Formula 3 was very competitive this season, with Leonardo Fornaroli clinching the championship at Monza in the final race of the season.
The category often produces chaotic racing with 30 cars pushing to maximise their result in a field where every driver uses the same car.
FIA F3 has already seen a few of its drivers move up to Formula 2 for the 2025 season, including Fornaroli who will drive for Invicta Racing next year.
Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad will also move up to F2 after just one season in Formula 3, with the British driver securing one of the Campos Racing seats. It is the latest step in the career of a driver Red Bull believe highly in and Lindblad may also influence F1’s super licence rules.
The Formula 2 grid is beginning to take shape ahead of next year, and another driver may be joining them despite having a mixed season in FIA F3.
Christian Mansell is ‘poised’ to race in Formula 2 for the full season next year
Christian Mansell finished fifth in FIA F3 this season despite not taking a victory and benefitting from five podiums.
The Australian driver is looking to move up to Formula 2 next season and he has already gathered experience in the championship.
Mansell competed last time out in Azerbaijan for Trident, scoring points in both races on his debut and the first time he had raced on the circuit.
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He drove well on a new circuit but lacked the ultimate race pace to battle further up the field as the Pirelli tyres are notoriously difficult to manage.
Now, Speedcafe reports Mansell is ‘poised’ to step up to Formula 2 full-time in 2025. It is not claimed for which team he will join but should Mansell move up to F2, the campaign would kick off at his home event in Melbourne, Australia.
Christian Mansell could be competitive in Formula 2 if he races in the championship
Mansell has already proven he can race in Formula 2, scoring points in Azerbaijan which was a very difficult challenge as most of the other drivers had much more experience in the car.
If he were to step up, the Australian driver would be returning to a lot of tracks he has raced at previously, including the Bahrain International Circuit.
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This knowledge, particularly in Bahrain with the venue’s difficult surface, may allow him to start the weekend from a better position in practice.
Although he has raced on some of the tracks before, the car is very difficult to drive and the Pirelli tyres can be fragile.