FIA Formula 3 - drivers to watch as 2025 season begins in Melbourne

MELBOURNE–Thirty junior drivers will begin their season alongside the Formula One Australian Grand Prix as the FIA Formula 3 season gets underway in Melbourne.

It is also the first time the new Formula 3 car will be driven in anger, as the 2025 car makes its racing debut with new larger 16-inch Pirelli tyres.

Thirteen drivers have completed a full Formula 3 campaign in the past, with German driver Tim Tramnitz the highest-ranked driver to return after finishing ninth in the 2024 standings.

The competition will be tight behind race-winner Tramnitz among the returning drivers, with Noel León, Nikola Tsolov, Callum Voisin, and Laurens van Hoepen finishing 10th to 13th respectively in the final standings last year.

Mari Boya and Martinius Stenshorne also featured as race winners throughout 2024.

Among the rookies, names to watch include Brando Badoer, James Wharton, and Ugo Ugochukwu.

Wharton will be a local favourite in Melbourne, beginning his 2025 season at home after a competitive year in Formula Regional Europe. The Aussie was a driver to watch during his time in the Ferrari Driver Academy, fighting for the Italian F4 and Euro 4 titles and finishing near the top of the order.

McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu is fresh off his victory in at the Macay Grand Prix. The 17-year-old American had mixed results in 2024 but showed flashes of brilliance in Formula 4, finishing runner-up in the hotly contested Italian F4 series and winning their mid-year Euro 4 championship.

His fellow McLaren junior Brando Badoer will also be a potential contender, after top-ten finishes in Formula Regional Europe 2024 and the Italian F4 standings in 2023.

Saturday will provide the first racing action with the sprint race underway at 11.15am AEDT, with the feature race at 9.00am on Sunday.

Watch every session of the Australian Grand Prix on Kayo Sports. Join now to get your first month for $1.