Feeder Series Preview: Barcelona

Written by Jasmin Low and Trisha Lynnette

Formula One's premier feeder series join the pinnacle of motorsport in La Espagna, with both series potentially set for their final visit to the venue in 2025. With both championships peaking, Barcelona serves a vital cog in the calendar for both series. Jasmin and Trisha take you through all the details ahead of this weekend.

Formula 2

Formula 2 heads to Spain for round 5 of the 2025 season | Credit: Formula 2

Formula 2 arrives at its third and final stop of this season’s only triple-header, tackling the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this time. Having hosted pre-season testing in February, teams will look to put their learnings from the test into action. 

Spanish team Campos Racing looked quick around their home circuit, while PREMA Racing will look to improve on their unsteady start to the season using their historically strong pace around the track. The Italian team carries positive momentum from their weekend in Monaco, landing a driver on the podium in both the Sprint and Feature races. 

At 2.894 mi (4.657km) long, the circuit offers a diverse blend of technical corners and high-speed straights, boasting two DRS zones to aid racing action over the weekend. The most prominent overtaking spot around Barcelona is Turn 1, as drivers blast down the main straight into the right-hander. 

The tight hairpin at Turn 10 is a high-risk, high-reward challenge for drivers, who can overtake if they pick the correct braking point. This year’s event will mark one of the final grands prix at the circuit, which is set to be replaced by a street circuit in Madrid from 2027.

Following a chaotic and red flag-ridden Monaco Grand Prix, former championship leader Alex Dunne carries a 10-place grid penalty into the weekend. The McLaren junior was found wholly responsible for a Lap 1 incident, causing a pile-up that took out half the grid. 

On a sweet note, this weekend will be a home race for Pepe Martí and his team Campos Racing. The Spaniard, a victim of the Monaco melee, will be searching for positive results after scoring no points in the last two rounds. 

Last season, Alpine Reserve Driver pipped Jak Crawford to the top spot, following an incredibly close qualifying session. The American qualified just 0.002s behind Aron, with Franco Colapinto in the MP only 0.004s further back from Crawford. 

It was all to play for in Barcelona after a close qualifying | Credit: Formula 2

Victor Martins achieved his first win of the 2024 season at Barcelona, delivering an unfaltering performance. The Frenchman claimed the race lead at the race start, blazing through to the chequered flag to take the win. After suffering heartbreak in Monaco, Martins will look to reset and take advantage of his previous successes at the circuit. 

Last weekend’s sprint winner Kush Maini, managed to recover from a suboptimal start, taking the runner-up spot in the Invicta. Although Maini is no longer with Invicta Racing, his pace looks strong in the DAMS, and the Indian is well-positioned to be in the hunt for points this weekend. 

Whilst finishing third on the road, Juan Manuel Correa fell victim to one of the slew of post-race penalties handed out by the stewards, stripping him of what would have been his first podium since his near-fatal accident with Anthoine Hubert in 2019. Track limits will be a major talking point this weekend, once again, as penalties have the potential to significantly alter the final race classification. 

Last year’s Feature Race showcased the high degradation on the circuit, as the soft tyre began to lose its pace advantage on lap 6, with the first drivers making their mandatory pit stops on Lap 9 of 37. 

Drivers will aim to make it cleanly through Turn 1, learning from last year’s opening lap incident which left Victor Martins and Dennis Hauger marooned in the gravel, triggering an early safety car. Jak Crawford brought home the victory, and looks well-placed to repeat his successes this year after leaving Monaco with an unprecedented Feature Race win. 

The Championship

As the championship nears its halfway point, Luke Browning leads the championship on 70 points, moving past Alex Dunne to take the top spot. The Irishman sits close behind on 67 points, but faces an uphill battle this weekend due to his penalty. Leonardo Fornaroli has been promoted to third after coming close to the Feature Race win in Monaco, missing out due to an unfortunately timed safety car, which put an early end to the race.

Hitech leads the Teams’ Championship, seven points ahead of Campos Racing. Invicta Racing and DAMS both capitalised on the drama in Monaco, both moving up two places each in the standings. Their fortunes come at the expense of MP Motorsport and Rodin Motorsport, who have been demoted to fifth and sixth in the standings, respectively.

Formula 3

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Formula 3 arrives at the final leg of the European triple header, wrapping up at a familiar venue for drivers, Barcelona. The Catalan track is a staple in pre-season testing, held for drivers to get a feel of the car they will drive in the season. 

Back in February, Nikola Tsolov of Campos Racing set the fastest time at the track, foreshadowing the result he could bring this weekend. Campos will also carry forward the amazing result they had in Monaco, with Tsolov winning and Mari Boya coming third in the feature race. The Spanish team has clearly proved they have the pace, but can they carry this momentum on to Barcelona?

The 2.894 mile (4.657km) clockwise circuit is known for its high tyre degradation. With previous rounds only providing one DRS zone, Barcelona provides two DRS zones which should help drivers overtake on the track. The track comes with a variety of corners and high speed straights, guaranteeing plenty of action in the race. 

One of the cons of this track is the high tyre degradation caused by high temperatures, making tyre management particularly hard. However this helps drivers and teams test various strategies, mastering the art of tyre management before the racers climb to F2 and eventually F1. 

Last year in Barcelona, Arvid Lindblad, now competing in F2 with Campos Racing, had secured a Feature Race victory for PREMA Racing. Lindblad had managed to overtake pole-sitter Christian Mansell who drove for ART Grand Prix. 

Another notable drive was by F3 graduate Luke Browning, who had secured a podium before losing it to 2024 F3 Champion Leonardo Fornaroli. At the time, championship leader Gabriele Minì failed to score points and fell to third in the standings, highlighting just how pivotal this round can be in shaping the championship title fight.

In the Sprint Race, Mari Boya delivered an emotional victory on home soil, a proud moment for both himself and Campos Racing. All eyes are on the Spanish team as they come to Barcelona with great expectations, having won the past three sprint races on the bounce at their home venue. 

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Jesse Carrasquedo steps in to replace Joshua Dufek at Hitech TGR following the latter’s departure after the Monaco round. Dufek departs the team after five point-free rounds in the 2025 season. Carrasquedo will be driving for the team for the rounds in Barcelona and Spielberg. The Mexican driver has previously competed in Eurocup-3, having placed eighth in the 2024 championship. 

Meanwhile, at AIX Racing, James Hedley will be replaced by Jose Garfias for the round at Barcelona. Hedley suffered a hand injury last week at Monaco, causing him to withdraw from the much-awaited Feature Race. The Mexican driver previously competed in both GB3 and the Euroformula Open Championship, where he finished seventh in the 2024 season.

The free practice will be held on Friday at 09:55 AM CEST (07:55 GMT), giving the drivers a chance to re-acquaint themselves with the circuit and fine-tune their performance for the race weekend. It will help serve as a reminder of the sixteen corners and two straights that this track provides to the drivers.

This race holds significant importance, as it marks the midpoint of the F3 season, setting the tone for the championship. Rafael Câmara currently tops the standings with 77 points, with Tim Tramnitz close behind with 64 points. The pressure is on the German as well, as he holds a three-point advantage over the fast-approaching Tsolov.

Qualifying takes place on Friday as well, at 15:05 CEST (13:05 GMT), setting the pace for the rest of the weekend. While qualifying has consistently played a pivotal role in the race weekends, Barcelona could prove an exception as the drivers are highly familiar with the circuit. 

The Sprint Race takes place on Saturday at 10:05 CEST (08:05 GMT) and the Feature Race takes place on Sunday at 08:30 CEST (6:30 GMT).