Rafael Câmara has etched his name into history. During the F3 Spanish Grand Prix, he became the driver with the most pole positions in the history of the series.
The secret to Câmara’s qualifying success
TRIDENT and Rafael Câmara have seemingly nailed their qualifying performances throughout 2025. As the Brazilian continues to start races from the front, it’s clear that a strong combination of preparation, communication, and confidence is the secret behind their results.
“The way we prepared for the season helped us start strong in Melbourne. Every time we keep trying to understand and improve, even when the car is already good.”
Outside of their qualifying performances, Câmara’s ability to adapt to new circuits quickly has benefited the pair.
“From my side, I’ve been able to adapt quite quickly and understand the limits for FP. Like this, you make yourself ready for Quali — you know already how the car is and where to push. Also, for understanding the balance. If you start in a good way, from then on, you can build the weekend calmly.”
The tale of two weekends
Regardless of his amazing season, earlier this week, Câmara spoke openly about his disappointment in Monaco. Scoring only four points over the entire weekend, it was a tough time out in the Principality. However, Câmara’s disappointment in Monaco sparked determination in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Yeah, very happy, especially after Monaco, where it was a tough weekend. It was good to be back fighting for pole position. We had good pace, so now just focusing on the race tomorrow, where it has been a weak point for me.”
Câmara’s sprint struggles in 2025
The weak point Câmara is referring to has been one of his only flaws in 2025. The Brazilian admitted that the Saturday sprint races remain a challenge. Citing tyre degradation and clutch issues previously held him back. But after scoring his first sprint race points in Monaco, Barcelona may continue the streak.
“Sprint races haven’t been great, but Barcelona is a track where there’s a lot of tyre deg.”
“If we take care of the tyres and stay clean, we can do some overtakes. We had issues with the clutch map, but I think now everything is solved.”
Remaining calm despite the on-track chaos
In a session complicated by traffic and Spanish heat, Câmara remained calm throughout qualifying. He credited both his team’s strategy and his growing comfort in the car for the result.
“It was quite relaxed for me this weekend. Already after FP, it gave me some confidence for Quali. The team did a very good job of placing me well, especially in set two, where I was fully alone. I was able to open the lap clean, and yeah, the car was quite nice to drive, even if it was very hot.”
Looking Ahead to This Weekend
With a fourth pole in five rounds, Câmara’s next challenge is converting that pace into results. He remains focused on improving in race conditions, especially with tyre management being key in Barcelona.
“It’s a long race, so even if you lose position, you can still fight back. I plan to just have a good, clean start and keep the car on track. Just be clean and do a good race.”
Tyre wear in Barcelona is notoriously high, and although FP and Quali offer little insight into full-race degradation, Câmara is relying on team experience to get him through.
“From these two sessions, we don’t understand how the deg is. But of course, we have the previous years. So we can have a look and understand with the experience of the team where we can do a good job with the tyres and have a good race pace.”
