Let’s see what I think is going to happen in this year’s FIA Formula 3 Season.
P30: Piotr Wisnicki
Piotr Wisnicki is about to enter his first season in FIA Formula 3. The 19-year-old Polish driver is racing for PHM Racing by Charouz in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was only 19th in the 2020 Italian F4 Championship. I’m assuming that this guy must have a decent financial backing because, on paper, he doesn’t look like he’s had a particularly good junior career up to this point.
P29: Sophia Florsch
Sophia Florsch comes into 2023 as the only female driver in either F2 or F3. The 22-year-old German driver is racing for PHM Racing by Charouz in 2023 and her highest-ever championship finish was 7th in the 2019 Formula Regional European Championship. In her only season in Formula 3, Sophia finished 29th in the standings without a single point to her name (this was back in 2020). I’m glad there’s some female representation on this grid, but I’m not so sure how well Florsch is going to get on.
P28: Alex Garcia
Alex Garcia is hoping to impress in his first season in Formula 3. The 19-year-old Mexican driver is racing for Jenzer Motorsport in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was 5th in the 2018-19 NACAM Formula 4 Championship. I expect this to be a tough year for Garcia.
P27: Roberto Faria
Roberto Faria gets his first shot at FIA Formula 3 in 2023. The 19-year-old Brazilian driver is racing for PHM Racing by Charouz in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was 5th place in both the 2021 and 2022 GB3 Championship. I think beating his teammates in the standings would be something to be happy about if your Roberto.
P26: Nikita Bedrin
Nikita Bedrin will race under an Italian flag this season due to the FIA’s rules on Russian drivers. The 17-year-old “Italian” driver is racing for Jenzer Motorsport in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was P4 in both the 2022 Formula 4 UAE and ADAC Formula 4 Championships. Nikita’s only been racing in single-seaters for a couple of seasons so this could be a challenging year ahead.
P25: Christian Mansell
After racing in Hungary and Belgium last year, Christian Mansell gets a full season in Formula 3. The 18-year-old Australian driver is racing for Campos Racing in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was third in both the 2021 GB3 Championship and the 2022 Euroformula Open Championship. In his only four races in F3, Christian is still yet to pick up a point. I’m intrigued to see if Mansell can pick up a point this season.
P24: Pepe Marti
Pepe Marti is about to enter his second season in Formula 3. The 17-year-old Spanish driver is racing for Campos Racing in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was 2nd in the 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship. In his only season in Formula 3, Pepe finished 25th in the championship with 2 points to his name. I was actually impressed with his second-place finish in the Formula Regional Asian Championship last year as he was only beaten by Arthur Leclerc, but I don’t think he’s going to finish much higher this year given the fact that he’s staying with the same team.
P23: Hunter Yeany
Hunter Yeany is hoping to finally have a full crack at Formula 3 this season. The 17-year-old American driver is racing for Rodin Carlin in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2020 Formula 4 United States Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Hunter has driven in 17 races and his highest championship finish was 33rd (both 21 and 22). I think he’ll have a better year this year and he’ll score his first-ever point(s) in the series this year.
P22: Ido Cohen
Ido really needs to prove himself this year if he is ever going to get a shot in this series with a top team. The 21-year-old Israeli driver is racing for Rodin Carlin in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was P6 in the 2019 Italian F4 Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Ido has driven in two full seasons and his highest championship finish was 24th back in 2021. I can’t really see Ido doing too much this season, but I do expect him to score a few points.
P21: Rafael Villagomez
Rafael Villagomez is about to enter his third season in Formula 3. The 21-year-old Mexican driver is racing for Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was P6 in the 2020 French F4 Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Rafael has driven in two full seasons and his highest championship finish was 24th last season. Villagomez definitely isn’t a driver that particularly excites me.
P20: Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith is hoping to do well in his first season in FIA Formula 3. The 20-year-old Australian driver is racing for Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was 7th place in the 2019 Australian Formula 4 Championship. I’ll be honest, I don’t think Smith is the most exciting driver around.
P19: Taylor Barnard
Taylor Barnard walks into 2023 looking to show everyone what he’s about. The 18-year-old British driver is racing for Jenzer Motorsport in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was second place in both the 2022 ADAC Formula 4 Championship and this year’s Formula Regional Middle East Championship. Taylor does actually look like a half-decent prospect and if he is able to comfortably beat his teammates this season, he should merit a place in a better car for 2024.
P18: Hugh Barter
Hugh Barter has definitely had a pretty successful junior career up to this point. The 17-year-old Australian-Japanese driver is racing for Campos Racing in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was second in both the 2021 and 2022 French F4 Championships and the 2022 F4 Spanish Championship. The most impressive part of that stat is they are the only three single-seater championships that Barter has competed in so far. He looks like a good prospect and I definitely expect him to beat his teammates this season.
P17: Oliver Gray
Oliver Gray is hoping to have a positive first year in Formula 3. The 18-year-old British driver is racing for Rodin Carlin in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was second in the 2022 F4 British Championship. It’s worth noting that Oliver is currently a member of the Williams Driver Academy and pretty much everyone who’s been a part of that Academy has gone on to have successful careers.
P16: Sebastian Montoya
Sebastian Montoya gets his first full season in Formula 3 after impressing in Zandvoort last year. The 17-year-old Colombian driver is racing for Hitech Pulse-Eight in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was P4 in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Sebastian has driven in 2 races and he’s scored points in both. Montoya is a part of the Red Bull Junior program.
P15: Mari Boya
Mari Boya is wanting to show what he’s got in Formula 3. The 18-year-old Spanish driver is racing for MP Motorsport in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was second place in the 2020 F4 Spanish Championship. Mari Boya’s had a decent junior career, but it’s vital for his career that he doesn’t get thrashed by his teammates this season.
P14: Gregoire Saucy
Gregoire Saucy is entering his second season in Formula 3 hoping for a much more successful year than 2022. The 23-year-old Swiss driver is racing for ART Grand Prix in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was when he won the 2021 Formula Regional European Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Gregoire has driven in one full season and he finished 15th in the championship with one podium to his name (Bahrain Feature Race). It feels vital for Saucy that he finishes a lot higher in the standings this season.
P13: Kaylen Frederick
Kaylen Frederick is about to enter his third season in FIA Formula 3. The 20-year-old American-German driver is racing for ART Grand Prix in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2020 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Frederick has driven 31 races and his highest championship finish was 17th last season. Frederick has a car underneath him that can challenge for race wins so he needs to show he’s got what it takes.
P12: Jonny Edgar
Jonny Edgar enters his third season in Formula 3, but this time he will be without the backing of Red Bull. The 19-year-old British driver is racing for MP Motorsport in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2020 ADAC Formula 4 Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Jonny has driven 34 races and his highest championship finish was 12th place last season. Jonny’s not in as quick of a car as last year, but I still think he might actually drive better as a result of it.
P11: Caio Collet
Caio Collet enters his third season in Formula 3, but he’s taken a backwards step in terms of the team he’s driving for. The 20-year-old Brazilian driver is racing for Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2018 French F4 Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Caio has competed in two full seasons and his highest championship finish was P8 (2022). Collet has also achieved 2 race victories in the category (2022 Hungarian Sprint Race, 2022 Dutch Sprint Race). Caio is definitely a decent midfield driver in Formula 3 who’s very capable of achieving podium positions. Unfortunately for him, I just don’t think he’s going to be able to be any more than that.
P10: Leonardo Fornaroli
Leonardo Fornaroli enters his first season in Formula 3 knowing he’s going straight into a car that can win races. The 18-year-old Italian driver is racing for Trident in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was 5th place in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship. I have no doubt that Leonardo will get multiple seasons in Formula 3 if he wants it, but it’s really important for his career/reputation that he doesn’t finish as the lowest Trident driver in the championship.
P9: Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto will be wanting to win multiple races in F3 in 2023. The 18-year-old Brazilian driver is racing for Trident in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was 5th place in the 2020 Italian F4 Championship. Gabriel has had an alright junior formula record up to this point, but he will need to prove himself right away in Formula 3 if he is to progress up the motorsport ladder.
P8: Oliver Goethe
Oliver Goethe gets a full-time seat in Formula 3 after impressing in a couple of rounds last season. The 18-year-old Danish-German driver is racing for Trident in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2022 Euroformula Open Championship. When it comes to Formula 3, Oliver has driven in 4 races and he’s picked up 15 points. Oliver definitely looks like the most promising driver for Trident this season, but I still don’t think he’s good enough to fight for the championship.
P7: Gabriele Mini
Gabriele Mini makes his Formula 3 debut this season and he’ll want to win races this year. The 17-year-old Italian driver is racing for Hitech Pulse-Eight in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2020 Italian F4 Championship (by 76 points). Gabriele looks like a really promising driver and that’s why he’s recently been signed to the Alpine Academy. If things go his way, he could make an outside push at the championship in his first season in F3. Either way, I expect him to have a really good battle with one of his teammates.
P6: Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto has moved up the grid after impressing in his first season in Formula 3. The 19-year-old Argentine-Italian driver is racing for MP Motorsport in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2019 F4 Spanish Championship. When it comes to Formula 2, Franco has driven in one full season and he finished 9th in the championship with 2 wins to his name (with VAR)! Franco’s impressive season last year earnt him a spot in the Williams Driver Academy and now that’s he driving for a stronger team in MP, Franco can definitely be in the championship hunt.
P5: Luke Browning
Luke Browning gets his first opportunity in Formula 3 after a pretty impressive junior career up to this point. The 21-year-old British driver is racing for Hitech Pulse-Eight in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won both the 2020 F4 British Championship and the 2022 GB3 Championship. It’s fair to say that Luke looks like a talented driver and he’ll certainly be a contender for the championship even if he isn’t in one of the top 3 teams on the grid.
P4: Paul Aron
Paul Aron enters his first season in FIA Formula 3 with the number 1 on his car. The 19-year-old Estonian driver is racing for Prema Racing in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish was P3 in the 2019 Italian F4 Championship and both the 2021 and 2022 Formula Regional European Championships. Paul has been with the Mercedes Junior team since 2019 so there’s clearly a lot of promise in this guy. He’s also with the best team on the grid so he’ll want to win the championship on his first attempt, but I just think he’ll miss out.
P3: Dino Beganovic
Dino Beganovic enters his first season in Formula 3 with the team that everyone wants to be with. The 19-year-old Swedish-Bosnian driver is racing for Prema Racing in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship. Dino is clearly a good racing driver and he’s a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy as a result of it. I definitely think Beganovic will come close to winning the Formula 3 championship this year.
P2: Nikola Tsolov
Nikola Tsolov has only been driving in single-seaters for a year yet I think he’ll be right there in the championship fight come Monza. The 16-year-old Bulgarian driver is racing for ART Grand Prix in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2022 F4 Spanish Championship (the only championship he’s properly competed in). Nikola won that championship by 113 points and he’s also now a part of the Alpine Academy so it’s fair to say that this guy is pretty damn good. Add in the fact that Tsolov’s driving for the team that won the championship last year and he could well end the season as FIA Formula 3 Champion.
P1: Zak O’Sullivan
I think that Zak O’Sullivan is going to end the season as the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Champion. The 18-year-old British driver is racing for Prema Racing in 2023 and his highest-ever championship finish came when he won the 2021 GB3 Championship (he won it by a ginormous 154 points). When it comes to Formula 3, Zak has driven in one season where he finished 11th in the standings (with Carlin). Given how well Zak performed in his first season in Formula 3 with a pretty mediocre car, he surely has to be right up there in the championship fight this year given he’s driving for Prema. I think he’ll win the championship this year and it certainly looks like Williams have a driver for the future.
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