The 2025 FIA Formula 3 season has marked Mari Boya’s most successful campaign in the championship to date. The Spanish driver currently sits second in the standings, with only the season finale at Monza remaining. Speaking to Pit Debrief and others during a virtual media event ahead of the 2025 Belgian GP weekend, Boya, then fourth in the F3 standings, offered candid insights into his journey across three seasons in the series. He reflected on early struggles, pivotal lessons, and the mindset shift that helped him emerge as one of the top contenders of the 2025 grid.
Although Rafael Câmara has already clinched the championship, Boya’s consistently strong performances sees him go into the summer break as runner-up—and placed him firmly in the spotlight.
Lessons from a tricky rookie year
Boya made his F3 debut in 2023 with MP Motorsport, a year he recalls as the most formative despite its challenges. While he claimed a maiden podium at Monza (P3 in the Sprint Race), he finished 17th in the standings with only 29 points.
“Yeah, it’s a good question. I would say when I learned the most it was in my first year. Last year it was just a super tricky year for me when things were really not our way many weekends, that we really don’t understand what happened.”
Progress blocked by unpredictability
In his second season in 2024, Boya moved to Campos Racing, starting strong in pre-season testing and scoring a memorable Sprint Race win at Barcelona. However, the promise never fully translated to race weekends. He finished 15th in the championship with 45 points.
“Still sometimes it’s better to forget and I’m keep working the same as I did last year, now it’s paying off. Also last year we were super, super strong all testing and we are not trying different things in the race weekend, but sometimes this is racing and sometimes it’s hard to understand the things. And when you want to really understand everything in detail, maybe you get a bit confused, so it’s better just sometimes to follow your instinct.”
Trusting instinct over over-analysis
Reflecting on his past two seasons in F3, Boya identified a key mental shift for 2025: learning when to stop overanalysing and instead trust his own instincts. This change in approach proved vital heading into 2025.
“I have a good experience in cars already and in racing, so normally your first instinct and the natural thing that comes to you is the best thing.”
Overcoming mistakes and managing risk
Boya admitted that his early F3 career was hindered by an aggressive approach, particularly in qualifying. Over-pushing led to repeated lap deletions due to track limits, resulting in poor grid positions that affected his entire race weekend.
“Talking about the first year, what I learned from that year is that it’s a championship that is not paying off being always risking 100%, in which I was getting thousands of laps deleted and my weekend was always compromised when always the pace has been there since day one in this category, but I was starting really far back because always over-pushing or track limits. I never had a lap to be there still or fighting in the reverse grid or being in the top 10, which for pure pace was more than possible, but I wasn’t able to maximise that.”
Adopting a more calculated approach
In 2025, Boya has applied those lessons with great effect. He has reduced unnecessary risks, especially during Qualifying, and focused on maximising each session through consistency and smart decision-making.
“And this year is one of the things that I’m better at and I’m clearly trying still to work and maximise as maximum to be consistent.”
Breakthrough 2025 season: A year defined by maturity and execution
In what has become his breakthrough season, Boya has combined experience with execution. He has scored five podiums so far, including a Feature Race win in Silverstone, a P2 finish in the Budapest Feature Race, and P3 finishes in the Monte Carlo and Spielberg Feature Races and the Silverstone Sprint. This turnaround is not only a testament to his speed but also to the maturity he has developed over three years in F3.
While Rafael Câmara secured the title at the previous round in Hungary, Boya stands in clear contention for second place with just one round to go. In a highly competitive field, his ability to deliver under pressure has drawn attention from across the paddock.
Looking ahead to Monza and beyond
The final round in Monza represents a chance for Boya to end his most successful season on a high. Whether or not Boya steps onto the podium in Italy, his 2025 F3 campaign has already solidified his place among the most consistent and experienced drivers in the championship.
This year has not simply been about results or redemption. For Mari Boya, 2025 has been about growth, control, and evolution—a season that reflects how far he has come and how far he still aims to go.
