Freddie Slater started off his 2026 strong at the Formula 3 Australian GP, as he claimed his maiden F3 podium in the Feature Race with a P2 result.
His weekend began with an impressive qualifying session, in which he claimed P3, before heading into a slightly more difficult Sprint Race, where he finished P9. Speaking ahead of the season starter in Melbourne, attended by Pit Debrief, Slater reflected on his rapid rise through the junior ranks and the mindset that fuels his early success in F3.
Prema’s role in Slater’s development
Throughout his single-seater career, Slater has driven for multiple teams across several championships. However, one that stands out is PREMA Racing. The Brit first joined forces with PREMA in 2023, competing in the Euro 4 Championship and the Abu Dhabi GP F4 UAE Trophy Round, improving along the way to finish 10th and 4th in the standings, respectively.
In 2024, he built on his momentum with the team and dominated the Italian F4 Championship, claiming the title with 383 points, while also securing P3 in the Euro 4 Championship. The following year, Slater continued his success with PREMA, claiming the Formula Regional Europe Championship with 313 points.
Reflecting on how working with such an established team shaped his development, Slater said:
“Yeah, obviously, to start my journey with a team like PREMA in Formula 4 and Formula Regional is a very special thing. You know, a team like that has so much history and knowledge. I think that helped me massively because I got to learn so much from drivers of previous generations and also from very experienced engineers and René [Rosin] and everyone involved. I just learned a lot in my early days of cars, let’s say. Yeah, it was a very enjoyable time for myself and I really enjoyed working with them.”
Maximizing performance remains key
Having already claimed three single-seater championships in his career, Slater has quickly established himself as one of the most consistent performers in the junior ranks. Now, after making his full-time F3 debut, Slater already sits second in the 2026 F3 Drivers’ Standings with 18 points.
When asked by Pit Debrief what he considers to be his biggest strength in remaining a championship contender year after year, Slater explained:
“Yeah, I’ve had some very cool success over the last couple of years, but that doesn’t mean anything going into Formula 3. Of course, it’s nice to know and have accomplished before, but it’s about keeping the feet on the ground and approaching this F3 season a little bit differently because every championship is different.”
He continued: “So yeah, I’ve just got to maximise my strengths and the consistency, like you say. And at the end of the day, it’s pretty obvious the guy that scores the most points wins, but that’s by winning on the bad days. When things go wrong, you need to maximise and I think that’s the key for me. It’s just never giving up and always pushing on and always pushing on for more is what goes on and is my mentality. So I think it’s going to help me this season.”
Managing F3 chaos
While qualifying in F3 is crucial for track position, it is often stressful given the limited time and high number of cars on track. However, Slater explained that, for him, the pressure of qualifying is replaced by excitement as he embraces the final push lap as an opportunity to deliver maximum performance.
“Yeah, for me it’s obviously a bit of a new experience for me, but honestly, when that feeling happens in qualifying, it’s just excitement for me. It’s a very special thing to now be on that kind of fine line of one push lap, let’s say. But when the car comes alive, when the fuel is low and everything comes together, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. So for me, it’s just excitement to try and deliver and maximise everything you have at that time.”
Despite still building his F3 experience in 2026, Slater added that the chaotic nature of F3 sessions do not significantly change his mindset.
“For me, it’s not something I really think about when there’s so many cars on track. And I think it’s just kind of the approach maybe changes a little bit of trying to get the lap in or there’s more chances of things going wrong. But I don’t think too much changes, honestly. I just think it’s just about maximising what you do when you’re out on track,” he shared.
“As you know, F3 qualifying towards the end of the lap before you start your push lap, it gets pretty hectic. Obviously, we know that. But yeah, I wouldn’t say much change in the thought process, let’s say.”
