Rafael Camara claimed his fourth victory of the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season in the Budapest Feature Race and with it, sealed the Drivers’ Championship with one round still to go.
The TRIDENT and Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy driver converted a record-extending fifth pole of the year into the win. He led home Campos Racing’s Mari Boya in second place, and fellow Ferrari junior Tuukka Taponen in third for ART Grand Prix.
Pre-race rain led to a rolling start which Camara dealt with to lead Boya comfortably in the opening laps, and the pair began to separate themselves from the pack in the lead battle.
While the Aston Martin Development Driver was able to apply mid-race pressure, Camara soon began to gap the Campos driver, and went on to win the race and F3 title by just under two seconds.
The victory was win number four of his rookie and now title-winning campaign in Formula 3, and marked the earliest the title has been won since 2021.
Elsewhere, Charlie Wurz earned P4 for TRIDENT after a late charge and battle with Taponen for the final podium spot.
Theophile Nael rebounded from a Sprint Race crash on Saturday to leave Budapest with a top five result for Van Amersfoort Racing, ahead of Nikola Tsolov, who fought back from P21 on the grid to sixth.
Brando Badoer was in the points in seventh for PREMA Racing, with Laurens van Hoepen eighth, Alessandro Giusti ninth for MP Motorsport and Campos’ Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak rounding out the points in 10th.
FIA Formula 3 returns for the final round of the season at Monza from September 5-7, but for an in-depth report of the Budapest Feature Race, visit the official website here.
It is as European champions that Paris Saint-Germain go into the new season, having only finished the last one on 13 July with the FIFA Club World Cup final. After an historic quadruple (Trophée des Champions, Ligue 1, Coupe de France and UEFA Champions League) it is one that will live long in the memory.
The players return to the PSG Campus to officially start their pre-season training on Wednesday, 6 August, and August has a number of big games, notably the European Super Cup against Tottenham, winners of the UEFA Europa League, in Udine, Italy, on 13 August (kick-off 9pm CEST).
FIA Formula 3: Win in the Feature Race today at the Hungaroring from Pole Position and in difficult conditions in a hugely important race. How was it from the car?
Rafael Câmara: In the end, it was a perfect weekend. I scored many points, we as a team did a very good job this weekend, always there at the top, since FP. I am just very happy to close the Championship, also with how I managed the race. It was quite tough because Mari was always behind, so I had to make sure there were no mistakes. Now we can enjoy the moment, it was a very good season, we have been very consistent from the beginning, also a big thanks to the team to give me this chance to fight for the Championship and now we have done it, so we can enjoy a bit now.
FIA Formula 3: Can you take us through that final lap, what was going through your mind?
Câmara: Giacomo always told me to keep it safe, don’t make any mistakes and focus. I think they were more worried than me, I was just focusing on myself, doing everything from the beginning of the race to not make mistakes, just keeping it clean. When you are close, you know what is about to happen, you think about everything, all the hard work you did before, all the things you did to achieve this, and for sure you get a bit emotional, but super happy. It was a very tough weekend for me, already from quali it was stressful. Yesterday I had to keep it clean, it’s not easy when everyone is chasing you, like you cannot make any mistakes. For myself, I can be proud that I managed the weekend in a very good way and now we can relax.
FIA Formula 3: Massive congratulations. Mari Boya, P2 at the Hungaroring. It felt like a difficult race, you knew that you had to take the win to keep the title hopes alive. But are you still happy with the job you did today?
Mari Boya: For sure. As a driver I am never satisfied with P2, but it was a really good race. We had really good speed in all conditions, also in Qualifying that is also where we had to work a bit harder, but I wanted to win. I felt today we had a good chance, even in these conditions I felt it was possible to win. But maybe a Safety Car at the beginning when I felt I was slightly stronger than him with DRS it was possible. But after this when I was getting close to him, I was losing a lot of grip in the car, pressures were going super high, it was just being there, trying to see if he would make a mistake. He did a really good job and still happy with P2 but as a team we always try to go for everything and maybe today P2 was the maximum.
FIA Formula 3: P2 was the maximum today and it’s P2 also in the Drivers’ Championship. Looking at how the season started and where you are now it feels like something has clicked. What are you looking for at the final round in Monza?
Boya: I will try to enjoy it. If I look on the Championship, the only thing I will get is frustrated, because at the beginning of the season it was crazy the amount of things that happened to us, completely outside of the control of the team and myself. But this is racing, and maybe we could have changed some things to improve, we learned, but still the best thing I can say is we ended the Championship with a really good dynamic, I feel like I am in the best moment of my career. The only thing I can say is I would love this Championship to last longer, I feel super strong. I feel happy with the team and myself but it’s like this. I will try to enjoy the last race for sure in F3, and let’s see.
FIA Formula 3: Thank you. Tuukka Taponen, P3 today at the Hungaroring. Your first Feature Race podium, that must feel quite nice?
Tuukka Taponen: Yeah, it feels nice. We had been struggling a bit all year but we have been a couple of times very close with fourth place on Sunday. Finally, we were able to get that third place, which is very good. I am really happy with what the team has done to get this. We have improved all year but still I am here to win and I want to improve and we need to work a bit harder for Monza to try to fight for the win properly and not for the podium only. This is the first step and the next step is to win.
FIA Formula 3: It felt like a lonely race for you, did it feel that way in the car?
Taponen: Yeah, it was quite lonely. Before the last six laps, I asked my engineer how many laps remaining because it started to feel like the cars behind were a bit quicker than me. They were much quicker than me, but I managed to hold the third place, but it was not easy in the end.
FIA Formula 3: You are from the Ferrari Driver Academy as is Rafael Câmara. Do you have a word on this year’s FIA Formula 3 Champion because you might know him better than we do?
Taponen: I want to congratulate him. He has done a good job. They have been strong since the first race this year, they have been doing a good job. When you win a Championship, you have been the best, so for sure he has done a good job, together with the team.
The South African-born Australian artist—known for his hyperrealistic miniature figures set against abstract, textured backdrops—has unveiled three original pieces inspired by aquatic sports, including the headline work “Fish In Water”. A recreational swimmer himself, Bronkhorst brings both technical precision and emotional insight into the athletic experience. Much of his work focuses on the world of sport.
“I’m here at the World Aquatics Championships working on this artwork, which I’m naming Fish In Water,” Bronkhorst said during a live painting session. “It features eight of the best swimmers competing here today, and I can’t wait to complete it.”
“Fish In Water” is on auction until the 14th August, with proceeds going to the newly launched World Aquatics Foundation, introduced during the World Aquatics Congress held during the Championships. The auction is hosted online atairauctioneer.com/world-aquatics-auction (or the QR link below).
The piece celebrates the sport of swimming and was created in collaboration with fans, who voted on social media to select the eight athletes featured in the painting. The final lineup includes:
Thomas CECCON (ITA)
Kyle CHALMERS (AUS)
Katie LEDECKY (USA)
Leon MARCHAND (FRA)
Summer MCINTOSH (CAN)
Kaylee MCKEOWN (AUS)
QIN Haiyang (CHN)
Gretchen WALSH (USA)
* Listed in alphabetical order, by last name
All eight athletes signed the back of the canvas, adding an exclusive touch of authenticity. The final brushstrokes were completed during a live session near the training pool on August 2.
In addition to Fish In Water, Bronkhorst revealed two other major contributions at the Championships:
Stay Wet
A richly textured homage to all aquatic disciplines, Stay Wet features twelve miniature athletes depicted mid-motion in a grid of stylized blue swimming pools. The work spans swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving. This piece will remain part of the World Aquatics’ permanent collection.
12 Miniature Award Canvases
Twelve handcrafted 15×15 cm canvases were also created to honor outstanding athletes across six aquatic sports. Each pair is going to be awarded to top performers in:
Water Polo – Miniature players mid-game.
High Diving – Showcasing the breathtaking free-fall of elite divers.
Artistic Swimming – Graceful, synchronized movement in the water.
Diving – Dynamic mid-dive compositions capturing form and focus.
Open Water Swimming – Inspired by the rhythm of long-distance racing.
Swimming – Highlighting the speed, strength, and emotion of the sport.
These individual artworks reflect Bronkhorst’s signature style, blending realism and abstraction to celebrate the grace, power, and unity of the aquatic world.
With this collaboration, World Aquatics brings a vibrant cultural dimension to the Championships—celebrating not only athletic excellence but also the art, emotion, and human stories behind the sport. By involving fans in the creative process through social media voting and live art sessions, the Championships have become a shared experience that connects the global aquatic community in new and meaningful ways.
Werner Bronkhorst is a contemporary visual artist whose motto, “The Whole World’s a Canvas, We’re Just Walking in It,” reflects his immersive, movement-focused approach to visual storytelling. Working exclusively with willow charcoal and soft white pastels, Bronkhorst has built a reputation for freezing moments of intensity and emotion in sport—this latest collaboration marking one of his most interactive works to date.
Learn more on wernerbronkhorst.com
The World Aquatics Foundation was created to address key global challenges in aquatic sports, water safety, and environmental sustainability. By focusing on the development of athletes, education on water safety, and the protection of water resources, the Foundation ensures that aquatic sports can thrive while making a positive impact on communities and the environment. Supporting the future of aquatic sports and water safety, the World Aquatics Foundation focuses on four key objectives: 1) athlete development, 2) water safety and drowning prevention, 3) environmental projects and initiatives, and 4) the global development of aquatic sports.
Andy Farrell has put himself in a strong position to take charge of the British and Irish Lions in New Zealand in 2029, according to Lions bosses.
Farrell coached the Lions to a 2-1 series victory over Australia, winning the first two Tests but missing out on a whitewash after being overwhelmed 22-12 by the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.
Chief executive Ben Calveley says Farrell’s strong track record with the Lions will be a factor when they come to choose their next head coach, for the series against the All Blacks in four years’ time.
“He’s put himself in a really good place,” Calveley told BBC Sport.
“You would always take someone’s track record into account and the fact that Andy has been successful, not just here but he’s undefeated when you look at the two previous occasions he’s been on the Lions tour as part of the coaching ticket [in 2013 and 2017 as an assistant].
“But we’ll run a thorough a robust process and we’ll see there where that takes us.”
Farrell was non-committal when asked about the prospect of taking charge again in 2029, but said his affinity with the concept runs deep.
“I love everything the Lions is about and I have thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed the last eight weeks,” he said following the series.
“Four years is a long time between drinks.”
The Englishman is due to return to his role as head coach of Ireland for their autumn Test matches after taking a sabbatical from the post to lead the Lions.
The 50-year-old has a contract with Ireland until the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
French swimming sensation Léon Marchand capped off his campaign at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in style, cruising to victory in the men’s 400m individual medley on the final day of competition, Sunday (3 August).
The four-time Olympic champion, who focused exclusively on the medley events in Singapore, asserted his dominance early in the race and never looked back. He touched the wall in a time of 4:04.73s, comfortably ahead of Japan’s Matsushita Tomoyuki (4:08.32), with NAB’s Ilia Borodin taking bronze (4:09.16).
The win completes a golden double for 23-year old Marchand, who earlier in the week clinched the 200m IM title, having set a new world record in the semi-finals en route to the final.
In a 25-minute, wide-ranging interview at Chicago Fire’s training ground, Amorim covered a range of topics, including:
How he is changing the culture at United
His relationship with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
His belief the club will eventually win the biggest trophies again
His dream of staying in the job for 20 years
During last season’s dark days, Amorim was repeatedly criticised for refusing to tweak his tactical approach.
“Sometimes, when you are losing, you might think let’s change the standards a little bit for them [the players] to be with me,” he said.
“I didn’t – and they saw it. Now they understand when I say something, I will do it.
“I don’t treat the players as babies. But they have rules now and that can change the way you train.
“I’m always on top. If you don’t train in the right way, I have footage to show you. And I show you in front of everybody.”
Amorim has appointed a leadership group of six players – Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui – to uphold standards in the dressing room and deal with the “small things”.
It has not been easy to get to this point.
Amorim admits there were times last season when he wavered and wondered if he had done the right thing leaving Portuguese club Sporting – where he had built his reputation and where he was feted as a hero – mid-season.
He did not go seeking out assurances. For Amorim, keeping his job says enough.
“Try to remember one team, one big team that lost so many games and the manager kept their job,” he said.
“You will not find it. That shows more than words that they support me.”
24th over: England 86-2 (Pope 13, Root 3) Knife edge stuff, it’s gone very gloomy and India can smell wickets in the murk. Root and Pope do well to weather an accurate over from Siraj, rotating strike for three singles.
Thanks for all your emails – keep them coming in.
“Hey, James. It’s Prakhar from India. I want to make a trade here. I don’t want Root to perform well today but I want him to have the ‘series of his life’ in a few months in Australia. Are you okay with this trade?”
NO DEAL!
23rd over: England 83-2 (Pope 12, Root 1) Joe Root is the new man. He sprints onto the Oval turf to a chorus of Rooooots. Reckon Krishna might have a little word in his ear? See if he can get a rise. You would, wouldn’t you? England need a Joseph Edward Root special right here, right now. Root… is off the mark first ball with a single clipped to leg.
It’s gone a bit gloomy in South London. The lights have come on. England’s flame is flickering.
WICKET! Duckett c Rahul b Prasidh Krishna 54 (England 82-2)
GONE GONE GONE! Duckett flashes a drive at new bowler Prasidh Krishna and gets a meaty edge that is swallowed by KL Rahul in the cordon. India celebrate with tons of gusto, Gill haring across the outfield with hand raised like peak Alan Shearer. That’s a big wicket.
22nd over: England 82-1 (Duckett 54, Pope 12) Duckett goes to fifty with a fortunate edge wide of the cordon and away for four. He raises his bat somewhat sheepishly, aware there is plenty more to do. England’s target is hauled below three hundred.
Roving/Rotter Reporter Jake Farrell flings his first missive from the Bedser lower stand here at the Oval.
“Kuldeep Yadav is holding court. Almost prompted Beatles-esque fainting by offering an unprompted “Morning ladies” to a couple of punters. Now talking the ear off some kind of security guard in military garb. Very very #classy stuff. Has the air of a proud father of the bride at a wedding, taking it all in.”
Dear Old Kuldeep would do a job today I reckon. Curly Charlie Chaplin Curtains bouncing, ball fizzing. Both teams have been guilty of some puddled selection.
21st over: England 75-1 (Duckett 47, Pope 12) Duckett cuts Deep like Cat Stevens/Sheryl Crow depending on your age/preference. Two runs to the score. England whittling away. Deep sends down a bouncer that the wee man has a flap at and is lucky not to feather to Jurel.
“Morning Jim. All four results possible but surely an Indian win is the most likely. Ollie Pope will need a few miracles today, not least his own batting, which is a meagre 18 in 4th innings. Like Steve Smith, but without the good first 3 before it. You hope his love for the Oval may help. You sense that him out early puts all the pressure on Root and Brook again. Lots of things will need to go right. I’m bricking it!”
You and a few others too no doubt, Guy Hornsby.
20th over: England 72-1 (Duckett 44, Pope 12) Runs! Duckett clobbers a Siraj half volley through mid-off for four and then glances off his hips for a second boundary in the over. Each cheered wildly. Fair to say England’s fans at the side of me Believe like Cher in ‘97.
In other news, get yourself a wife who texts you like Mark Funnell’s:
Hi James, camping on the north Cornish coast with my son, I didn’t have any signal for much of yesterday on Porthcothan beach. When we got back to campsite, I recoiled with horror at India’s score. After seeing England’s blistering start, I dropped my wife a text to check whether she was watching. She WhatsApp video’d me to show me what was happening in the game – in real time. The very next ball Siraj bowled that searing Yorker to clean Crawley up. I felt a little sick. She laughed. It was like SHE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.”
19th over: England 61-1 (Duckett 39, Pope 6) Pope and Duckett steal a couple of singles into the covers. To rollocking applause.
“The first day of cricket I’m away from the TV and its turned out to be the most important of them. You must summon the spirit of all OBOers past and present to deliver the most vivid OBO to grace my eyes – something you’re well able for I’ve no doubt.”
I’m not sure about that Rowan Tewari… but Taha is on later on.
“On a more serious note, what a truly incredible series we’ve seen. For all those watching, this is the last day to truly sit down with your mates and savour every drive, caught behind and run-out this series has left to offer. I personally hope Siraj takes the last wicket of a dogged English resistance at 6pm after a bail swap à la Stuart Broad. And to the OBO, i’m eternally grateful for your coverage.”
Sit down with your mates? Madness. Darkened room more like. And the pleasure is all ours. Thanks for tuning in.
18th over: England 59-1 (Duckett 38, Pope 5) Rinse and repeat! Duckett is beaten FOUR times in the over by Siraj. Four. (That’s insane etc etc). Siraj has his dander well and truly up (when doesn’t he?) and is getting the ball to dance off this day four surface. Two of those four were absolute snorters, jagging off the surface and cutting Duckett in two like a bearded and pint sized Debbie McGee. (ask your da). A maiden, obviously.
17th over: England 59-1 (Duckett 38, Pope 5) Akash is probing, just a single to Duckett off the over. If England bat through this first session unscathed then India will start to get a bit jittery. Shubman Gill’s captaincy has not been the most robust in his first Test series, England will want him sweating under his baggy blue this afternoon.
16th over: England 58-1 (Duckett 37, Pope 5) Duckett clubs a single to point. Eeeeesht! Pope drives uppishly and with little control and the ball skims just short of the man at cover before tracing away across the square for four. Cue a nervy gasp and then throaty cheer from the England fans. Settle down Ollie lad.
15th over: England 53-1 (Duckett 36, Pope 1) Akash Deep starts from the Vauxhall End to his old mate and cuddle chum Ben Duckett. Ahem. The pint sized batter clips off his ribs to get a single and Pope gets off the mark with an inside edge to square leg. Early signs of some in-swing. Deep gets some more movement to Duckett who gets a thicker edge past the infield for another single.
How are your nerves? It’s all a bit much for Paul in Brazil:
“Hi. Deep breaths, can they? Will they ? More deep breaths. An enjoyable day ahead!”
14th over: England 50-1 (Duckett 34, Pope 0) Pope defends the first ball of the day solidly to mid-off. Cue a huge cheer from the England fans in the ground. It’s a sell out here at the Oval and I reckon a fifty/fifty split between England and India fans. The atmosphere is fan-flippin-tastic.
Right, the players are out there, Jerusalem swirls down the Harleyford Road. Mohammed Siraj has one ball left to complete his over from last evening. Ollie Pope is on strike. Let’s play!
“Hi James, keen to know why Woakes cannot be subbed now he’s retired hurt? Surely it’s only fair for England to have a full Second Innings? I’m obviously missing some arcane cricketing law, can you enlighten me please?”
It’s exactly that Chris Aird, a player is currently only allowed a sub for a concussion injury. The debate has been swirling in this series due to Pant and Woakes getting crocked in the early stages of Test’s 4 and 5. Injury replacements are due to be trialled by some first class boards later in the year… but as I argued in this week’s Spin, injury replacements aren’t perhaps as straightforward as you’d think.
PLUG ALERT:
“Hello Jim”
G’morning OBO stalwart Krishnamoorthy.
“Another Test series coming to an end which is making sure that Test cricket is alive and kicking in the dark times of T20. Probably this is the first Test in this series that is not going to the last session of day 5.
It does not matter if it is 3-1 or 2-2 , the winner is cricket and India has a wonderful core around which it can surely build itself into a formidable team. Today’s battle is going to be between the determination of the Indian team vs one J E Root”
About time Root got a score. My money is on Brook and Bethell romping it home*.
*It absolutely isn’t. But it could be.
(It isn’t)
The Indian players are out on the outfield here at the Oval, the bowlers getting those shoulders loose and the catchers getting their fingers warm. I have them down as overwhelming favourites today, yesterday England seemed a spent force and suffered their worst day of the series. The wicket of Crawley last thing tipped the scales still further in the visitor’s favour.
But the great thing about Test cricket and this England side is you just never know. They could go down in a ball of flames before lunch or take it right down to the wire. Remember they knocked off a similar target serenely in Leeds but that was twenty long days of cricket ago. C’mon then, fling me your predictions.
Matthew Doherty emails in with if not the 64 million dollar question then certainly a question.
“Hello James, who do you think England’s Jessop is today?”
All roads lead to Jamie Overton.
Our main man Ali Martin has the skinny on what will happen in the result of a drawn Anderson-Tendulkar:
In the event of 2-2, told the two teams will share the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy (a new trophy, which has replaced the now retired Pataudi and AdM trophies)
Here’s his take on a galling Saturday for England:
England’s performance in the field yesterday was more chaotic than the basket of a Sunday morning Lime bike basket. A discarded vape here, six (SIX) dropped catches there. Is that a splodge of fruit and nut bar? Please tell me it’s fruit and nut bar… Oh look that’s definitely five wides.
Would it have happened if Ben Stokes was prowling at short cover with his fatherly death stare? We’ll never know. But we sort of already do.
Preamble
James Wallace
It’s been 144 hours and 24 days, since that sun soaked Test at Headingley (ahh ahhh ahh ahhhhhh)
Test cricket. Nothing compares 2 U. As we stare down the barrel of a high summer sold to the money men we have one last day of the really good stuff to savour and this series is on the line.
England need to knock off 324 runs to win it 3-1 but after Zak Crawley had his off stump splattered by the indomitable Mohammed Siraj with the last ball of play yesterday and with Chris Woakes sporting a sling, India (probably) need just eight wickets to do the business and level things up at 2-2.
Its been a punishing series. One full of great moments rather than being truly great but it deserves a grandstand finish. There are some weary minds and bodies here at the Oval this August Sunday morning (and that’s just the press pack arf-arf)
So, for what is surely the last time in Tests this summer, come take the OBOs re-assuring hand and let’s see this thing out together.
