Formula 3 resumes with three days of testing at Spielberg
The FIA Formula 3 Championship has completed only its opening round in Melbourne in 2026, with activity suspended after the cancellation of the Bahrain event. Teams and drivers returned to action for a two-day test at the Red Bull Ring on 20–21 May, getting back on track for the first time since Albert Park, ahead of the Monaco weekend where competition resumes in earnest. The first day ended with encouraging signs for the Italian contingent in the field, as well as for several rookies — above all Freddie Slater.
Good Italy, outstanding Slater
The fastest time of the day went to Ugo Ugochukwu (1:20.368), confirming the strong form he showed in Melbourne, where he won the Feature Race. Behind him, a Nordic group followed closely, with Tuukka Taponen and Noah Strømsted separated by less than a tenth of a second (+0.073 and +0.083 respectively). In fourth place was the rookie attracting the most attention: Freddie Slater (+0.131). He was the fastest rookie overall — the next best appears only in eighth place, Hiyu Yamakoshi (+0.421). Slater remains one of the main title favourites: his limited experience in the category is more than compensated by outstanding natural talent, already evident in the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship season
His main rival from last year’s Formula Regional European Championship, Matteo De Palo, finished 12th (+0.637).
Among the Italians, the strongest performer was Brando Badoer in 5th (+0.307), followed by Nicola Lacorte in 10th (+0.564), both showing clear progress compared to a more difficult rookie F3 season. A notable absence was Christian Ho (Rodin), missing due to “academic commitments” and replaced for the two-day test by Gino Trappa.
Ugochukwu’s comments
Day 1 leader Ugochukwu told the official Formula 3 website:“The day was quite positive, the pace was really good and we tried a couple of things to keep improving.” He added that despite topping the timesheets, the main goal was not outright performance: “The main thing was to pick up exactly where we left off in Melbourne.” Reflecting on the long break between Melbourne and the test, he said: “It was great to be back working on track with the team. Of course, we prepared both in the factory and on the simulator, but it’s always nice to be back on track properly.” Below are the full results from the first day of F3 testing.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | S/P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ugo Ugochukwu | Campos Racing | 1:20.368 | — | AM |
| 2 | Tuukka Taponen | MP Motorsport | 1:20.441 | +0.073 | AM |
| 3 | Noah Stromsted | TRIDENT | 1:20.451 | +0.083 | PM |
| 4 | Freddie Slater | TRIDENT | 1:20.499 | +0.131 | PM |
| 5 | Brando Badoer | Rodin Motorsport | 1:20.675 | +0.307 | AM |
| 6 | Brad Benavides | AIX Racing | 1:20.749 | +0.381 | AM |
| 7 | Louis Sharp | PREMA Racing | 1:20.755 | +0.387 | AM |
| 8 | Hiyu Yamakoshi | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:20.789 | +0.421 | AM |
| 9 | Pedro Clerot | Rodin Motorsport | 1:20.902 | +0.534 | AM |
| 10 | Nicola Lacorte | DAMS Lucas Oil | 1:20.932 | +0.564 | PM |
| 11 | Jin Nakamura | Hitech | 1:20.975 | +0.607 | AM |
| 12 | Matteo de Palo | TRIDENT | 1:21.005 | +0.637 | AM |
| 13 | James Wharton | PREMA Racing | 1:21.031 | +0.663 | AM |
| 14 | Bruno Del Pino | MP Motorsport | 1:21.050 | +0.682 | AM |
| 15 | Maciej Gladysz | ART Grand Prix | 1:21.064 | +0.696 | AM |
| 16 | Alessandro Giusti | MP Motorsport | 1:21.074 | +0.706 | AM |
| 17 | Gerrard Xie | DAMS Lucas Oil | 1:21.141 | +0.773 | AM |
| 17 | Ernesto Rivera | Campos Racing | 1:21.141 | +0.773 | AM |
| 19 | Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi | DAMS Lucas Oil | 1:21.244 | +0.876 | AM |
| 20 | Taito Kato | ART Grand Prix | 1:21.251 | +0.883 | AM |
| 21 | Kanato Le | ART Grand Prix | 1:21.281 | +0.913 | AM |
| 22 | Mattia Colnaghi | MP Motorsport | 1:21.312 | +0.944 | PM |
| 23 | Enzo Deligny | Van Amersfoort Racing | 1:21.483 | +1.115 | AM |
| 24 | Woohyun Shin | Hitech | 1:21.405 | +1.037 | PM |
| 25 | Fionn McLaughlin | Hitech | 1:21.424 | +1.056 | PM |
| 26 | Yevan David | AIX Racing | 1:21.648 | +1.280 | AM |
| 27 | Fernando Barrichello | AIX Racing | 1:21.693 | +1.325 | AM |
| 28 | Theophile Nael | Campos Racing | 1:21.388 | +1.020 | AM |
| 29 | Jose Garfias | PREMA Racing | 1:21.766 | +1.398 | AM |
| 30 | Genaro Trappa | Rodin Motorsport | 1:21.944 | +1.576 | AM |
Photos: X profiles @F3, @trident_team (cover)
