Victory in the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race and a podium in the Sprint; the 2025 British Grand Prix weekend will live long in the memory for Aston Martin Aramco Academy Driver Mari Boya.
Feature Race win. Sprint podium. Should Mari Boya’s successful weekend at Silverstone come as any great surprise? Just weeks before our home race weekend, Mari revealed how the circuit was his favourite.
“The layout, the speed, the atmosphere – everything. Silverstone has a special feeling.”
The inaugural member of the Aston Martin Aramco Driver Academy, a programme dedicated to developing the next generation of exceptional motorsport talent, 21-year-old Mari put in a spirited fight through the field to finish on the podium in Saturday’s Sprint before mastering wet conditions at Silverstone in a performance that belied his years and meant he came away from Northamptonshire with 27 points and his best F3 weekend to date.
We caught up with one of Spain’s most promising young drivers after an unforgettable weekend.
On the weekend’s triumphs
“What a weekend! Super happy! Happy to maximise all the potential we have had. Super proud to be here, super happy and enjoying the moment!
“[I had] solid pace since Friday and a good Qualifying with the fourth position. The comeback in Sprint from the ninth position to the podium gave us even more strength and confidence.
“And finally, getting my first win of the season. Doing it at Silverstone, at the home of Aston Martin Aramco, couldn’t be more special for me.”
On climbing positions in the Sprint Race
”It was really fun. I think the overtakes have been really strong in the last few races. At Silverstone, we showed great pace, so I’m really happy.”
“[The overtake into P3] was really nice. At that point, I was having challenges on the tyres, so I just tried to focus on the exits to prepare well. [Laurens van Hoepen
and Théophile Naël
] were fighting so I think it was maximised well. It was the move for the podium so I’m really happy.”
The most important things was to be calm, read the situation and be as fast as possible.
On battling the rain in the Feature Race
“I was confident of racing on a dry track. I wanted to race on the slicks, but it wasn’t the case. The most important things was to be calm, read the situation and be as fast as possible.
“Once I saw that it started to rain a bit, I didn’t care what the rest were doing. I knew that the last sector was properly wet, and I said to my engineer, ‘If you believe in me, let’s go.’ I’m happy that he believed in me at that point. It was a difficult situation but we managed it really well.
“At the beginning, it was really nice. The grip and everything was nice, but once the Safety Car came it was impossible to see anything. We were super slow on the straights, and I didn’t have much control of the car. Even the Safety Car was struggling in some places. I knew I had to be calm and really precise in those moments.
“I was constantly speaking with [my engineer] to tell him what the situation was. He was telling me when the rain was coming, and I was saving tyres because these Wet tyres don’t last long on a dry track. Every lap, we were in contact, reading the situation as best and as fast as possible. I think we both managed very well and super proud of him as well.”
Seeing Andy Cowell as soon as I got out of the car was really special.
On the Aston Martin Aramco Driver Academy
“I must say a huge thank you for all the support from everyone at Aston Martin Aramco. Seeing [CEO and Team Principal] Andy Cowell and him congratulating me as soon as I got out of the car was really special.
“I’m really proud to join the Aston Martin Aramco family. All the races since I joined the Driver Academy have been really good, so I’m excited to keep working together.”
On the future
“P1 and P3 puts us in a good position in fighting for the Championship. The pace is looking really strong. We just did a hat-trick of podiums, one in Austria and two here in a row. It’s looking really good, and I’m super excited for the rest of the season. I feel prepared.
“Let’s go for more in Belgium!”
Andy Cowell on Mari’s weekend
“Mari delivered an exceptional performance to take his maiden FIA Formula 3 Feature Race victory, and in very tough, wet conditions. His composure was impressive, and climbing from P13 to P4 in the championship over the past two events shows just how determined he is to demonstrate his skill.
“It’s a significant milestone for Mari and a special moment for our Driver Academy, marking its very first win.”
Mari returns to the track at Spa-Francorchamps on the hunt for more silverware in the FIA Formula 3 Championship on 25-27 July, before heading to the Hungaroring – a circuit he tells us is a close second favourite to Silverstone – for the final rounds before the summer break.
Shaping the next generation
Aston Martin Aramco Driver Academy
From karting to single-seaters, the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team Driver Academy is dedicated to identifying and developing the next generation of exceptional motorsport talent.
The Academy provides a clear path to the top tiers of racing through tailored racecraft mentorship, simulator work, physical training, media coaching and race weekend immersion.
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