for greater stability and results from its drivers moving forward. The Number 26 seat remains a symbol of the team’s uphill battle—a narrative of potential undermined by a string of misfortunes.
