AIX Racing’s Nikita Bedrin took his maiden victory in Formula 3 during Hungary’s sprint race, with his teammate Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak finishing just behind him in second. Feeder Series spoke to the two AIX drivers after their historic result to find out how special it was for the team.

By Tori Turner

AIX Racing secured their first-ever win in F3 during Hungary’s sprint race after their rebranding earlier in the season. Alongside their historic victory, they also achieved the second 1-2 finish of the season with their result, marking a potential turning point for a team and their drivers who had previously struggled to score points. The German team also became the tenth and final team to score their first podium this season, proving just how competitive the field has been across the 2024 season. 

AIX Racing were already in the running for their best result this season with Bedrin and Inthraphuvasak starting the race in second and third. Their starting places were only confirmed an hour before the race began due to the stewards’ decision to delete former championship leader Luke Browning’s qualifying lap time. Throughout the race, both teammates waited for opportunities to improve, taking advantage of other drivers’ mistakes to gain their eventual positions.

First-time race winner Bedrin expressed just how significant this result was for AIX Racing. 

“It’s great for the team to be on the podium. Considering we have both cars on the podium, this is something special for us. Knowing that we are improving is the most important part from our side. It’s a massive step up for us.” Bedrin told Feeder Series.

“It’s also history for the team because it’s the first year for this team in F3 and to get a 1-2 is really special. We worked hard throughout the season and also the whole week we’ve been looking quite strong. So I think we deserve it.”

Bedrin’s maiden victory came in the second half of his second season in the championship. Before the team’s result today, he had been the only AIX driver to score points this season, finishing within the top 10 on three previous occasions. He had also previously achieved his first F3 podium during the sprint at the Hungaroring last season, something he kept in mind during today’s race.  

With few opportunities to overtake across the track, Bedrin relied heavily on his start and the first lap to put him into the lead. 

“It was a very challenging first half of the first lap of the race because it was quite intense going into T1 with having a car on the outside of me. It was a bit crappy to go there, but I still risked it and it paid off at the end because in T2 I was able to take the lead,” he explained.

Whilst Prema’s Dino Beganovic had initially launched off the line in first, Bedrin slotted in behind him to secure a tow after locking up. This eventually gave him the advantage going into Turn 2, where he overtook Beganovic to take the lead. Bedrin remained in first place for all 18 laps, only being challenged for the lead once by Beganovic on Lap 10.

“I’m super happy with the race and that I was able to keep it. I was not sure if I was going to have the pace for that, but I think I managed it very well. I’ve barely done any mistakes from my side and I’m really happy to keep the win, especially having some good pace in the last few laps.” Bedrin added. 

Bedrin’s teammate Inthraphuvasak scored both his first points and first podium of his rookie season in F3 during the sprint. In addition to the team making history, Inthraphuvasak also became the first Thai driver in the history of modern F3 to step onto the podium. He follows the success of fellow compatriot Alex Albon, who won several races during the 2016 season of GP3, the predecessor to F3.

Inthraphuvasak remained in third place for the first ten laps of the race, defending his podium position against the likes of Callum Voisin and Tim Tramnitz. The opportunity to move up within the order and secure a 1-2 for AIX came when Beganovic tried a move for the lead on Bedrin. The Prema driver locked up and went wide, handing the position straight to Inthraphuvasak, who maintained second for the remaining eight laps.

“As the season’s gone, we’ve been struggling a bit for the first part of the season but the team worked really hard and I also worked really hard to improve everything and be here for this race. I’m super happy to be on the podium today.” Inthraphuvasak said. 

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency