Wets vs Slicks: Silverstone delivers a strategic showdown in F3 feature race

By Trisha Lynnette

Credit: Formula 3 via X

A rainy Sunday morning at Silverstone set the scene for the Formula 3 Feature Race, which took place on 6th July at 09:30 BST. Mari Boya of Campos Racing claimed the ultimate victory, followed by Theophile Naël of Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) in P2, with Noel León rounding out the podium in P3.

Nikola Tsolov of Campos Racing started from pole position, with Ugo Ugochukwu of PREMA Racing alongside him and Rafael Câmara of Trident – the current championship leader – starting third on the grid.

Noah Strømsted of Trident was noted for an unsafe release from the pit lane, with the incident set to be investigated after the race. Tsolov, Tim Tramnitz of MP Motorsport, and Câmara started the race on slick tyres. However, drivers are advised to be on wet-weather tyres if there is any moisture on the track and at the time, that was certainly the case. In contrast, Mari Boya and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak of Campos Racing were on wets, a strategic choice that quickly proved advantageous.

The formation lap revealed a split field: some on slicks, others on wets. With heavy rain forecast within ten minutes, those on wets were in the best position. Matías Zagazeta of DAMS Racing entered the pit to switch to slicks just as the rain began to ease and track conditions temporarily improved.

At lights out, Tsolov had a solid launch, but it was Boya who took the lead into the first braking zone – a clear sign of the wets working to his advantage. Câmara struggled for grip on slicks and quickly began dropping down the order.

Alessandro Giusti of MP Motorsports spun off track early in the lap, while Roman Bilinski of Rodin Motorsports, also on wets, climbed into fourth position. Tsolov attempted to hold his ground but was soon overtaken by Ivan Domingues of VAR.

Credit: Formula 3 via X

The changing conditions quickly reshaped the order. Boya led the race, followed by Naël, and León of PREMA Racing. Bilinski had surged from P16 to P6, while Inthraphuvasak, Saturday’s Sprint Race winner, moved into P4. Meanwhile, Tsolv had dropped to P16,Ugo Ugochukwu to P18 and Câmara to P20 – all three having started in the top three.

On Lap 5, Brad Benavides of AIX Racing briefly stopped on track but managed to get going again. This was due to an incident involving Benavides and Strømsted. Both Nicola Lacorte of DAMS Racing and Nikita Johnson of Hitech TGR were also noted for potentially crossing the safety car line incorrectly.

Radio communications between teams indicated that more rain was expected in 4–5 laps, reinforcing the strategic edge held by drivers already on wet tyres. Bilinski set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 7. Benavides entered the pits for damage repair following the earlier collision with Strømsted. However he had to eventually retire.

Charlie Wurz of Trident came in to switch to wets, while an unsafe release involving Laurens Van Hoepen of ART Grand Prix was flagged. Sharp of Rodin Motorsport began climbing the order and reached P8. At the front, León began pressuring Naël, closing the gap in an attempt to overtake.

Martinius Stenshorne of Hitech TGR entered the pit lane to switch to wet tyres. Tsolov was instructed to box by Lap 9, as Câmara managed to overtake him. Tsolov chose to stay out, convinced the track would soon dry.

Lacorte adapted well to the changing grip levels, attempting a bold overtake on Ivan Domingues of VAR. Eventually, Câmara, Tsolov, and Ugochukwu all entered the pits to change to wets, aiming for a potential comeback. James Hedley of AIX Racing and Matías Zagazeta also pitted.

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Meanwhile, Sharp was unable to handle the worsening conditions and retired from the race due to a collision off track with the barrier. As the rain intensified, Boya reported difficulty seeing through the downpour. The Safety Car was deployed due to both Sharp’s retirement and the treacherous conditions as the rain came down heavily.

Lap 14, the red flag was waved as the session was brought to a stop. The drivers entered the pit lane alongside the safety car, as conditions had worsened. Câmara was seen struggling a lot on the track before the red flag was waved, highlighting how the conditions were much less than ideal.

Hedley and Marinangelli were given a 10-second stop-go penalty for a safety car infringement. Zagazeta was noted by the stewards for speeding in the pit lane.

Credit: Formula 3 via X

After several minutes under the safety car, the green flag was waved as conditions began to improve. Teams prepared to send their drivers back out on track to finish the race. However, the FIA stewards soon announced that the race would not be resumed due to safety concerns and the tight time schedule with the multiple races on track.

This meant the Feature Race at Silverstone concluded under the safety car, with Boya declared the winner. Naël took P2, followed by León in P3, a result that placed Boya firmly in championship contention. 

This race clearly proved the importance of race strategy, highlighting how tyre choices, weather predictions, and split-second decisions from the pit wall can define the outcome of a Grand Prix.

This brings an to the legendary Silverstone round of the season. With just three race weekends left on the calendar, the championship contenders must work hard and prepare well to take the ultimate win. We go racing at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from July 25th onwards. 

Make sure to catch the next race weekend live. If not, head back to DIVEBOMB for all the action you might have missed.

Full Feature Race Classification

P1	Mari Boya	Campos Racing
P2	Theophile Naël	Van Amersfoort Racing
P3	Noel León	PREMA Racing
P4	Roman Bilinski	Rodin Motorsport
P5	Christian Ho	DAMS Lucas Oil
P6	James Wharton	ART Grand Prix
P7	Laurens Van Hoepen	ART Grand Prix
P8	Santiago Ramos	Van Amersfoort Racing
P9	Bruno Del Pino	MP Motorsport
P10	Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak	Campos Racing
P11	Nicola Lacorte	DAMS Lucas Oil
P12	Tuukka Taponen	ART Grand Prix
P13	Ivan Domingues	Van Amersfoort Racing
P14	Brando Badoer	PREMA Racing
P15	Alessandro Giusti	DAMS Lucas Oil
P16	Charlie Wurz	TRIDENT
P17	Martinius Stenshorne	Hitech TGR
P18	Tim Tramnitz	MP Motorsport
P19	Callum Voisin	Rodin Motorsport
P20	Nikola Tsolov	Campos Racing
P21	Ugo Ugochukwu	PREMA Racing
P22	Rafael Câmara	TRIDENT
P23	Gerrard Xie	Hitech TGR
P24	Nikita Johnson	Hitech TGR
P25	Matías Zagazeta	DAMS Lucas Oil
P26	Noah Strømsted	TRIDENT
P27	Nicola Marinangeli	AIX Racing
P28	James Hedley	AIX Racing
DNF	Louis Sharp	Rodin Motorsport
DNF	Brad Benavides	AIX Racing