I’m delighted to again have been joined by Nikita Bedrin who, since our last interview can call himself an FIA Formula 3 race winner. We talk FRECA, that F3 win and the wait for a 2025 drive.
AJ: First time we did an interview, you were in Italian and ADAC F4 - you’re now an F3 race winner and multiple podium sitter! How much have you enjoyed your rise over the last few seasons?
Nikita: It’s been a long, tough journey, in which I learned and matured as a driver so much. Seeing myself improve made the past few years hard, but definitely enjoyable. We didn’t have the results that we were looking for in last few years, but we had some good jumps, like Hungary’s win.
Prior to the win in Hungary, you’d managed a couple podiums in F3 - How good was it to finally get to the top step?
It was incredible, I went to sleep without knowing if I will start on a front row or not, so it was a big mental jump. I managed that race perfectly, knowing I did no mistakes makes that win even more special, and finally I also was able to show the racing world that when I get the chance, I’m the man to finish the job.
One of those prior podiums, Feature Race, Spa 2023 - arguably Formula 3’s greatest race of the current era - you helped bring home Jenzer Motorsport’s best F3 result: 1st, 3rd and 4th: How much did you enjoy the chaos that day?
I was definitely happy with the result we were not expecting, especially was an amazing day for the team. We did a gamble, which was the right choice. Although the pace was really not what I hoped for it to be. Definitely the first few laps was a lot of close calls, which made the race really fun.
You made up 15 positions in that race: is that the kind of thing you dream about the night before?
I was definitely not expecting to be on the podium, but I was ready to send it and finish as high as possible. When I saw that we were way quicker than slicks, I got a feeling we are doing the right strategy, hoping not to have a Safety Car at the end of the race.
Aside from those moments - do any other F3 moments stand out for you?
The qualifying in Melbourne - one of my favorite laps, I did an incredible lap with a good car the team provided me, we both were happy. It was a big positive jump for us from Bahrain.
You’ve been sampling FRECA in between times; do you feel you gain a lot from those outings or is it largely about getting seat time?
The more racing - the better it is for the driver. You learn and improve yourself, growing to be better. It was not the plan to do both championships, the initial plan was to do FRECA, but then last moment I got an F3 seat, which made me do both championships.
Finally..are you able to share your plans for 2025 with us, or do we have to wait?
I wish I could share the plans, but we are in a very difficult situation, I still don’t have a seat or not signed anywhere. We have to wait and see, hopefully to get something good.
📸 Nikita Bedrin, AIX Racing, Formula Motorsport Limited.
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