Rafael Câmara is performing admirably in FIA F3 this season and leads the championship for Trident heading into the third round of the season at Imola.
The Brazilian driver extended his advantage to 28 points over Tim Tramnitz after taking his third consecutive pole position of 2025.
Câmara looked superb in qualifying at Imola, at a track he won at last season in FRECA on his way to a dominant championship success.
The Italian circuit is one of the oldest venues on the calendar, a track that requires a lot of commitment to maximise the curbs and heavy traction zones.
It is very difficult to pass at Imola due to the circuit being narrow and featuring a lot of medium-speed turns in quick succession, without many long straights.
Tyre degradation may not be much of an issue
Imola can be punishing for the Pirelli tyres due to a series of rapid direction changes, particularly at the Tamburello and Villeneuve chicanes.
Despite the quick turns, Câmara told PitDebrief in the post-qualifying press conference that tyre wear may not be a significant factor over the weekend.
The Brazilian driver said: “I think the race of tomorrow will be quite useful. Looking at the last few races, it looks like tyre degradation, you still have to manage, but I don’t think it’s as big as last year. It would be a big point on Sunday, but as we have tomorrow’s race, to understand and see where we are would be quite good.
“I think we can look at some stuff from last year, understand more. Of course, the engineers have all the experience, and I’ll be speaking with them to know what I can do in the best way and don’t lose any time or have any surprises in the race. So prepare as best as we can and have a clean race.“
The Brazilian has demonstrated incredible maturity despite the pressure of being a Ferrari junior and a rookie in the ultra-competitive FIA F3 championship.
Câmara has been laser-focused since pre-season, and his dedication is paying off as he and the Trident team lead the way in FIA F3.
The 20-year-old has won both Feature Races so far, which has provided the launchpad for his title challenge in the season’s opening stages.
Track limits are “less of an issue” than last year
Imola is one of FIA F3’s more unforgiving circuits, with the tarmac lined with tall curbs and deep gravel traps around the track.
Despite the lack of tarmac runoff, track extension was a topic in 2024, and the margins are very fine again this season, with gravel close to the track.
Câmara explained after qualifying to PitDebrief that despite small room for error, track limits weren’t at the forefront of the Trident driver’s mind.
He said: “I think this year was less of an issue because they did some changes to the track where it was tighter. The place was almost, if you do track limits, you’re going to be in the gravel.
“So if you do track limits, basically you’re losing time. So, making a mistake in the case, if you don’t make the mistake it’s basically impossible to trigger track limits. Something that I think we didn’t need to consider.
“A bit in the chicane, that was not very clear, but in the end they managed the situation well and it was fine for everyone. But, at least for myself it wasn’t a big topic and it was quite simple.“
