Gerrard Xie Delivers Gritty Performance in Formula 3 Debut at Australian Grand Prix

Credit: Hitech

• Climbs 9 positions (P25 to P16) in Sprint Race, showcasing resilience and racecraft

• Adapts to wet conditions in Feature Race, finishing P18 in challenging circumstances

• Eyes Bahrain testing to build on lessons learned and prepare for the next Formula 3 round

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18-year-old racing driver Gerrard Xie completes a solid Round 1 with Hitech at the Australian Grand Prix for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship. Held from March 14-16 at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, the young racer faced multiple challenges as the weekend kicked off with the Friday Practice & Qualifying sessions. Through his perseverance, he found himself climbing various positions during the Sprint and Feature Races on Saturday and Sunday respectively, showcasing a positive outcome for the Formula 3 rookie’s first race weekend in the Championship.

Practice & Qualifying

Xie’s race weekend started with promise, following a strong session to finish in P21, despite coming across traffic on his flying lap in the early morning practice session on Friday. This left him determined to push for higher positions in qualifying to get his season campaign started in the best position possible.

However, Xie encountered setbacks during qualifying held that afternoon - though initially sitting inside the top 10 early on, he struggled to get a clean lap on the first set of tires and dropped down the order after the first half of qualifying. Further obstacles came in the form of two red flags within the final 10 minutes of the session just as Xie was about to set a faster lap time, leading him to sit in P25 as the clock counted down. This meant that Xie would have to start the two races of the weekend, the penultimate Sprint Race on Saturday and the Feature Race on Sunday, from P25 on the grid.

Sprint Race

The 18-year-old’s performance in the Sprint Race proved to be a significant comeback for the young Chinese driver. Focused on staying out of trouble in the opening laps of the race, he set about moving up the order in the 20 lap race. Xie got a great jump off the line, seeing him gain several positions on the opening lap. He continued to fight hard, engaging himself in several battles throughout the race. His efforts to remain composed and drive a clean race allowed him to work his way up through the field - climbing 9 positions from his start position on the grid to finish P16 overall.

Feature Race

The 25 lap Feature Race that signed off the race weekend gave Xie a chance to build on his momentum from the Sprint Race. Heavy rain and wet conditions meant he had to tone down his energy and focus once more on avoiding mistakes. With the race starting under safety car conditions, Xie once again had a great opening lap and found himself moving up several positions. Despite multiple pressure points attempting to nerve him, Xie drove a composed race showing maturity - persevering through the low visibility and slippery track to finish a strong P18 overall, wrapping up a successful Round 1 in his Formula 3 debut weekend.

Looking Ahead

With Round 1 under his belt, Xie is already setting his sights on the next challenge - a three-day testing session in Bahrain from March 26-28 that will provide a crucial opportunity to refine his skills and prepare for Round 2 at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 11-13.

Gerrard Xie’s debut may not have ended on the podium, but his determination, adaptability, and steady progress have set the stage for a promising season ahead.

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Gerrard Xie

Formula 3 Driver, #16 Hitech TGR

“The first Formula 3 race at the Australian Grand Prix was, no doubt, a rollercoaster of a weekend. On Friday, we started with practice and qualifying, which was not perfect for me as I could not finish a valuable lap before or after the red flags came. I made up for this in the Sprint Race, where I climbed up positions and ended up at P16. Though there were a lot of mistakes made on my end, I noted a lot of areas where I needed to improve during Sunday’s feature race. The conditions were tricky on Sunday since we had to race in the wet so I put my focus on finishing on a positive note, rising from P24 to P18 and keeping out of trouble while getting to a good practice of managing my tires. It was a solid end to the first Round but there is still a lot for me to learn and prepare for ahead of the upcoming Bahrain test and race. Many thanks to my team at Hitech for the great work all weekend and support to help me get up to speed.”

Credit: Hitech