The FIA Formula 3 Championship will conduct a two-day in-season official test at the new venue MADRING on 24th – 25th August. F3 will also conclude its 2026 season with an expanded finale in Madrid, featuring an additional qualifying session and a second feature race.
Taking place two weeks before the inaugural Formula 1 Tag Heuer Gran Premio De Espana on 11th – 13th September, the F3 in-season test will provide an opportunity to validate the circuit’s sporting, operational and safety procedures under real track conditions.
In addition to this added test session, the FIA Formula 3 Championship confirm an expanded weekend format for the final round of the 2026 season, which will take place at the MADRING, in order to reach the number of events planned originally for this year. The season finale at Madrid will include an additional qualifying session and a second feature race.
The revised weekend schedule will consist of:
Friday morning: one 45 minute Free Practice session
Friday afternoon: two consecutive 20 minute Qualifying session.
Saturday morning: Sprint Race, with the reverse-grid order determined by the results of the first Qualifying session.
Saturday afternoon: First Feature Race, with the starting grid set by the results of the first qualifying session.
Sunday morning: Second and final Feature Race of the 2026 F3 season, with the grid determined by the results of the second qualifying session.
Pole position in each qualifying session will award 2 points, while both Feature Races will carry the standard points allocation, in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations.
I’m very pleased to announce this F3 test session at the MADRING. It will be two very valuable days of testing for our teams and drivers to appraise this new challenge before the crucial final round of the 2026 season, which will be held at this new venue. This season will have a pretty unique conclusion with an enhanced finale, which will provide the teams and the drivers with an additional opportunity to score points, following the loss of the race weekend at Bahrain earlier this year. Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 3 CEO.
It was a great start from fourth place for Kanato Le, who took the lead before getting up to Turn 1. Le settled into second ahead of Nael with Ernesto Rivera in fourth.
But the Safety Car was called upon following a collision at the front of the field. Jin Nakamura hit the rear of Xie heading into Turn 2 before going into the side of Maciej Gladysz.
Nakamura and Gladysz were out of the race, while Xie continued on to the pitlane with a right rear puncture, before coming back out at the back of the field.
Racing resumed on Lap 4 and Le led Nael away with Rivera in third ahead of Mattia Colnaghi, with Brando Badoer in fifth.
In the battle for sixth, after multiple laps of pressure, Ugo Ugochukwu made his way past Nicola Lacorte with the help of DRS into Turn 1.
On Lap 8, Ugochukwu was up to fifth with another move at the opening corner, this time on Brando Badoer.
There was a change for the lead on the next lap with Nael, having been within DRS range for several laps, making an impressive late move on Le at Turn 1.
On to Lap 11 and Le had managed to stay within DRS range of Nael, while Rivera had closed in on the top two.
It was bad news for Ugochukwu however, as he was given a five=second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage on the opening lap. At the same time, his pace was starting to fall off with Badoer right on his rear with DRS.
Lap 14 of 19 and Le had managed to stay within DRS range of Nael, while Rivera dropped back, leaving the top two to fight for the lead.
For Ugochukwu he was now two seconds behind Colnaghi, and Badoer dived to the inside of the Campos at Turn 1 to retake 5th.
Lacorte tried to follow him through but with the gap closing, the DAMS driver and Ugochukwu made slight contact, this allowed Taponen to make a move past the Italian for seventh.
The American driver was starting to fall through the field with Taponen now demoting him to P7 on Lap 17 at Turn 2, while Lacorte made his way past later in the lap.
Back at the front, Le was coming under pressure from Rivera for P2, but Nael was in a world of his own, winning by 2.7s to earn his second victory of the season. Le held off Rivera to take his first F3 podium.
Feature Race
It was a clean start from pole for Taponen keeping the lead ahead of Slater, while Mattia Colnaghi retained P3 despite pressure from Badoer.
Slater was keen to take the lead early on and looked to go the inside of Taponen at Turn 12. But the two made slight contact, leaving the Trident driver with front wing damage.
The Safety Car was called upon moments later with Maciej Glaysz and Gerrard Xie in the barrier at the exit of Turn 13. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver collided with Jin Nakamura which sent him into the ART Grand Prix rookie, with all three out of the race.
Taponen used the opportunity to come into the pitlane having suffered a right rear puncture, and with the other drivers following him in, he only dropped to P6.
The incident between Slater and Taponen was under investigation as the Brit led the field away at the restart on Lap 6.
But the Virtual Safety Car was signalled moments later with Salim Hanna having stopped on track at Turn 13.
With the AIX Racing car cleared from the track, racing resumed on Lap 7 and Colnaghi was under pressure from Badoer and Ugochukwu.
The Campos driver was showing great pace and went around the outside of both Badoer and Colnaghi at Turn 2 to get up to second with one of the moves of the season.
At the same time, the Stewards ruled that there was No Further Action for the incident between Taponen and Slater.
But the Briton had new problems with Ugochukwu right on his gearbox on Lap 12, and he went defensive into Turns 1 and 2 to keep his race lead.
The Virtual Safety Car was called upon on the next lap with Kanato Le having stopped at Turn 12.
Racing resumed on Lap 14 and Ugochukwu resumed his attack on Slater, but the top two were not alone, with Badoer, Colnaghi and Theophile Nael all right behind.
The Safety Car was out on the next lap following a three-car collision at Turn 1 between the AIX cars of Fernando Barichello and Yevan David, as well as Enzo Deligny.
Barichello was left on the side of the road with a broke rear left suspension, while David and Deligny continued on – although the Van Amersfoort Racing driver retired in the pitlane.
Slater led the field to green on Lap 18 of 24 as Nael and Taponen went wheel-to-wheel at Turn 1. The MP driver was not pleased, believing he had been run off the track by his Campos rival.
On Lap 19, the Briton extend his lead out front to 1.1s, breaking the DRS barrier to Ugochukwu. The American fought back on Lap 21 but was too far behind to make a move.
Ugochukwu was closer to his title rival on the penultimate lap, even looking up the inside at Turn 9, but once again Slater held on.
On to the final lap and Ugochukwu once again had DRS but was still not close enough to Slater to make a move.
The British driver had done enough and took his first ever victory in FIA Formula 3 and with that the championship lead going into the summer break.
Freddie Slater ended the Budapest Free Practice at the top of the timesheets with a 1:33.947.
The Trident driver led the way by over a tenth from Bando Badoer, with his Rodin Motorsport teammate just behind in third.
Woohyun Shin was the first driver out on track in the early stages. He completed a 1:36.471 but that time was deleted after he exceeded track limits at Turn 9.
10 minutes into the session and the rest of the field – apart from the three Rodin Motorsport cars – made their way out of the pitlane.
Ugo Ugochukwu set the pace with a 1:34.798 eclipsing title rival Slater in P2 by just 0.052s.
With 26 minutes left, Rodin released their drivers out on track, while Matteo De Palo returned to the pitlane with damage after going off at the exit of Turn 7.
Moments later, Salim Hanna found the barrier at Turn 5 bringing out the Red Flags.
The session resumed with 12 minutes to go and once again Ugochukwu led the way with a 1:34.522, with Slater in P2, 0.180s behind.
On his next lap, Hitech’s Jin Nakamura took over at the top with a 1:34.360. However, Slater went back to P1 with a 1:33.947, eclipsing Rodin’s Brando Bardoer time by 0.135s.
It was not all good news for Trident however, as Noah Stromsted stopped on the run to Turn 12, bringing out the Red Flags.
That brought the session to a close with Slater on top for a fourth consecutive practice session, ahead of Badoer and Pedro Clerot.
Qualifying
Tuukka Taponen left it late to take his first ever Aramco Pole Position Awards, sealing top spot with a 1:33.411.
The MP Motorsport driver left it until the final lap of the day to take the top time by 0.042s over Slater, with teammate Mattia Colnaghi rounding out the top three – 0.072s away from Taponen.
There was a mixture of strategies to start the session, with PREMA Racing, ART Grand Prix , DAMS Lucas Oil and Hitech all sending their drivers out later than the rest.
But after the first set of times it was Theophile Nael on top after a 1:33.533, with Taponen his closest challenger 0.019s behind in second.
In the battle between the top two drivers in the championship, Slater was seventh, while Ugo Ugochukwu was ninth after a huge lock up at Turn 1.
The drivers returned to the track with 18 minutes to go on new Medium tyres.
Slater then went quickest on a 1:33.451 with Nicola Lacorte just behind him in second, 0.064s behind, ahead of Brando Badoer in third. Critically in the title fight, Ugochukwu wad down in P12.
The drivers returned to the pitlane to strap on another set of Mediums for their final laps of the day.
On this occasion, Slater could not improve as Colnaghi went up to second, 0.024s off the top time. The Trident driver looked set for pole until Taponen snatched P1 with a 1:33.411, eclipsing Slater by just 0.040s.
Badoer got a great start from pole while teammate Clerot covered off Mattia Colnaghi into Turn 1, allowing Nakamura to sneak through into third place. The Hitech driver was alongside Clerot down the Kemmel Straight and made a move around the outside for second into Les Combes.
Just behind them, title rivals Ugo Ugochukwu and Freddie Slater locked horns. The pair then made contact and ran into the gravel at Turn 6, leaving the Briton out on the race. His Campos Racing rival returned to the pitlane with suspension damage, before rejoining the race one lap down with their collision having brought out the Safety Car.
Racing resumed entering Lap 4, with Badoer getting a good launch. But going up into Eau Rouge and Les Combes, Nakamura rounded the Rodin driver to take the lead.
Lap 5 and Clerot was on the attack into the final chicane, but Badoer held firm and retained second position ahead of his teammate.
With his title rivals out of the points, Nael set about making progress up the order. He cleared Taito Kato for P5 on Lap 7 along the Kemmel Straight.
On to Lap 8 and Tuukka Taponen seized on an opportunity to steal seventh from Enersto Rivera at La Source, but the Mexican driver fought back through into Les Combes with DRS.
The Safety Car was back out on Lap 8 after DAMS Lucas Oil’s Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi got wide out of Turn 1 and collected a polystyrene board, dispatching debris across the racing line that needed clearing away.
With two laps to go, the Safety Car was back in and before racing resumed, Nakamura almost spun off the road as he opted to go back to full speed at the chicane.
Behind the leaders, Kato battled back through on Nael to retake P5 around the outside on entry to Les Combes. The Frenchman returned the favour though before the end of the lap, making a bold move down the inside into the final chicane. But the ART rookie rejoined ahead of the Campos driver on corner exit.
Up ahead though, Nakamura held onto the lead and claimed his maiden victory in F3 ahead of the Rodin teammate Badoer and Clerot.
Feature Race-
Slater got a poor start from pole and it was Tuukka Taponen that led the field by Turn 1. Yamakoshi followed the Finn through to take second, while the polesitter recovered enough momentum to emerge from the first corner in third.
Yamakoshi then went wheel to wheel with Taponen approaching Les Combes and the Japanese driver swept into the lead of the race at Turn 5.
Ugochukwu ran into the gravel on the exit of Turn 7 after contact with teammate Theophile Nael. The Frenchman sustained front wing damage following an earlier touch with ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato approaching Turn 5, and that caused him to understeer towards the Championship leader.
The Safety Car was deployed at the end of the first lap with AIX Racing’s Yevan David in the gravel.
Racing resumed entering Lap 4 and Yamakoshi suffered a big slide at the penultimate corner to leave him under pressure from Taponen. But it was Slater on the move, diving to the inside of the Finn at La Source, though the MP driver was able to hold onto second with a better exit.
With DRS re-enabled on Lap 6, Ugochukwu completed a pass on Rodin Motorsport’s Christian Ho, claiming P9 ahead of Turn 5 with the slip stream.
Lap 7 and Slater reproduced the title rival’s move, taking P2 from Taponen on the run to Turn 5. One lap later and the Trident driver was back into the lead of the race with a move into Les Combes on Yamakoshi.
Onto Lap 9 and behind the leaders, Rivera dived to the inside of Taponen to claim third place at Turn 5. However, there was slight contact with the right-rear tyre of Yamakoshi, leaving the Campos with a missing front wing endplate.
Taponen was wide out of Turn 1 at the start of Lap 10, allowing Mattia Colnaghi to move ahead for fourth place on the run to Eau Rouge.
Fellow Red Bull Junior Team driver Rivera was up to second at Turn 5, repeating his move from the previous lap on Yamakoshi.
Lap 11 and Taponen was down to P6 as a charging Maciej Gladysz put himself into the top five at Turn 5. Ugochukwu dropped out of the points as Brando Badoer put a move on the American.
Bruno del Pino and Jin Nakamura completed moves on the Campos driver at the start of Lap 12, while Rivera was on the attack with DRS up front. He cleared Slater on the run to Turn 5 to claim the lead of the race.
One lap later and Yamakoshi was attacking clearing Slater after the Briton dropped out of DRS range to Rivera ahead.
Entering the penultimate lap and the fight for the lower points places was hotting up, as Alessandro Giusti, Jin Nakamura and Badoer exchanging places in eighth, ninth and 10th positions.
After taking the lead, nobody could catch Rivera, who claimed his maiden Feature Race victory and second win overall in his rookie season.
Yamakoshi claimed P2, while Slater was able to remain in the podium positions to take third.
Trident’s Freddie Slater wound up fastest overall in the Spa-Francorchamps Free Practice session, setting a 2:06.311 to lead the pack. Theophile Nael was second for Campos Racing, with Pedro Clerto third for Rodin Motorsport.
With preparation laps complete, Nael set the early time to beat with a 2:08.335. That was quickly beaten by compatriot Alessandro Giusit, who lowered the benchmark to a 2:06.895.
MP Motorsport teammate Tukkka Taponen then usurped him to go to P1 with a 2:06.622, with Slater moving up to second, just 0.093s behind the Finn.
Maciej Gladysz put ART Grand Prix top of the pile on his next attempt, before Clerot and then Slater beat his time. The Briton went to P1 with a 2:06.311, 0.239s ahead of the Brazilian.
Drivers returned to the pitlane with over 10 minutes to go to wait for more optimal track conditions.
With the cars back on track and the session ticking into the final five minutes, drivers went for their next flying laps, but there were few improvements in the field
Nael rebounded from an earlier setback in the session to move himself up to P2. Taito Kato was another to find time, jumping up to eighth place, 0.274s off Slater’s earlier effort.
Into the final minute and there was plenty of scrapping for track position in the third sector as drivers fought to get one last run in, but nobody could find any more time on their well-worn Pirelli Hard tyres.
Slater ended up fastest ahead of Nael and Clerot, with Gladysz and Ernesto Rivera rounding out a top five that was covered by a quarter of a second.
Qualifying-
Freddie Slater earned his second Aramco Pole Position Award Pole Position Award, setting a 2:05.150 on his first attempt in a rain and Red Flag-affected session.
The Trident driver finished ahead of Tuukka Taponen, who earned P2 for MP Motorsport, while Hiyu Yamakoshi wound up third, although the Van Amersfoort Racing driver was involved in the session-ending Red Flag incident.
The session began with rain beginning to fall and drivers were desperate to get their times in early in case the intensity increased.
Louis Sharp was at the head of the field and delivered a 2:06.864, but he was bettered immediately by teammate James Wharton.
Pedro Clerot then went to the top until Yamakoshi went quicker still. Taponen beat the Japanese driver by 0.088s to take provisional top spot.
But Slater went quickest overall on a 2:05.150, a quarter of a second ahead than the Finn in P2 with everyone’s first laptimes on the board.
Drivers pushed on immediately for a second attempt as the rain increased, with Fionn McLaughlin informed over team radio that heavy rain was five minutes away.
Noah Stromsted went up to fourth on his second lap ahead of Ernesto Rivera in fifth with 22 minutes to go.
Drivers then backed off to prepare for another flying lap which kickstarted the battle for track position, with everyone eager for a slipstream to avoid leading the field from the very front.
Some drivers opted to pit at the end of the lap while those that continued and opened a third attempt found that track conditions had deteriorated enough to prevent any improvements. They all boxed at the end of the lap with 17 minutes left of the session.
Cars re-emerged from the pitlane with just under half of the session remaining and with several drivers in search of an improvement. Championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu sat ninth as his closest rival in the Standings retained provisional pole.
There was more battling for track position heading into the final 10 minutes but this time, several cars made contact. Stromsted collided with Yevan David, who tagged Jose Garfias, while Yamakoshi was involved.
It caused a Red Flag with 9:38 left on the clock with the Trident, AIX Racing and Van Amersfoort Racing cars needing to be cleared away.
With the rain increasing, the session was not resumed. It left Slater on top ahead of Taponen and Yamakoshi.
It was a great start for Ugochukwu from pole, who retained the lead early on despite pressure from David on the opening lap. Behind them, Alessandro Giusti retained P3 ahead of James Wharton and Noah Stromsted.
The entire field was within DRS range of the other on Lap 3, as Nael started his charge by driving to the inside of Fionn McLaughlin at Brooklands to take eighth.
The Campos driver was looking to make more moves at the same corner on Lap 5. This time he went around the outside of Maciej Glaysz, but the ART Grand Prix rookie held him off.
The top four drivers of Ugochukwu, David, Giusti and Wharton were pulling away from the rest, with Stromsted over a second behind at the end of Lap 7.
However, the Trident driver was able to close back in once Wharton and Giusti started battling. The Australian made a neat move around the outside at Brooklands to move up to third.
The MP Motorsport driver looked to be struggling as Stromsted then overtook him at Copse, dropping him to fifth.
As the race reached the halfway stage on Lap 9, Ugochukwu had built a three second lead on David, who was now facing a battle for P2 from Wharton and Stromsted.
The Trident of Stromsted and de Palo were showing electric form as both overtook Wharton, the Dane going around the outside at Maggots and Becketts. The latter made his move to the inside at Copse.
Ugochukwu was 5.8s clear out in front, as David looked to hold off Stromsted, de Palo and Nael who had just overtaken Wharton for fifth on Lap 11.
At the end of Lap 12 however, the two Trident cars touched at the Vale chicane, allowing David to build a gap of 1.2s.
Stromsted and de Palo continued their fighting through Luffield, with Nael right on the back of the duo looking to take advantage.
The French driver saw his opportunity and took it on Lap 14, making another neat move to the inside at Brooklands on de Palo to take fourth place.
Stromsted however had closed back in on David, but he was not alone as there was a huge group of cars behind them with Nael, De Palo, Gladysz, McLaughlin, Louis Sharp and Slater all watching on.
At the end of Lap 16, de Palo retook P4 from Nael at Stowe. On to the penultimate lap, and the Italian continued his charge to the podium, overtaking teammate Stromsted on the run to Copse.
The Danish driver lost another place, this time to Nael at Luffield, dropping him to fifth on the final lap.
Ugochukwu however was at his brilliant best out in front winning by 17 seconds to claim his second victory of the season. David held on to take his maiden podium, while Nael overtook de Palo at the final corner to take P3.
Feature Race-
It was a great start from Nael, but polesitter Freddie Slater did incredibly well to stay ahead, braving it around the outside at Turn 1 to keep the position.
De Palo was up to fourth after starting in P5 and made a nice move on Louis Sharp at the Vale chicane to take P3, with his eyes now set on Slater and Nael.
The Italian then made a nice move on Nael at Stowe, making it a Trident 1-2 on Lap 3.
In the championship battle, Ugo Ugochukwu was making progress, getting past Yevan David at the Hangar straight to move up to ninth.
De Palo’s impressive start continued on Lap 4, as he dived to the inside of Slater, once again at Stowe, to take the lead of the race.
On Lap 7, Gladysz was battling well also and made a nice move around the outside at Vale on Ernesto Rivera.
Nael then tried to dive to the inside of Slater at the Loop on the next lap. The Trident home favourite defended the position before taking the lead back from De Palo a few corners later at the popular Stowe.
Rivera then returned the favour on Gladysz, pulling off the same move at Vale to retake P6. The Campos driver then got past Fionn McLaughlin for P5 down the Hangar straight.
The Hitech driver and Gladysz then went wheel to wheel at Vale but ran wide, allowing Noah Stromsted, James Wharton and Ugochukwu to get past, relegating McLaughlin to 10th.
Back at the front, Sharp had been putting some pressure on Nael for third and on Lap 12, they went wheel to wheel at Stowe. But the French driver fought back Vale, putting the PREMA on the back foot at corner exit.
This allowed several drivers to get past, with Rivera, Gladysz, Wharton, Ugochukwu and Stromsted demoting him to P9 in the space of a few corners.
Lap 15 and Slater ran wide at Copse as he looked to close back in on his teammate. Behind him, Sharp tried to overtake Stromsted at Stowe, but found the door shut.
Up ahead, Nael had lost DRS to the top two, and was coming under pressure from his teammate Rivera.
Slater tried his first move on De Palo on Lap 18 at Stowe, but his teammate held on, before the Safety Car was called. Ricardo Escotto stopped at the Loop with damage after hitting the rear of Nandhuvan Bhirombahkdi at Village.
The Safety Car was brought in on the penultimate lap setting up a grandstand finish with their being just one racing lap.
Slater had a good restart but De Palo defended well from him and Nael. The Italian then locked up into the Loop, putting his two rivals right on his back down the Wellington straight.
The two Trident drivers then went side-by-side through Copse and made slight contact which sent the Briton down the order to sixth.
De Palo then had to defend from Nael and Rivera, and locked up again into the final chicane, but he managed to keep it on the road to claim his first victory in FIA Formula 3.
Nael crossed the line in P2 but was given a 10 second time penalty at the line for his part in the incident with Sharp, dropping him to 16th.
This promoted Rivera to second ahead of Gladysz, Wharton, Slater and Ugochukwu.
However, after penalties, Rivera looses his podium and De Palo disqualified gives Gladysz the win.
Freddie Slater was on it from the green light at Silverstone, setting a 1:46.161 to end Free Practice fastest overall for Trident.
The Briton set his first flying lap time, and his benchmark remained unbeaten throughout, as he was followed by Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera and teammate Matteo De Palo in third.
Tuukka Taponen set the initial benchmark time to beat early on, logging a 1:47.652 inside the opening 10 minutes before the track got busier.
Jin Nakamura was next to lead the way, 1:47.337 putting him ahead of Taponen’s initial effort with 30 minutes to run.
Slater was flying from the first lap of his weekend as he went to the top on a 1:46.161, over a half second quicker than next-best Rivera.
The Mexican driver cut the deficit to 0.266s on his next flying lap, with de Palo a further two-tenths back in third place with over 20 minutes to go.
Both Rivera and De Palo delivered improvements with 12 minutes to go, but neither could better Slater’s initial time, closing the gap down to 0.15s and 0.212s respectively whilst staying P2 and P3.
Van Amersfoort Racing teammates Hiyu Yamakoshi and Enzo Deligny continued the team’s impressive performances of late, slotting into fourth and fifth at the midway stage.
Campos Racing teammates Theophile Nael and Ugo Ugochukwu looked set to deliver an improvement in the final five minutes, but a Virtual Safety Car test meant they had to abandon their laps.
Qualifying-
Freddie Slater delivered when it mattered, earning his maiden Aramco Pole Position Award in the Championship and Trident’s first of the 2026 season.
Theophile Nael wound up to P2 with a late lap under pressure having been down in P29 ahead of the final run. Louis Sharp secured third place on the grid for PREMA Racing.
Tyre prep complete and it was an early PREMA 1-2-3 headed by Jose Garfias, but the Trident’s of Slater and Matteo de Palo topped the times after several improvements from others.
The home driver lost his effort though for exceeding track limits at Copse corner to leave the Italian P1 on a 1:46.383, with Ernesto Rivera 0.096s behind in P2.
After a short stint in the pitlane, the drivers returned to the track and De Palo improved to a 1:46.334. But that was shortly beaten by Rivera, who went 0.031s clear to go to provisional pole.
The fast times were coming in thick and fast, as Maciej Gladysz took over at the top with a 1:46.293. But a few moments later Slater beat that time by just 0.061s to take P1.
In the fight for the championship, once again Ugo Ugochukwu and Nael lost their times for breaching track limits, leaving them at the back ahead of their final lap of the day.
With the pressure laps underway, Nael and Slater found time, but it was De Palo who went purple through the first sector.
Through Sector 2 and Slater delivered a session-best middle sector. Nael crossed the line first to go provisional pole, until Slater delivered a 1:45.620 to take top sot on home soil.
Wharton got a great start to retain the lead on the run to Turn 1, but it was a nightmare scenario for Trident, as Noah Stromsted and Freddie Slater collided, leaving the Brit out of the race.
Clerot had been trying to get by Rivera on the run to Turn 4 before the Safety Car was deployed to neutralise the action.
The race resumed entering Lap 4, with Wharton able to retain his advantage at the head of the pack but with Rivera keeping him half a second back in P2.
Nakamura got a great restart and passed Clerot on the run to the first corner.
Lap 5 and Taito Kato was on the move after losing ground on the opening lap, taking seventh from Hiyu Yamakoshi into Turn 4. Alessandro Giusti followed through with a brace move of his own at Turn 6 around the outside of the Van Amersfoort Racing driver for eighth.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed at the end of Lap 6 with a front wing on the back straight. Fionn McLaughlin was the driver with damage having had contact with Enzo Deligny on the exit of Turn 3.
At the restart, Wharton was able to put some distance between himself and Rivera, who had been within DRS range prior to the VSC.
The Campos driver closed the gap back down in the next couple of laps and on Lap 11, the pair went wheel-to-wheel. Rivera tried a move at Turn 3, and they made light contact, but the PREMA driver repelled the Mexican at Turns 4 and 5 to hold the lead.
DRS open on the next lap, Rivera looked to the outside at Turn 4, but Wharton closed the space enough to hold him off once again.
Behind them, Clerot tried a pass on the outside of Nakamura through Turns 6 and 7, but the Japanese driver retained P3.
Lap 13 and Rivera set up a switchback at Turn 4 to try the outside pass at Turn 6. But Wharton was smart enough to place his PREMA in the right place to deter any attempt from the Campos driver behind.
Rivera got the ideal exit from Turn 3 on the following lap, and he was able to use DRS to draw alongside and clear Wharton on the approach to Turn 4 to take the lead.
Lap 16 and Clerot renewed his efforts in passing Nakamura for third place, but the Hitech driver defended well through Turns 4, 5 and 6 to keep the Brazilian at bay.
Stromsted was making great progress after his racing incident with Slater on the opening lap and with a DRS pass on Tuukka Taponen on Lap 19, he made his way up to sixth place.
Clerot once again tried the outside move at Turn 6 but couldn’t get it done, skirting the gravel trap on corner exit as he continued to push for a spot on the podium.
Onto the final lap and Rivera broke out of DRS range to Wharton behind and up to Turn 3, Clerot dived to the outside to move ahead of Nakamura and he wasn’t done.
With DRS into Turn 4, the Rodin driver surged past Wharton to take two places in two corners. Nakamura was able to follow through to demote the reverse grid pole sitter down to fourth.
Rivera coasted home and earned his maiden F3 victory with a strong performance. Clerot and Nakamura’s final lap moves put them on the podium ahead of Wharton and Stromsted, who moved into the top five on the final lap.
Day 3-
Hiyu Yamakoshi covered off Ugochukwu on the run to Turn 1 to retain the lead. But the Campos driver got a great exit and was side-by-side with the polesitter, and claimed the lead at Turn 3.
Into third place was Stromsted, who made a place on Tuukka Taponen, he was followed through by teammate Slater ahead of Turn 6 to cap off to a good start for Trident.
The Safety Car was then deployed with Maciej Gladysz and Yevan David off the road and out of the race.
Racing got back underway entering Lap 4, and Ugochukwu opted to get going ahead of Turn 9 to establish a half-second buffer across the line.
Slater was on the move, and he past teammate Stromsted around the outside of Turn 3, and he was immediately into the slipstream of Yamakoshi. With another dive to the outside, the Briton claimed second place at Turn 4, with his attentions turning to title rival Ugochukwu.
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed on Lap 5 after Woohyun Shin was left in the gravel at Turn 5 following a battle with Fernando Barrichello.
Virtual Safety Car was withdrawn on lap 7, Taponen was the driver most alert and he was able to catch Stromsted out to re-take fourth position on the run to Turn 4. The Dane was back down the inside of the Finn on the following lap at Turn 3 to restore himself back up a position.
Lap 9 and Slater pounced on the race lead, diving down the inside at Turn 3 to take the lead from Ugochukwu. The Campos driver was then forced to defend from Yamakoshi at Turn 4 to retain second place.
Their fighting allowed Stromsted to join the lead battle with the top four drivers covered by just 1.5s with 10 laps ticked off. Yamakoshi lined up a move on Ugochukwu at Turn 3, braked late and cleared the American driver for second place on Lap 11.
Onto Lap 15 and Ugochukwu had stabilised his pace and attacked Yamakoshi for P2. The Japanese driver held firm, closing the door on the exit of Turn 4 to hold onto the place.
Taito Kato was on the move after a wide moment at the penultimate corner left Alessandro Giusti without momentum, allowing the ART Grand Prix driver to profit up to 5th. The Frenchman fell down to P9, with Kin Nakamura and Pedro Clerot also gaining positions.
Ugochukwu was back on the attack on Lap 18 at Turn 4. But once again Yamakoshi was able to defend from the American driver to retain P2.
One lap later though and it was third time’s the charm for the Campos driver, as he dived to the inside at Turn 4 to relieve Yamakoshi of second place.
Slater was wide at the final corners on Lap 20, putting him under threat from Ugochukwu up to the hill. The Trident driver defended the inside line but on exit, he had Yamakoshi to deal with too.
Somehow the Brit dealt with both and retained the lead at Turn 4, while Stromsted took advantage of the battling up ahead to sneak his way through for third, passing Yamakoshi at Turn 7.
Lap 22 and Ugochukwu set up a pass at Turn 4 with superior traction out of T3, taking the lead back from Slater with five laps to go.
Onto Lap 23 and it was roles reversed as Slater put a firm move on his rival at Turn 4 to re-take the lead. Teammate Stromsted took advantage once more from the battling ahead to move himself up to second at Turn 6.
Three laps remaining and Slater was back on defence, covering the inside of Turn 3, but he was powerless to stop Stromsted from passing him on the run to Turn 4.
Kato was on the hunt for a late-race pass of his own and made a bold dive a Turn 1 to briefly take fourth from Yamakoshi. The Van Amersfoort driver re-claimed the place with a better exit, but the ART rookie dived down the inside to take the spot back.
It turned into a six-car fight as Kato went wide out of Turn 4, and Nakamura and Clerot put move on the Japanese driver in the middle sector. Clerot’s bravery won him fourth as he rounded both to take P4 at Turn 6.
Onto the last lap Ugochukwu and Slater were side-by-side once again at Turn 4, and despite minor contact between the two, the American somehow found the room to take second place from his rival.
Stromsted however was untroubled in front, and he became the eighth winner of the 2026 season. Ugochukwu and Slater completed the podium after their last-lap battle, with Clerot and Nakamura rounding out the top five.
Practice- Noah Stromsted got his weekend off to the perfect start, ending Practice fastest for TRIDENT with a 1:22.410. He led Taito Kato, who delivered a late-session improvement to split the Italian team’s 1-2, with Freddie Slater rounding out the top three positions.
With installation laps complete, Yevan David set the early pace on a 1:24.837.
Stromsted was the next to go quickest, a 1:23.387 putting him comfortably fastest. Tuukka Taponen then deposed the Dane at the top before Hiyu Yamkoshi went even quicker with a 1:22.814.
Compatriot Jin Nakamura then put Hitech on top of the pile as he went onto a 1:26.693 to lead the pack with just over 20 minutes to go.
The times continued to tumble as Ernesto Rivera headed a Campos Racing 1-2 from teammate Theophile Nael as the Red Bull Junior Team driver set a 1:22.594.
Stromsted then restored TRIDENT to the top as he set a 1:22.410 before the track quietened ahead of the final 10 minutes. Teammate Slater then moved up the order to make it a 1-2 for the Italian team, 0.176s down on the Dane.
The track was then busy once again in the final minutes of the session, with plenty trying to find one final improvement ahead of Qualifying.
Kato was one of those who did improve late on, going up to P2 for ART at the chequered flag ahead of Slater.
Qualifying-
Hiyu Yamakoshi claimed the Aramco Pole Position Award in Spielberg, setting a 1:21.730 for Van Amersfoort Racing to take top spot in Qualifying.
The Japanese driver ran in the gap between the first and second runs of the majority, finding improvements where others couldn’t. He finished ahead of Ugo Ugochukwu in P2 and Tuukka Taponen in third.
Noah Stromsted picked up from where he left off in Practice to go fastest early on, but his first time was beaten by several others.
Taito Kato, Alessandro Giusti and then Taponen all went quicker, with the Finn leading the pack on a 1:21.968 early on.
Stromsted recaptured top spot on his next attempt until Taponen once again went quicker, this time on a 1:21.775 to lead by 0.084s from the Dane.
Giusti, Kato and Kanato Le rounded out the top five as the field headed back into the pitlane for a second set of the Soft Pirelli tyres.
VAR opted to go early with all three of their drivers on the second run, and Yamakoshi improved to go provisionally fastest on a 1:21.730, teammate Bruno del Pino aborted his lap to stay in P10, and Enzo Deligny climbed up to P12 with 10 minutes remaining.
Ahead of the final attempts, everyone was fighting to find an ideal track position in order to gain a sliptstream down the long DRS zones at Turns 3 and 4.
ART Grand Prix found themselves clean air but couldn’t trouble the time from Yamakoshi.
Ugochukwu found an improvement to go to P2, 0.015s down on the best time and Kato suffered a spin at the final corner as he looked to improve on his final effort.
Nobody could find an improvement overall, and it left Yamakoshi on pole for the first time in his F3 career.
Practice- Theophile Nael was fastest in this morning’s Barcelona Free Practice, leading a 1-2-3 for Campos Racing at their home event.
The Frenchman ended up on top with a 1:28.422 to take top spot ahead of Ugo Ugochukwu and Ernesto Rivera.
AIX Racing were the first team to send their drivers out for some push laps with Fernando Barrichello setting early pace with a 1:30.655 – over seven tenths quicker than teammate Yevan David.
Just as they completed their laps, the rest of the field headed out with just under 30 minutes left in the session.
Bruno del Pino went fastest on a 1:29.425 for Van Amersfoort Racing but there were several setting quicker sectors behind him.
One of those was Taito Kato took over at the top on a 1:29.103, but it was incredibly close with Freddie Slater just 0.002s behind the ART Grand Prix driver.
The Campos trio then took over at the top with Nael quickest on a 1:28.422, over two tenths ahead of Ugochukwu, as Rivera went to third, 0.365s off P1.
The entire field returned to the pitlane after those flying laps, before hitting the track once again with under 14 minutes to go.
However, there were few improvements as the tyre performance started to drop.
This left as Campos 1-2-3 with Nael ahead of Ugochukwu and Rivera. Alessandro Giusti was fourth ahead of Kato with Brando Badoer in sixth.
Qualifying-
Theophile Nael took his third consecutive Aramco Pole Position award, beating Campos Racing teammate Ugo Ugochukwu to pole in Barcelona.
Nael’s 1:28.263 was enough to seal him take P1 ahead of Ugochukwu by just 0.039s, with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi in third.
After the first set of laps, it was Ugochukwu that led the way with a 1:28.707 with Taito Kato in second, 0.491s behind the American driver.
There were three Campos cars in the top five, with Ernesto Rivera and Nael in third and fifth respectively, Brando Badoer sandwiched between the duo in P4.
The drivers were brought in after those first runs with the teams putting on another set of new Hard tyres.
They returned to the track with less than 18 minutes to go and Bruno del Pino went quickest by 0.086s with a 1:28.621.
However several drivers were improving, in particular Nael, who set the three fastest sectors to go P1 with a 1:28.263, bettering Ugochukwu by just 0.039s.
Just six minutes remained on the clock when the field started to filter back out on to the track.
Nael did not improve on his final lap leaving himself under pressure from those behind him. However nobody could beat the Campos driver’s time giving him his third consecutive pole position to start the season.
Campos Racing’s Theophile Nael hit the ground running in Monte Carlo, finishing fastest of all in Practice on a 1:25.794.
Trident driver Freddie Slater was able to split up the Campos cars at the head of the field, ending up second and just over half a tenth off the top spot. Ugo Ugochukwu rounded out the top three for the Spanish team.
Following a short Virtual Safety Car test along with preparation laps, PREMA Racing’s James Wharton set the initial benchmark that was quickly beaten by several drivers.
Gerrard Xie set a 1:28.109 to lead for DAMS Lucas Oil before a Red Flag was thrown following a crash for Wharton at Turn 14.
With the Australian out of his car and the PREMA cleared away, barrier repairs took place and once completed, the session was extended by 15 extra minutes.
The light went green once more with 28 minutes on the clock, and everyone was eager to get back out on track. Theophile Nael and teammate Ernesto Rivera went to P1 next, before Xie restored DAMS to the top of the times on a 1:27.444.
Maciej Gladysz put ART Grand Prix on top with 18 minutes to go, 0.195s clear of the field but with the track continuing to improve. Brando Badoer then logged a 1:27.055 for Rodin Motorsport to become the newest driver to lead the field.
With 13 minutes left, Bruno del Pino set a 1:26.482 to further lower the time to beat for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Nael returned Campos to P1 with a 1:26.460, 0.022s quicker than del Pino in second while teammate Ugochukwu filtered into third just over a tenth down on the Frenchman.
That was until Slater set the new fastest time of the session, with the Trident going comfortably quickest on a 1:26.135.
Ugochukwu bettered that by a shade, but Nael broke into the 25s on a 1:25.806 to lead a Campos 1-2. Despite traffic in the final corners, Slater was able to move himself up to P2 and cut the deficit to 0.169s.
Nael found one final improvement, setting a 1:25.794 to cap off an impressive session. Slater achieved a personal best on his final lap too, cutting the gap to 0.069s at the chequered flag.
Qualifying
Group A The even numbered cars headed out for the first segment of the session and Championship leader Ugochukwu set the early pace on a 1:31.081 as the built laps continued.
A 1:26.367 from the Campos driver brought the time to beat down, and Noah Stromsted was able to displace him despite an error in the penultimate corner by 0.018s. Tuukka Taponen went up to third for MP Motorsport, leaving the top three split by just 0.014s at the halfway stage.
Taito Kato delivered a 1:25.988 to become the next driver to take top spot provisionally, until Ugochukwu and then Badoer bettered that time. The Italian laid down a 1:25.287 to take top spot going into the final five minutes.
Kato improved on his next lap to cut the deficit to 0.190s as the track continued to improve. Ugochukwu got to within 0.060s of the Rodin driver, who abandoned his next lap after an error.
Taponen then found a personal best in sectors one and two to go up to provisional pole on a 1:25.242 with less than two minutes remaining.
With the chequered flag waving, Ugochukwu found one final improvement to go P1 but that was usurped by Badoer as he returned to provisional pole setting a 1:24.612, three and a half tenths quicker than rest.
Group B While the majority of Group B headed straight out onto circuit, Trident opted to hold Freddie Slater in order to get some clear air.
The second set of drivers chose to run more preparation laps before serious attempts were made, and it was Theophile Nael that led the way with half the session to go on a 1:25.729.
Maciej Gladysz was the first to bring the times down, going to P1 on a 1:25.575 until Slater bettered that as he dipped underneath the 1:25s on a 1:24.986.
Slater improved in the first sector with three minutes to go, but slight contact with the barriers at Turn 7 left him with front wing endplate damage and he had to abandon the lap.
Behind the Briton, Nael was flying heading towards the final two minutes, and despite his own contact with the barriers at the final corner, set provisional pole on a 1:24.552.
With the clock at zero, Slater delivered a purple middle sector but an untidy final section left him second in Group B.
Nael found even more time to take pole in Monaco on a 1:24.471. Campos teammate Ernesto Rivera wound up third in Group B on his F3 Qualifying debut to cap off a positive day for the Spanish team.
It was a great start for the all-Van Amersfoort front row, with Del Pino keeping the lead ahead of Deligny, while Badoer got ahead of Noah Stromsted to take P3 at Turn 1.
It was a bad start for the home favourite Wharton, however, as having started fifth, he was down to P8 by the end of the first lap. The PREMA Racing driver ran deep into the first corner after trying to avoid colliding with the rear of Stromsted’s car.
On to Lap 2, Mattia Colnaghi ran wide and into the gravel at the exit of Turn 12. The MP Motorsport driver had been battling with Maciej Gladysz for P6, but was now at the back of the field after returning to the track.
By the start of Lap 6, Del Pino had built a 1.3s lead over Deligny, who was coming under pressure from Badoer and Stromsted. The top four had built a nice buffer and were two seconds clear of Taito Kato in P5.
Campos Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu then went around the outside of Nicola Lacorte at Turn 9 to move up to ninth.
Just ahead of Ugochukwu, Wharton and Louis Sharp went wheel-to-wheel throughout the opening sector on Lap 8 but made contact at the entry to Turn 6, which sent them both into the barrier.
With both the cars and the track needing to be cleared and the barriers having to be repaired, the red flags were waved, before the stewards later confirmed that the race would not be resumed.
This gave VAR their second consecutive victory in the Melbourne Sprint Race with Del Pino winning ahead of Deligny, while Badoer took a maiden podium in third.
As a result of more than 25% of the racing laps having been completed, only the top five are awarded points, leaving Stromsted in P4 and Kato in P5 as the only other point scorers.
Day 3-
Polesitter Nael kept the lead into Turn 1, while Slater got ahead of Ugochukwu to take second place at the opening corner.
Slater’s strong opening lap continued as he tried to go around the outside of Nael at Turn 3 only for the Campos driver to shut the door.
Kato was also on the move for ART Grand Prix, as he managed to make a move around the outside of Trident’s Stromsted at the penultimate corner for P8.
On to Lap 2, Ugochukwu was within one second of Slater and overtook his rival at Turn 9 to get back to P2. Ugochukwu then closed in on Nael rapidly after and once again made a move at Turn 9, this time to take the lead of the race.
Just behind them, Kato and Mattia Colnaghi went side-by-side through Turns 9 and 10, with the ART driver taking P7.
Out in front, the top three had separated themselves and were two seconds clear of Maciej Gladysz at the start of Lap 8.
Brando Badoer and Nicola Lacorte had been battling for P5 with the former having lost the place to the DAMS Lucas Oil driver earlier in the lap. As he looked to regain the position, he spun at the final corner, dropping him down to P12.
The Safety Car was then called upon on Lap 9 with Nandhavud having found the barrier at Turn 12. Racing then resumed at the start of Lap 12, and Ugochuwku pulled out a 1.1s gap to Nael, who was coming under pressure from Slater after running wide at the exit of Turn 4.
The Campos driver was holding on to P2, but Gladysz lost P4 to Lacorte at Turn 9, while Bruno del Pino was up to eighth ahead of Colagni after making a move at the same corner.
Lacorte was charging towards the podium and was right on the back of Slater at the start of Lap 15, and before taking P3 on the brakes at Turn 12.
Moments later, Nael was given a five second time penalty for a false start.
Slater though was struggling on Lap 15, coming under pressure from teammate Stromsted, who had just overtaken Gladysz for P5 at Turn 12.
Lacorte’s hopes of a podium were damaged on the next lap, losing out to Slater, before contact with Stromsted gave him front wing damage. The Stewards then handed the DAMS driver a five second penalty for a false start, while Stromsted was later handed a 10 second time penalty for causing a collision with the Italian.
Slater had recovered things nicely and was within 0.5s of Nael for P2 by the start of Lap 20. The Trident driver used the DRS to overtake the Frenchman at Turn 9 to get up to second.
Just as Nael was fighting Stromsted for the final spot on the podium, the Safety Car was called upon with Woohyun Shin having pulled over at the side of the road with rear suspension damage.
The track could not be cleared in time for a restart with the race ending under Safety Car conditions, leaving Ugochukwu to take a first victory in F3 ahead of Slater. With Nael and Stromsted’s penalties taking effect, Kato inherited P3.
Ugo Ugochukwu set the pace in the opening session of the Melbourne weekend, the Campos Racing driver completing a 1:34.607 to top the times in Free Practice.
Rodin Motorsport’s Brando Badoer was second to Ugochukwu, 0.427s behind with TRIDENT’s Noah Stromsted in third.
Bruno del Pino led the way early on for Van Amersfoort Racing with a 1:36.589 before PREMA Racing’s Louis Sharp eclipsed that by 0.511s.
As track conditions improved, several drivers took to the top though, with Stromsted, Jose Garfias, Brad Benavides and Alessandro Giusti all going to P1, until Ugochukwu took over on a 1:34.859.
Entering the final 20 minutes of the session, the Campos Racing driver continued to lead the way ahead of Stromsted, who had closed within 0.197s, while teammate Theophile Nael went to third.
Ugochukwu then lowered the benchmark time on his next flying lap, completing a 1:34.607 to lead the field by nearly four and a half tenths.
After a brief stint in the pitlane, the drivers returned to the track for the final 10 minutes, with Rodin’s Badoer jumping up to P2 and Pedro Clerot going to seventh.
With just over five minutes left to go, the red flags were waved with Mattia Colnaghi having stopped on track at Turn 1. There was not enough time to restart to the session, leaving Ugochukwu on top by 0.429s ahead of Badoer, Stromsted, Nael and Alessandro Giusti.
Qualifying-
Theophile Nael took the first Aramco Pole Position Award of the season, narrowly beating Campos Racing teammate Ugo Ugochuwku to take P1 in a dramatic Melbourne Qualifying.
With his final lap of the day, the French driver completed a 1:34.187 to fight off Ugochukwu for pole by just 0.021s. This gives the Spanish team a 1-2 start for Sunday’s Feature Race, with Trident’s Freddie Slater in third.
Ugochukwu had picked up where he left off in Free Practice, going to the top of the leaderboard with a 1:34.208 which put him 0.430s clear of Noah Stromsted in P2 after the first set of laps.
The drivers then pushed on for their second attempts, but before they could set their times the red flags were shown as Matteo de Palo was in the barrier at the exit of Turn 10.
With the Trident car cleared, the teams sent their drivers out on to the track on new sets of tyres. Having set the fastest middle sector, Ugochukwu hit a polystyrene board and sustained front wing damage.
The Campos driver returned to the pitlane and stayed in P1 albeit with James Wharton cutting his lead to 0.413s – the Melbourne-native going up to second for PREMA Racing.
There were nine minutes left when the majority of drivers went out on track for their final push laps, all with new sets of tyres.
Ugochukwu was back out, with his Campos fitted new front wing. But he did not improve, with Slater going up to second 0.061s behind.
Several drivers were looking to push on late on, with Maciej Gladysz going up to third for ART Grand Prix.
He was demoted to P4 moments later as Nael, having come out of the pitlane later than the rest of the field, went to pole, beating his teammate, Ugochukwu by just 0.021s.
Nicola Lacorte then climbed up to fifth for DAMS, ahead of Mattia Colnaghi, Taito Kato and home favourite Wharton. Brando Badoer was ninth for Rodin Motorsport ahead of Stromsted in P10.
PREMA Racing has confirmed that Jose Garfias for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season.
Garfias has had previous F3 experience having competed in the Barcelona round last season.
Prior to this season, the Mexican competed in Euroformula Open Championship where he finished fourth overall with three wins and 10 podiums.
He also took part in Eurocup-3 where he finished 10th, with 52 points to his name with only competing in 12 races. In 2023, he took part in Eurocup-3 with 16 races to his name and finished 4th with 5 podiums to his name.
Speaking about his signing with the Italian team, Garfias said he was excited at the prospect of working with PREMA.
Ready to take on this new challenge with PREMA in F3. It’s a big step in the right direction for my career. Racing in F3 is something that I have been working towards for the last few years, and doing it with PREMA means a lot to me. Very thankful for everyone who is making this possible, and grateful to PREMA for giving me the opportunity to prove myself on a bigger stage. I’m ready to make the most of it. Garfias on the news.
We are happy to welcome José for the season. Even though he will be competing full-time in the series for the first time this year, he has a good amount of experience in Eurocup-3 and Euroformula Open, so I think he will quickly adapt himself to the new environment and get positive results. Goffredo Pirro, PREMA Team Manager.
Enzo Deligny will drive for Van Amersfoort Racing in 2026 the team has confirmed.
The Frenchman will complete the Dutch team’s line-up alongside the previously announced Hiyu Yamakoshi and Bruno del Pino.
Van Amersfoort confirmed that they had mutually parted ways with Jesse Carrasquedo, with Deligny now completing their line-up in his place.
Last year Deligny competed in the Formula Regional European Championship where he finished the season in third. He also took part in the Macau Grand Prix where he also finished 3rd overall.
In 2024, he also took part in the Formula 4 UAE Championship where he finished the season 8th overall, with two podiums and a win.
I am really happy to be joining Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2026 season. Formula 3 is the next step I’ve been working towards and I’m excited to take it with VAR. I’m looking forward to working closely with the team and pushing to be competitive together throughout the year. Deligny on the news.
We’re very pleased to welcome Enzo to Van Amersfoort Racing. We’ve been watching Enzo closely over the past few years and he’s delivered some very strong results, particularly in Formula Regional last season. He’s shown speed, consistency and the ability to perform at the front. We believe he has a lot of potential and we’re looking forward to working with him this year. Brad Joyce, Team Principal for Van Amersfoort Racing.
DAMS Lucas Oil have signed Gerrard Xie for the 2026 season, completing the team’s line up and the FIA Formula 3 grid for the upcoming year.
Xie, who competed in his maiden season in the Championship last year, joins Nicola Lacorte and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi at the French team.
The Chinese driver claimed the 2022 Chinese F4 title before moving through to GB3 and eventually FIA F3 in 2025.
Xie said he was happy to be at DAMS for his second season in F3 and excited to begin working with the team.
Joining DAMS Lucas Oil for 2026 is a great opportunity for me. DAMS Lucas Oil is a highly respected team with a strong history in single-seaters. I’m looking forward to working closely with everyone and giving my very best throughout the season. Xie on the news.
We are very happy to welcome Gerrard Xie to DAMS Lucas Oil for 2026. We are confident that our environment and our approach will enable us to support him effectively in developing the potential he showed last season, in the same category. Charles Pic, DAMS Team Owner.
Nicola Lacorte will be returning to FIA Formula 3 with DAMS Lucas Oil in 2026 the team has confirmed.
Lacorte took part in his rookie campaign in 2025, building up experience with the team he will carry on with next year.
In 2024, he took part in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship and finished 10th, with one win and two podiums.
Before that in 2023, the Italian driver took part in both Euro 4 Championship and Italian F4 Championship with PREMA and finishing 9th in both. He has also been apart of the Alpine Academy since 2023.
It’s an honour to continue with DAMS Lucas Oil. The 2025 season has taught me a great deal, about discipline, consistency and managing unpredictable race situations. My goal for 2026 is clear: build on this experience, improve at every race and target strong results. Lacorte on the news.
Nicola’s continuation reflects our ambition to invest long-term in young driver development. His analytical abilities and constant dedication throughout the 2025 season, even in difficult circumstances, demonstrated that he possesses the qualities required to progress within a highly professional environment. Charles Pic, Team Principal.
DAMS Lucas Oil have confirmed the signing of Roman Bilinski for the 2026 Formula 2 season – completing their lineup for next year following the announcement of Dino Beganovic.
Bilinski steps up to F2 after a strong season in Formula 3 during which he achieved one victory in the Monza Sprint Race, as well as an additional two podiums, finishing 11th in the Standings.
Prior to that, the Polish driver won the 2024 Formula Regional Oceania Championship with 12 podiums, which included six victories.
Bilinski will now be graduating to F2 next year with DAMS in 2026, and at the announcement expressed his delight at the chance to step up with the French team.
Joining such a historic team as DAMS Lucas Oil is a real honour. Formula 2 is an incredible challenge, and I’m ready to give everything to represent the team at the highest level. I’ve learned a lot over the past few years and can’t wait to turn that experience into results on track. I’d like to thank DAMS Lucas Oil for giving me this opportunity and for their trust. Bilinski on the news.
Roman brings a very balanced profile, quick, smart, and consistent. His success in Oceania confirmed both his potential and his professional approach. He joins DAMS Lucas Oil with great energy and a strong desire to progress. We’re looking forward to supporting him as he takes this important step in his career. DAMS Lucas Oil Team Owner, Charles Pic.
ART Grand Prix have confirmed the signing of Taito Kato for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season, completing their line-up for next year.
Kato will drive alongside the previously confirmed Kanato Le and Maciej Gladysz, with all three set to embark on their rookie campaigns in 2026.
The Japanese driver race in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine this year with the French squad, finishing seventh in the Drivers’ Standings with two podiums and five top five finishes across the season.
Prior to this year, he made his single-seater debut in 2024 in the French F4 Championship, winning the title with an impressive five victories and six further podiums.
Kato said he was pleased to be stepping up with ART for another campaign with a team he knows well.
I’m genuinely excited about the new challenges awaiting us next year. I’m really thrilled to be driving for ART GP in F3 next year and to be driving with the same team as I did in FRECA. Kato on the news.
Taito integrated perfectly into the team this season in FRECA. He showed strong adaptability, great discipline, and a lot of potential that is just waiting to be fully expressed at the highest level. Moving up to FIA F3 is the natural next step in our collaboration. He’s still young, but he has already demonstrated real maturity in his driving and a clear desire to improve with every session. We’re excited to continue this journey together in 2026. Sebastien Philippe, ART Team Principal.
Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi will be racing for DAMS Lucas Oil in the 2026 Formula 3 season, the team confirmed.
The Thai driver graduating from karting in 2022 and achieved his first podium in single seaters in the next season on his debut in the Formula 4 CEZ Championship.
Since then, Bhirombhakdi has competed in two seasons of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, achieving several points finishes in 2025.
The 19 year old has spent the last few weeks taking part in the post-season tests in Jerez, Barcelona and Imola with DAMS and at the announcement talked about how happy he was to be joining the French team.
I’m really excited to be joining DAMS Lucas Oil for the FIA F3 next year. I want to thank the team for giving me this opportunity and can’t wait to get started. Bhirombhakdi on the news.
We are very pleased to welcome Jem to the DAMS Lucas Oil family. He’s shown great potential and a strong work ethic for his age. We look forward to supporting his progression as he takes on the challenges of FIA Formula 3 next season. Charles Pic, DAMS Lucas Oil Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have confirmed that Louis Sharp will be driving for the team in 2026 – completing their driver lineup following the announcement of Enzo Deligny and James Wharton.
Sharp is returning for a second campaign in Formula 3 after achieving several points finishes in his rookie season, on his way to finishing 26th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to that, the 18 year old achieved back-to-back title winning campaigns, securing both the 2023 British F4 and 2024 GB3 Championships.
The New Zealand driver will now return for another season in F3, and at the announcement, Sharp spoke of his delight at the opportunity to race for PREMA.
I’m very, very happy and excited for next season . PREMA has a very rich history of winning championships and developing drivers for Formula 1. To be able to say that I’m going to be a PREMA driver next year makes me proud, and already working with the team, I can see how motivated they are and how much they want to win. I’m really looking forward to having a strong season with them. I’m really proud to be here. Sharp on the news.
We think Louis is a really promising racer. He achieved great success at a very young age and showed that there is more to come from him. We are confident he will merge with the team well from the start and that he will be a great fit with how we operate. He has the potential to achieve impressive results in his second year in the series, and we are determined to maximize that potential as soon as possible. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
PREMA Racing have confirmed their second driver signing for the 2026 season, with James Wharton set to join the team.
Wharton is returning for a second season in Formula 3, following a rookie campaign where he achieved victory in the Spielberg Sprint Race and finished 18th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to that, the Australian driver raced for PREMA for three years, finishing as the runner-up in the 2023 Euro 4 Championship and the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.
In addition to that, Wharton won the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship. His Championship campaign included four wins and a total of eleven podiums across the 15 races.
The 19 year old is now set for another stint with the Italian team, and speaking at the announcement, Wharton expressed his delight to be back with PREMA.
Super excited to be back at my second home for the 2026 season. Going into testing is about getting comfortable with the car and back with the team, and to make full preparations to enter 2026 on the right foot and be able to start strong at home in Melbourne. I missed PREMA a lot. The family I have there is amazing, and everyone in the team is just exceptional people. Wharton on the news.
We are extremely happy to welcome James back to PREMA. We really enjoyed working with him since his very first steps in motorsport. We are proud of his journey, and we truly believe in his potential. To have him on board for 2026 makes great sense, and we are looking forward to seeing what the season has in store for us. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
ART Grand Prix have announced that Kanato Le will be racing for them in the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season.
Le made the step up to single seater racing in 2022 and had a strong 2023 campaign in British F4, winning two races and adding a further two podiums on his way to finishing seventh in the Standings.
The Japanese driver also competed in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, and then returned for a second season in the competition with ART Grand Prix this year.
So far in 2025, he has achieved several points finishes and sits 13th in the Drivers’ Standings.
In addition to that, Le has competed in nine races of this year’s GB3 Championship, achieving one victory and an additional two podiums.
I’m super excited to be racing in FIA F3 next season with ART GP. I am really grateful for the opportunity they have given me to be able to race in this championship. It’s been a good year working with the team in FRECA this season and I look forward to getting started in F3. I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point and trusting me. I will work hard with the team to achieve good results so I’m really looking forward to it. Le on the news.
Kanato’s move to F3 is the natural continuation of his journey with ART Grand Prix. After two seasons in FRECA, he will now discover an even more demanding category, where every detail makes the difference. Kanato already knows the team and how it operates, which will help him integrate smoothly and focus fully on his driving. This continuity is important both for him and for us, and we are looking forward to the next stages of his development. Sebastien Philippe, ART Grand Prix Team Principal.
Rodin Motorsport has finalised its lineup for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season, with Pedro Clerot confirmed as the team’s third and final signing.
The Brazilian driver has been racing in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine this year and has so far taken two wins and a further four podium finishes.
Prior to his FRECA campaign, Clerot claimed multiple karting titles in his native Brazil, before graduating to single-seater racing in 2021.
He won the Brazilian F4 title in 2022 and moved onto Spanish F4 in 2023, finishing that season sixth overall with two wins. In 2024, he took part in his rookie FRECA season, earning two podiums en route to eighth in the standings that year, and he sits fourth with a round to go in the ’25 campaign.
I’m very happy to join Rodin for my first year in FIA F3 for my rookie season. Working with the team will be very special. I followed their 2025 season quite closely and strongly believe that together, with the team, we can achieve great things working together. I’m very grateful to Rodin for the trust and commitment in signing the deal. I can’t wait to get started! Clerot on the news.
Pedro is a driver we have followed closely, his performances have marked him out as a real prospect for the future. FIA Formula 3 is a demanding step but we are confident that Pedro will continue to grow and show his true potential. Benn Huntingford, Rodin Motorsport Sporting Director.
Maciej Gladysz will move up to FIA Formula 3 in 2026 with ART Grand Prix, the French team has confirmed.
The Polish driver made his single-seater debut last year, finishing third overall in both the Formula Winter Series and Spanish F4 Championship in 2024.
In 2025, he followed that up by winning the Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship with two poles, wins and five podiums overall and is currently sixth in the Eurocup-3 Standings having taken a race victory.
Prior to his step into single-seater racing, Gladysz won multiple karting accolades at both a National and European level.
Stepping up into the FIA Formula 3 Championship with the ART Grand Prix Team is a dream come true for me and my family. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and proud to make my F3 debut with such a successful squad. I immediately felt at home in the team and can’t wait to start this new chapter of my career. I’ve learned a lot in 2025 and shown that I have the speed to make that next step for 2026. I always aim high and I’m ready to continue working hard and keep improving as a driver. I would also like to thank all our partners who made this step possible and all the amazing fans who supported me along the way. The 17 year old on the news.
We are pleased to welcome Maciej to ART Grand Prix for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season. He has gained valuable experience in F4 and Eurocup-3 and shown good potential. FIA F3 is a significant step, and we are looking forward to working with him to help him continue his development and meet the challenges ahead.” Sebastien Philippe, ART Team Principal.
Hitech TGR have confirmed the signing of Fionn McLaughlin for the 2026 season, completing their driver lineup for next year – following the announcement of Jin Nakamura and Michael Shin.
After a trophy laden karting career, McLaughlin made the step up to single-seater racing in 2025, finishing third in the Formula Winter Series and claiming the British F4 Championship this past weekend, with five victories across the season.
The 17 year old Red Bull Junior Team driver is now set to graduate up to Formula 3 and following his announcement, he expressed how delighted he was to be continuing his career in such familiar environment.
I’m incredibly proud of everything I’ve achieved this year – it’s already been a whirlwind journey from karting to single-seaters, and now stepping up to FIA Formula 3 with Hitech is a dream come true. I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, especially Hitech and the Red Bull Junior Team for their trust and belief in my potential. McLaughlin on the news.
At Hitech, we’ve closely followed Fionn’s progress in the entry categories of the Formula Winter Series and the British F4 Championship, and we’ve been consistently impressed by his speed, maturity, and racecraft. His rapid development and ability to adapt to different challenges – such as new circuits, F1-grade tracks like Silverstone GP and Zandvoort, and varying track conditions – will stand him in good stead for FIA Formula 3. We’re confident Fionn is ready for this next important step in his career, and we look forward to supporting his continued development as he aims for the top. Paul Bellringer, Hitech Team Manager.
Campos Racing have confirmed that Ugo Ugochukwu will be racing for the team next season, completing their lineup for the 2026 campaign.
Ugochukwu, who will race alongside Theophile Nael and Ernesto Riviera, returns for a second year in Formula 3 after a rookie season in which he achieved two podiums and finished 16th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to that, the 19 year old finished third in the 2025 Formula Regional Middle East Championship, after winning the 2024 Macau Grand Prix and becoming the 2023 Euro 4 Champion.
The American driver is now set to continue in F3 for a second season, and he is excited about the prospect of doing so with the reigning Teams’ Champions.
I’m really excited to be joining Campos Racing for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season. It will be my second year in the category, so I’ll bring more experience with me. The team comes from winning the Teams’ title last season, so I know I’ll be in a very strong environment. I’m confident that together we can achieve great results in the upcoming season. Ugochukwu on the news.
We are thrilled to welcome Ugo on board for next season. Alongside Théophile and Ernesto, we have been able to build a very strong line-up. Despite his young age, Ugo already brings valuable experience and an impressive record both in karting and single-seaters, which speaks volumes about his capabilities for the future. We are eager to start this new chapter together and see what we can achieve. Adrian Campos, Campos Racing Team Principal.
Tuukka Taponen will return for a second season in Formula 3 next year, making the move to MP Motorsport for the 2026 campaign.
The 18 year old had a stellar rookie year in F3, achieving three podiums on his way to finishing ninth in the Drivers’ Championship.
Prior to that, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy member had a trophy-laden step karting career, before making the step up to single seater racing in 2021.
Taponen then finished second in the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship, before becoming the 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Champion. Later that year, he took third in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.
He is now set to continue in Formula 3 for another season, and is delighted to be back and to be racing with MP.
I’m really pleased to join MP Motorsport for my second year in Formula 3. It’s wonderful news to have confirmation of my immediate future so early. It means that I have a productive winter with the team and the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy ahead of me, as we work together on the best possible preparation for the 2026 season. MP is one of the leading teams in the championship, having finished third in this year’s teams standings, and I look forward to becoming part of their family and adding to their success. Taponen on the news.
At MP Motorsport, we are all happy to welcome Tuukka into our Formula 3 squad for 2026. Ever since his promotion from karts, Tuukka’s quick rise through the ranks has been remarkable. He has been one of our fiercest rivals in the past two years, so having him on our side for 2026 is absolutely great news. Along with Mattia and Alessandro, Tuukka will add to MP’s strong 2026 line-up of extremely talented youngsters all capable of fighting at the sharp end of the Formula 3 grid. MP Motorsport Team Principal, Sander Dorsman.
Hitech TGR have announced their second driver signing for the 2026 season, with Michael Shin set to join the team for the upcoming campaign.
Shin returns to Formula 3 having competed in six races during the 2023 season, and since then he has finished fourth in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship and seventh in Eurocup-3 back in 2024
This year, the South Korean driver has been competing in the Euroformula Open Championship and with one round to go he is second in the Standings, having achieved four victories.
In addition to that, Shin also competed in one round of the 2025 GB3 Championship, achieving one podium finish.
I am delighted to be returning home to Hitech TGR for my full FIA F3 debut. Having been away from the team these past two years developing, this feels like a perfect reunion. I am looking forward to getting to work in the post-season tests and building towards a strong debut in Melbourne. Shin on the news.
We’re very pleased to welcome Michael to Hitech for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season. He’s shown real determination and strong results over the past few years, including during his previous GB3 experience with us, and his performances in Euroformula Open and briefly in FIA F3 have demonstrated his ability to adapt quickly and compete at a high level. We’re looking forward to his continued development as he takes on a full campaign in FIA F3. Hitech TGR Team Manager, Paul Bellringer.
PREMA Racing have confirmed their first driver signing for the 2026 season, with Enzo Deligny set to join the team.
Deligny is currently in the middle of a stellar campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, as he sits third in the Drivers’ Standings helped by his three wins.
Prior to that, the 17 year old finished fifth in the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship and fourth in the 2024 Macau Grand Prix.
As well as that, in his debut year in single seater racing back in 2023, Deligny finished fourth in the Spanish F4 Championship.
Deligny is now set to take the next step of his career in Formula 3 with PREMA, and is happy to be taking on his new challenge with the Italian team.
I’m thrilled to be joining PREMA Racing. It’s a great team with a lot of past achievements, and it has seen a lot of great drivers pass through its ranks. It’s a very good chance for me to learn and grow up in my rookie F3 year. I’m grateful to PREMA, my management team, and my family for this opportunity. Let’s have a good season together! Deligny on the news.
We are happy to welcome Enzo to our team. He has seen an impressive growth in the last couple of years, and we look forward to working together in 2025. The FIA Formula 3 Championship is extremely competitive, and it will be for sure a challenge, but we will keep working like we did this year and carry that progress into the next year. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
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