After a spell in sportscar racing, Nicola Marinangeli returned to single-seater competition in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship with AIX Racing. Despite his relative success in GT machinery—including a podium finish in the 2024 International GT Open—the Italian driver has struggled to find form in F3. At the halfway mark of the season, he sits at the bottom of the championship standings with zero points, his best results a pair of 19th-place finishes in the Melbourne and Monte Carlo Sprint Races.
A disappointing debut in Melbourne
Marinangeli’s return to single-seaters began at the season opener in Melbourne, where he qualified a distant P27, nearly four seconds off pole-sitter Rafael Câmara. He managed to reach the chequered flag in the Sprint Race, finishing ahead of only Ivan Domingues. However, time penalties for Alessandro Giusti and Joshua Dufek elevated him to P19. The Feature Race brought little improvement; he finished P27, more than 25 seconds behind the winner and with only a few retirements behind him.
A sobering Sakhir round
Any optimism from Melbourne quickly faded in Sakhir. Marinangeli qualified 29th, outpacing only Santiago Ramos. His Sprint Race ended early with a puncture on Lap 2, making him the first of seven retirements. The Feature Race was marginally more promising. Starting from the back row, he climbed to P25, finishing ahead of four other drivers but again far from the points.
Qualifying woes continue in Imola
At Imola, Marinangeli’s difficulties in qualifying persisted. He started ahead of only Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, who lost his fastest lap due to a Red Flag incident. Marinangeli retired from the Sprint Race after losing a wheel and dragging his car through the gravel, prompting a Safety Car. The Feature Race was similarly short-lived, ending in retirement on Lap 6.
Monte Carlo offers a glimpse of hope
Monte Carlo provided brief optimism. Although he qualified poorly once more, he gained seven places in a chaotic Sprint Race to finish P21, later classified P19 after penalties were applied. This result equalled his season-best from Melbourne. In the Feature Race, he crossed the line P19 but received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision, demoting him to P21.
No improvement in Barcelona
The most recent round in Barcelona did little to change his trajectory. Marinangeli qualified P28 but recovered to finish P22 in the Sprint Race, later promoted to P21 following a penalty for Ugo Ugochukwu. In the Feature Race, he crossed the line in P24 and was classified P23 after a penalty was issued to Jesse Carrasquedo Jr. for a formation lap infringement.
Marinageli requires significant improvement to turn season around
At the midway point of the 2025 FIA F3 season, Nicola Marinangeli’s return to single-seaters with AIX Racing has proved challenging. Despite a strong background in sportscar racing, he has yet to score a point and remains rooted at the bottom of the standings. Plagued by poor qualifying results, early retirements, and an inability to break into the midfield, Marinangeli has shown only fleeting moments of promise. If he is to turn his season around, both performance and consistency must improve significantly in the second half of the championship.
