Brando Badoer enjoyed a pleasant start to his F3 season with Rodin Motorsport at the Melbourne Round. Free Practice saw him finish in second place before qualifying ninth on the grid, placing him in a strong position for the Sprint Race once the reverse grid was in effect. The Italian’s strong weekend continued with achieving his maiden podium in the Sprint Race. His weekend took a turn in the Feature Race as a spin caused him to tumble down the order and leave the race without points.
Speaking about his weekend, Badoer said:
“I’m happy about the race weekend in Melbourne. We were very quick from FP, we started off in P2, then we had a solid quali, and of course the podium in the Sprint. The Feature Race could have gone better but the potential was really high.
“To be honest I expected to be quick because we were quick in Barcelona, so in Melbourne I expected to be competitive. So I was happy that it became a fact when we got there.“
Badoer: Rodin need to keep pushing to be at the front
The 19-year-old continued: “I’m also happy about the competitive pace we had throughout the week and that is a good sign for the next rounds.
“But we need to keep working and keep pushing to be at the front, as the competition is really strong. So it’s definitely a start in the right step and I am looking forward to working hard to use that potential over the next few rounds.”
As this is his first season with Rodin, Badoer hopes to build on his strong start with the team. Last season was tough for him, as he finished 24th in the Driver’s Standings with PREMA. He ended his rookie season with 13 points, scoring across the three final race weekends.
“Last season overall was tough for reasons I couldn’t control. But it ended on a high because in the last races we were definitely competitive.
“To kick off the 2026 season on the podium is definitely very positive and I’m looking forward to continuing to work hard, so that we can continue fighting at the front in each of the remaining rounds.”
While the Italian saw Rodin’s quick pace during pre-season testing, his efforts and learnings from his rookie year helped push the team forward.
Reflecting on the mistakes from Melbourne
Badoer’s performance during the opening round of the F3 season was strong. However, it did not come completely faultless. While the Feature Race ended up fruitless for him, there were moments that could have led to another podium finish. After battling his way up the grid, Baoder was fighting with Nicola Lacorte for P5. In the final corner, Badoer spun, resulting in a P16 finish rather than continuing to battle up the field.
“It was a tiny mistake, a really tiny mistake that cost a lot. So of course after the 360 it hurt the tyres and it was definitely not easy to get back into the race’s rhythm.
“But it’s something that happens when you’re really pushing hard to keep up and at the end it was a millimetre mistake that as I said cost a lot.
“At the end of the day I didn’t end up in the wall, the save was quite good but for sure there are some bits to learn as always and we’ll keep it in mind for the future.
“As we know it’s really important to maximise everything in F3, so definitely one of the points I have in mind for the next races as the pace is good.”
Battling in F3 is not easy, especially as the pack often find themselves separated by small margins. While the mistake cost him a higher finish, Badoer is still learning and will take his lessons from the first round with him.
Badoer looking to maximise the performance this F3 season
As competing with PREMA was tough last year, Badoer praised Rodin for having a competitive car. Switching teams can be rough, however, the Italian seems to have already found his place within the Rodin team.
“It’s really been a positive experience so far. The team and I are like a family, and we’ve been working really hard during the winter.
“I really feel at home in Rodin and we are all pushing in the same direction, working a lot behind the scenes as well because we all want the same thing and I think we will have a good run.”
Feeling at home with the team while having a strong car can only benefit them going forward. Looking ahead, the F3 driver is looking to maximise his performance.
“It’s important to do the best and maximise every lap on those European circuits. At the end of the day you have a couple of months where there are a lot of races, so you really need to be in the bubble in that period and make every lap count.
“It’s what I’m looking for, because I definitely want to use the valuable experience from last year to be ready to fight.”
