2025 F3 Post-Season Test | Barcelona | Ugochukwu dominates morning, Gladysz leads afternoon

The first day of the 2025 FIA F3 Championship post-season testing in Barcelona unfolded with intense competition, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead. Ugo Ugochukwu, fresh off strong performances in the first round of post-season testing in Jerez, dominated the morning session and finished strongly in the afternoon. However, the competition was fierce, with several other drivers showing great potential.

Morning session: Giusti sets the early benchmark but Ugochukwu dominates

The morning session kicked off with Alessandro Giusti of MP Motorsport setting an early benchmark time of 1:29.135, leading the pack ahead of Tuukka Taponen and Mattia Colnaghi. However, the field soon saw significant improvements.

After a brief red flag due to Michael Shin’s car stopping on track, Ugochukwu quickly surged to the top of the timesheets with a 1:28.490, which was six-tenths quicker than anyone else at that stage. He continued to lower his time as the session progressed, ultimately posting a blistering 1:28.322 with just under 45 minutes remaining. This time would remain unbeaten for the rest of the session, as Ugochukwu finished comfortably ahead of his teammates.

Théophile Nael, Ugochukwu’s Campos Racing teammate, moved into second place, just 0.170 seconds behind. PREMA Racing’s Louis Sharp also made notable improvements, ending the session in third with a 1:28.709. Rodin Motorsport’s Christian Ho and Brando Badoer were close behind, securing fourth and fifth positions, respectively. As the session ended, Ugochukwu’s pace was the standout, showing his potential for the season ahead.

Morning Session Standings

1. Ugo Ugochukwu (Campos Racing) – 1:28.322
2. Théophile Nael (Campos Racing) – 1:28.492
3. Louis Sharp (PREMA Racing) – 1:28.709
4. Christian Ho (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:28.746
5. Brando Badoer (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:28.784
6. Pedro Clerot (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:28.792
7. James Wharton (PREMA Racing) – 1:28.804
8. Noah Stromsted (TRIDENT) – 1:28.857
9. Bruno Del Pino (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 1:28.884
10. Enzo Deligny (PREMA Racing) – 1:28.928
11. Taito Kato (ART Grand Prix) – 1:29.014
12. Hiyu Yamakoshi (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 1:29.032
13. Yevan David (AIX Racing) – 1:29.093
14. Ernesto Rivera (Campos Racing) – 1:29.096
15. Alessandro Giusti (MP Motorsport) – 1:29.135
16. Brad Benavides (AIX Racing) – 1:29.287
17. Michael Shin (Hitech TGR) – 1:29.346
18. Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (DAMS Lucas Oil) – 1:29.366
19. Tuukka Taponen (MP Motorsport) – 1:29.413
20. Maciej Gladysz (ART Grand Prix) – 1:29.442
21. Kanato Le (ART Grand Prix) – 1:29.447
22. Nicola Lacorte (DAMS Lucas Oil) – 1:29.498
23. Matteo De Palo (TRIDENT) – 1:29.510
24. Mattia Colnaghi (MP Motorsport) – 1:29.527
25. Jesse Carrasquedo (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 1:29.621
26. Freddie Slater (TRIDENT) – 1:29.623
27. Gerrard Xie (DAMS Lucas Oil) – 1:29.746
28. Fernando Barrichello (AIX Racing) – 1:30.080
29. Fionn McLaughlin (Hitech TGR) – No time
30. Jin Nakamura (Hitech TGR) – No time

Afternoon session: Gladysz sets the pace

After the break, the afternoon session began with Rodin Motorsport’s Brando Badoer leading the way with a 1:29.928, followed by his teammates Christian Ho and Pedro Clerot in second and third, respectively. However, as the session progressed, several drivers found extra pace, and the lead changed hands multiple times.

One of the most significant changes came when MP Motorsport’s Tuukka Taponen posted a 1:29.524, moving into second place behind Badoer. The pace picked up even more as drivers focused on long runs, and the times began to tighten at the top.

With just over 20 minutes left in the session, the red flags came out once again after Enzo Deligny spun at Turn 3, causing a brief delay. When the session resumed, ART Grand Prix’s Maciej Gladysz set a stunning 1:29.003, seizing the top spot from Badoer. Gladysz’s time stood strong, and he ultimately finished the session in first, ahead of Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera, who set a 1:29.070 to finish second. Ugo Ugochukwu also made significant improvements, finishing in third with a 1:29.200, while his teammate Théophile Nael was right behind him in fourth with a 1:29.218.

ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato rounded out the top five, completing a strong showing for the team. Other notable performances included Christian Ho and Mattia Colnaghi, who ended the session in sixth and seventh positions, respectively. There were also strong runs from MP Motorsport’s Alessandro Giusti, Rodin Motorsport’s Pedro Clerot, and PREMA Racing’s James Wharton, who all finished within the top 10.

Afternoon Session Standings

1. Maciej Gladysz (ART Grand Prix) – 1:29.003
2. Ernesto Rivera (Campos Racing) – 1:29.070
3. Ugo Ugochukwu (Campos Racing) – 1:29.200
4. Théophile Nael (Campos Racing) – 1:29.218
5. Taito Kato (ART Grand Prix) – 1:29.218
6. Christian Ho (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:29.243
7. Mattia Colnaghi (MP Motorsport) – 1:29.245
8. Pedro Clerot (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:29.353
9. Alessandro Giusti (MP Motorsport) – 1:29.379
10. Matteo De Palo (TRIDENT) – 1:29.401
11. Hiyu Yamakoshi (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 1:29.473
12. Tuukka Taponen (MP Motorsport) – 1:29.524
13. Gerrard Xie (DAMS Lucas Oil) – 1:29.579
14. Bruno Del Pino (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 1:29.633
15. James Wharton (PREMA Racing) – 1:29.700
16. Noah Stromsted (TRIDENT) – 1:29.749
17. Jin Nakamura (Hitech TGR) – 1:29.775
18. Michael Shin (Hitech TGR) – 1:29.831
19. Brando Badoer (Rodin Motorsport) – 1:29.928
20. Enzo Deligny (PREMA Racing) – 1:30.124
21. Louis Sharp (PREMA Racing) – 1:30.228
22. Kanato Le (ART Grand Prix) – 1:30.285
23. Brad Benavides (AIX Racing) – 1:30.406
24. Jesse Carrasquedo (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 1:30.733
25. Freddie Slater (TRIDENT) – 1:31.149
26. Yevan David (AIX Racing) – 1:31.470
27. Nicola Lacorte (DAMS Lucas Oil) – 1:31.464
28. Fernando Barrichello (AIX Racing) – 1:33.026
29. Fionn McLaughlin (Hitech TGR) – 1:30.148
30. Jin Nakamura (Hitech TGR) – No time

A day of strong performances

As Day 1 of testing concluded, Campos Racing emerged as the team to beat, with Ugo Ugochukwu and Théophile Nael showing impressive speed across both sessions. Ugochukwu’s overall performance, combined with Nael’s consistent pace, indicates that Campos Racing could be a strong contender for the 2025 season.

However, ART Grand Prix also proved to be a formidable force, with Maciej Gladysz leading the afternoon session and Taito Kato also displaying solid pace. Rodin Motorsport, MP Motorsport, and PREMA Racing all demonstrated competitive strength, ensuring a tightly contested season ahead.

With one more day of testing left, the stage is set for more thrilling action in Barcelona as teams continue to refine their setups and strategies for the upcoming season.