F3 | Austrian GP | Qualifying | Tsolov takes pole position at the Red Bull Ring - Motorsport

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The Red Bull Ring witnessed an intense F3 qualifying session for Round 6, where Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov demonstrated remarkable consistency by converting his practice pace into pole position at the Austrian GP.

Green lights for Qualifying

When the green light lit, Tsolov immediately established his intentions during Qualifying at the F2 Austrian GP. The Bulgarian driver picked up where he had left off during practice, posting an opening lap of 1:21.282 that placed him at the summit of the timesheets. His teammate Boya complemented this strong start by securing second place, giving Campos Racing an early one-two formation.

However, the competitive nature of the field soon became apparent as improvements materialised throughout the session. Rafael Câmara mounted the first serious challenge to Tsolov’s dominance, reducing the deficit to just 0.172 seconds and claiming second position. PREMA Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu followed in third, while Tim Tramnitz delivered an impressive lap that brought him within 0.064 seconds of the leading time.

Rafael Camara improves to P3 on a 1:21.454 #F3 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/8DG2RF6bJZ
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) June 27, 2025

Mid-session shuffle

As the session progressed with less than twenty minutes remaining, Leon and Ugochukwu occupied fourth and fifth positions respectively. The competitive balance shifted when Alessandro Giusti elevated MP’s fortunes by climbing to third place, positioning himself behind his teammate Tramnitz.

The strategy in qualifying became evident when drivers returned to the pitlane with just over fifteen minutes remaining, seeking fresh tire compounds for their final qualifying attempts. This tactical pause allowed teams to reassess their positions and prepare for the crucial closing stages.

Final push delivers drama

Brad Benavides emerged as an unexpected contender during this period, propelling AIX Racing into the top ten before delivering a subsequent improvement that secured fourth place. With eleven minutes remaining, the pitlane exodus began as drivers equipped themselves with fresh soft tires for their ultimate pole position assault.

Câmara adopted an independent approach, leading the queue without seeking aerodynamic assistance from other cars. His strategy initially paid dividends as he claimed provisional pole with a lap of 1:21.011. However, Tsolov responded immediately, reclaiming the top spot with a time of 1:20.927.

The Bulgarian’s determination proved decisive when he found additional pace reserves, establishing a commanding benchmark of 1:20.743. This impressive effort created significant pressure on his rivals during the session’s closing moments.

A spin for Ugochukwu

Benavides continued AIX Racing’s strong performance by securing second place, finishing just 0.176 seconds behind Tsolov’s pole time. Strømsted claimed third position for TRIDENT, while Bruno del Pino and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak completed the top five.

The session’s final moments contained their share of drama. Ugochukwu had demonstrated genuine pace by setting the fastest middle sector time, but his pole aspirations ended abruptly when he spun at Turn 10.

Oh no, Ugo 😞

The PREMA driver spins at the final turn after he went purple in the middle sector! #F3 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/UnTJXjXp7o
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) June 27, 2025

Although the PREMA driver recovered and continued, the crucial lap opportunity had been lost. Meanwhile, Câmara’s decision to abandon his final attempt saw him drop to seventh position as the chequered flag concluded the session, with Tsolov in Pole position.