Charlie Wurz started 2025 heading into his second campaign in the Formula 3 Championship. The Austrian ended his 2024 season sitting 22nd in the Championship with Jenzer Motorsport before he made the move to join TRIDENT for 2025. Wurz ended the season sitting 13th in the Championship with 53 points.
Strong start
Wurz’s season began with a solid run in Melbourne despite being unfortunate in the Sprint Race where he was forced to retire on the first lap. The Feature Race was kinder to the 20-year-old as he secured a P6, taking away 8 points on the first Feature Race of his second campaign. Despite the poor visibility and tough conditions, he persevered, showing his skills and growing maturity.
Next came Bahrain. While he secured a decent P9 in the Sprint Race, bringing home more points for TRIDENT, the Feature Race was disappointing. Wurz finished the race P11, leaving him just outside of the points. The young driver showed strong pace and ability, however he did not manage to finish the weekend on a high.
A challenging setback
Imola brought on another set of challenges for Wurz. Firstly, the horrible traffic during Qualifying had him settle for P28, leaving him with a huge gap to close if he wanted to get near the points. Then the Sprint and the Feature Race left him in the dark as he finished P23 and P16. While Wurz attempted to battle his way through the field, it was not enough.
The narrow streets of the iconic Monte Carlo track always tests young drivers of their limits. Wurz managed to have a strong Sprint Race, snatching a P6 finish. With another points finish, it looked to be a good weekend. However, the Feature Race proved to be less than he’d hoped for. After lining up seventh on the grid, Wurz had a decent shot at a strong race. Unfortunately, damage to the front wing and a puncture forced him to retire prematurely.
Barcelona marked the last Round of the triple header. Unfortunately, this was another uphill battle for the 20-year-old. After failing to be consistent over the weekend, Wurz could not manage higher than P14 and P13 in both Sprint and Feature Races. Leaving him outside of the points once again.
Misfortune and bouncing back
After a well-deserved break, the F3 season was back on track in Austria. Wurz’s home race began on a rough note as he suffered a retirement from the Sprint Race. His fortune appeared to be turning around during the Feature Race as he grabbed a P6 finish. Similarly, the next Round at Silverstone came with ups and downs. While the Sprint Race had the young driver snatching 2 points, the Feature Race left him outside of the points.
Wurz got to show his talent at the driver track that is Spa-Francorchamps. For the Sprint Race, the driver begun fourth on the grid and grabbed another place taking himself to P3. His impressive driving and defending shone through as he held off Nikola Tsolov during the last couple of laps. After a lack of podiums, Wurz finally achieved the podium he had been chasing. A solid drive to a strong P3 around the challenging Spa-Francorchamps earned him his maiden podium.
Highlights and growth
Another highlight of Wurz’s season came in the second-to-last Round. Hungary saw him on the podium for a second consecutive race weekend. Climbing his way to another P3 at the Sprint Race, Wurz illustrated another strong performance. After putting up an amazing effort during the Feature Race, he finished just outside of the top three. Still, taking a strong P4 is something the TRIDENT driver can be proud of. The last Round in Monza was rough for the 20-year-old as he finished the last race of the season outside of the points.
A double DNF was a sour note to end the season on. However, Wurz has proved his ability to persevere in challenging conditions and evolving his driving skills. While it has been a tough season for the Austrian, his continuous improvement and pace must be noted.
