In February 2025, AIX Racing announced the signing of Nicola Marinangeli for the FIA F3 Championship. The Italian driver, who described his partnership with the team as an honour, arrived with optimism despite an unusual career trajectory. After two years away from open-wheel competition, he had found modest success in sportscar racing, highlighted by a podium finish in the 2024 International GT Open with AF Corse. Marinangeli suggested that his endurance racing background would strengthen his tyre management and racecraft, while he acknowledged the challenge of readapting to the demands of single-seaters. Nevertheless, his rookie campaign has not delivered the results he hoped for, and his future within AIX Racing now appears uncertain.
False dawns and early setbacks mark the opening half of 2025
The first five rounds revealed both the promise and the limitations of Marinangeli’s adjustment to F3. In Melbourne, his debut highlighted his difficulties in Qualifying, as he started near the back in P27. Although he finished only ahead of one rival on the road in the Sprint Race, post-race penalties elevated him to P19, a result that stood as his joint best of the season. However, the Feature Race underlined the gap to the midfield, as he crossed the line in P27.
Moving into Sakhir, optimism faded. A puncture ended his Sprint prematurely, making him the first of seven retirements. In the Feature Race, he gained some ground to finish P25, but remained far from the points. Imola compounded his struggles. He started ahead of only one driver due to a rival’s penalty, retired from the Sprint after losing a wheel, and failed to finish the Feature after an incident on Lap 6.
Monte Carlo provided fleeting encouragement. He kept his car out of major trouble and was classified P19 in the Sprint after penalties, equalising his Melbourne result. In the Feature, he reached the flag in P19, but a penalty for causing a collision relegated him to P21. Any progress dissipated in Barcelona, where he qualified poorly once again and finished outside the top 20 in both races despite benefitting from penalties ahead. By mid-season, he had scored no points, sat 36th in the standings, and trailed nearly all his rivals.
A lack of improvement in the second half
The second half of the campaign confirmed his difficulties. In Spielberg, Marinangeli achieved consistency but not competitiveness. He finished P19 in the Sprint and P25 in the Feature. Silverstone was even more sobering. He qualified last, started last in both races, and finished P28 and P26. Spa-Francorchamps offered no opportunity for redemption, as he qualified P30 and retired early from the Sprint, while the Feature Race was cancelled due to heavy rain.
Budapest brought a slight upturn. He qualified P30 yet climbed to P21 in the Sprint, before finishing P23 in the Feature. However, Monza was the only venue where he managed to improve across both races. After starting P28, he finished P20 in the Sprint and P19 in the Feature, his best result of the year in a Feature Race. Despite this, he remained outside the top 20 overall and concluded his season without points, only ahead of José Garfias, who competed in just one round, in the final classification.
Determination despite Qualifying deficits
Throughout the season, Marinangeli’s main weakness lay in Qualifying. His average starting position was P29, which consistently left him at the back of the grid and without realistic opportunities to fight for points. Although his background in endurance racing promised strong tyre management, this asset could not compensate for the lack of raw pace. Furthermore, frequent retirements in the first half of the season prevented him from gaining valuable experience. Even in cleaner weekends, he struggled to overtake rivals and rarely progressed beyond the lower midfield.
Despite these shortcomings, Marinangeli demonstrated determination and professionalism. He completed the majority of races, minimised errors during the later rounds, and avoided major incidents in high-pressure circuits such as Monte Carlo. However, the absence of standout performances meant that his season has been defined by survival rather than competitiveness.
The curtain falls on a tough 2025 campaign
Nicola Marinangeli entered the 2025 F3 season with ambition, hoping to apply lessons from sportscar racing to single-seater competition. Yet, despite flashes of improvement, he failed to establish himself as a competitive presence in the field. With no points scored, an average classification of 24th, and only occasional glimpses of progress, his campaign has not met the expectations set at the beginning of the year. Crucially, AIX Racing has already filled its seats for 2026 in both F2 and F3, leaving Marinangeli without a future in the team. While his perseverance deserves recognition, he will need an element of luck on his side if he intends to remain in single-seaters. However, a return to sportscar racing may represent the more realistic path forward for his career.
