Noel Leon was very competitive during his first season in Formula 3, breaking into the top 10 of the championship standings.
The Mexican driver stepped up from the EuroFormula Open Championship after clinching the title after taking seven wins over the year.
Leon suffered a difficult start in FIA F3 and failed to score points in the opening two rounds of the championship in Bahrain and Australia.
He scored his first podium of the season in the Sprint Race at Imola, taking third place for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Leon explained when speaking to the Formula Latina YouTube channel that Imola was the highlight of his season, which allowed him to build momentum in FIA F3.
Noel Leon knew he was ‘going to be strong’ at Imola in FIA F3 after testing
Leon had his breakthrough moment at Imola after a difficult start to the season, returning to a circuit he had raced before but struggled at in FRECA.
The Mexican driver was very quick in testing before racing in Italy but his pace gave him confidence ahead of the round in FIA F3.
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Leon explained that he podium at Imola was a boost as the European season kicked off and it is the most memorable of all four of his podium finishes.
He said: “Imola is very special because it was when we started to be very competitive in the championship. We came from two very very hard races that we had not scored any points, we had several DNFs due to mechanical issues and crashes.
“After the testing at Imola I knew that we were going to be strong and we achieved the podium but the truth is each podium finish was special.”
Noel Leon’s best option may be to stay in FIA Formula 3 for another season in 2025
Leon improved throughout the season in FIA F3, scoring four podiums and consistently placing in the top 10.
The 19-year-old is facing a lot of competition to step up to F2, and some of Leon’s rivals, such as Luke Browning, have graduated to Formula 2 until the end of the year.
Formula 2 is a significant step up from championships further down the ladder and takes some adjusting for rookies.
Leon may need another season in Formula 3 and be a significant part of the championship battle before graduating further up the ladder.