2025 F3 Post-Season Test | Barcelona | Naël leads final day of Barcelona testing as Kato tops afternoon pace

The 2025 FIA F3 post-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya drew to a close with Théophile Naël setting the fastest lap overall. The Campos Racing driver recorded a 1:28.398 during the morning session, a benchmark that stood for the rest of the day. Although Taito Kato later topped the afternoon times for ART Grand Prix with a 1:28.767, no one managed to eclipse Naël’s early flyer.

Despite intermittent rain overnight and two red flags in the morning, the final day of testing provided teams with crucial data ahead of the final test of the year at Imola on October 21–22.

Morning session: Naël shines on drying track; Giusti loses lap times due to lack of fuel

The track opened under damp conditions following overnight rain, meaning most drivers waited for improved grip before heading out. Yevan David of AIX Racing set the early pace with a 1:30.989, later improving to 1:30.100 to stay ahead of Joseph Loake by 1.8 seconds.

As the circuit dried, Bruno del Pino brought Van Amersfoort Racing to the top of the order with a 1:29.965, narrowly ahead of teammate Hiyu Yamakoshi, who matched the Spaniard’s time exactly. Soon after, Brad Benavides restored AIX Racing to the lead with a 1:28.546, before Théophile Naël shaved a thousandth of a second off to claim P1.

The final 45 minutes saw rapid improvements from Freddie Slater and Ugo Ugochukwu, with the top four covered by just 0.052 seconds. Two red flags briefly halted proceedings—first for Joseph Loake at Turn 3, then for Alessandro Giusti at Turn 10—but the action resumed with intensity.

In the closing stages, Tuukka Taponen jumped to the top with a 1:28.459, only for Naël to strike back in the final minute with his ultimate best of 1:28.398, securing the session’s top spot. However, following post-session checks, Alessandro Giusti’s car failed to provide the required minimum fuel sample, leading to the deletion of all its lap times.

Morning Session Standings

1. Théophile Naël (FRA) – Campos Racing – 1:28.398 – 20 laps
2. Tuukka Taponen (FIN) – MP Motorsport – 1:28.459 – 26 laps
3. Brad Benavides (USA) – AIX Racing – 1:28.546 – 18 laps
4. Nicola Lacorte (ITA) – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:28.578 – 18 laps
5. Freddie Slater (GBR) – TRIDENT – 1:28.584 – 19 laps
6. Bruno del Pino (ESP) – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:28.594 – 23 laps
7. Ugo Ugochukwu (USA) – Campos Racing – 1:28.597 – 19 laps
8. Ernesto Rivera (MEX) – Campos Racing – 1:28.715 – 22 laps
9. Noah Stromsted (DEN) – TRIDENT – 1:28.739 – 21 laps
10. James Wharton (AUS) – PREMA Racing – 1:28.756 – 21 laps
11. Hiyu Yamakoshi (JPN) – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:28.873 – 24 laps
12. Jesse Carrasquedo (MEX) – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:28.912 – 25 laps
13. Mattia Colnaghi (ITA) – MP Motorsport – 1:28.944 – 33 laps
14. Matteo De Palo (ITA) – TRIDENT – 1:28.960 – 20 laps
15. Louis Sharp (NZL) – PREMA Racing – 1:28.980 – 22 laps
16. Kanato Le (JPN) – ART Grand Prix – 1:28.987 – 21 laps
17. Christian Ho (SGP) – Rodin Motorsport – 1:28.988 – 21 laps
18. Maciej Gladysz (POL) – ART Grand Prix – 1:29.002 – 22 laps
19. Enzo Deligny (FRA) – PREMA Racing – 1:29.021 – 21 laps
20. Yevan David (SRI) – AIX Racing – 1:29.047 – 26 laps
21. Gerrard Xie (CHN) – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:29.111 – 19 laps
22. Pedro Clerot (BRA) – Rodin Motorsport – 1:29.147 – 21 laps
23. Taito Kato (FRA) – ART Grand Prix – 1:29.287 – 17 laps
24. Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (THA) – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:29.346 – 18 laps
25. Jin Nakamura (JPN) – Hitech TGR – 1:29.381 – 18 laps
26. Brando Badoer (ITA) – Rodin Motorsport – 1:29.463 – 21 laps
27. Fionn McLaughlin (IRL) – Hitech TGR – 1:29.506 – 19 laps
28. Fernando Barrichello (BRA) – AIX Racing – 1:29.572 – 17 laps
29. Joseph Loake (GBR) – Hitech TGR – 1:30.826 – 24 laps

Alessandro Giusti (FRA) – MP Motorsport – All lap times deleted

Afternoon session: Kato on top in improved conditions

By the afternoon, conditions had improved considerably, allowing teams to focus on longer stints and tyre management. Taito Kato immediately went fastest for ART Grand Prix, producing a 1:28.767 within the first half-hour.

Following close behind, James Wharton, Enzo Deligny, and Louis Sharp filled out the early top five for PREMA Racing, while Brad Benavides once again featured among the frontrunners.

As the session progressed, focus shifted toward consistent long runs rather than outright lap times. Even so, Fionn McLaughlin and Jin Nakamura boosted Hitech TGR’s presence in the upper order. In the closing ten minutes, Noah Strømsted surged to second for TRIDENT with a 1:29.797, though he remained over a second behind Kato’s best effort.

Despite various improvements further down the field, Kato’s time remained unbeaten, ensuring ART Grand Prix ended the test on a strong note. The PREMA trio maintained their tight formation just behind, while most teams prioritised gathering race simulation data over headline laps.

With Barcelona testing concluded, all attention now turns to the final post-season test at Imola, where teams will continue refining their setups ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Afternoon Session Standings

1. Taito Kato (FRA) – ART Grand Prix – 1:28.767 – 58 laps
2. Noah Strømsted (DEN) – TRIDENT – 1:29.797 – 44 laps
3. James Wharton (AUS) – PREMA Racing – 1:30.188 – 59 laps
4. Enzo Deligny (FRA) – PREMA Racing – 1:30.243 – 57 laps
5. Louis Sharp (NZL) – PREMA Racing – 1:30.448 – 59 laps
6. Jin Nakamura (JPN) – Hitech TGR – 1:30.587 – 44 laps
7. Brad Benavides (USA) – AIX Racing – 1:30.709 – 55 laps
8. Fionn McLaughlin (IRL) – Hitech TGR – 1:31.184 – 43 laps
9. Matteo De Palo (ITA) – TRIDENT – 1:31.343 – 57 laps
10. Yevan David (SRI) – AIX Racing – 1:31.922 – 50 laps
11. Fernando Barrichello (BRA) – AIX Racing – 1:31.942 – 8 laps
12. Nicola Lacorte (ITA) – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:32.363 – 41 laps
13. Ugo Ugochukwu (USA) – Campos Racing – 1:32.465 – 62 laps
14. Jesse Carrasquedo (MEX) – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:32.478 – 57 laps
15. Freddie Slater (GBR) – TRIDENT – 1:32.576 – 57 laps
16. Tuukka Taponen (FIN) – MP Motorsport – 1:32.568 – 46 laps
17. Mattia Colnaghi (ITA) – MP Motorsport – 1:32.609 – 45 laps
18. Brando Badoer (ITA) – Rodin Motorsport – 1:32.612 – 56 laps
19. Théophile Naël (FRA) – Campos Racing – 1:32.634 – 58 laps
20. Bruno del Pino (ESP) – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:32.649 – 58 laps
21. Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (THA) – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:32.674 – 45 laps
22. Hiyu Yamakoshi (JPN) – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:32.684 – 61 laps
23. Alessandro Giusti (FRA) – MP Motorsport – 1:32.737 – 44 laps
24. Ernesto Rivera (MEX) – Campos Racing – 1:32.779 – 57 laps
25. Pedro Clerot (BRA) – Rodin Motorsport – 1:32.783 – 56 laps
26. Christian Ho (SGP) – Rodin Motorsport – 1:32.849 – 56 laps
27. Gerrard Xie (CHN) – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:32.970 – 44 laps
28. Kanato Le (JPN) – ART Grand Prix – 1:33.432 – 54 laps
29. Maciej Gladysz (POL) – ART Grand Prix – 1:33.632 – 51 laps
30. Joseph Loake (GBR) – Hitech TGR – No time recorded

Eyes on Imola for the final round for post-season testing

Overall, Théophile Naël’s lightning lap underlined Campos Racing’s raw one-lap pace, while Taito Kato’s controlled performance showcased ART Grand Prix’s consistency and endurance. The test highlighted tight competition across teams such as PREMA, TRIDENT, and Van Amersfoort Racing, with several rookies displaying promising speed. As the Barcelona sessions conclude, all focus now shifts to Imola, for the final test of 2025.