The 2026 FIA Formula 3 (F3) Monaco GP delivered plenty of drama around the iconic streets of Monte Carlo. Breakthrough victories, redemption stories, and costly penalties all played a part in shaping the second round of the season.
From standout performances to opportunities that slipped away, here are the biggest winners and losers from the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.
Winners of the 2026 F3 Monaco GP
Brando Badoer – Rodin Motorsport
Badoer topped Qualifying Group A but was ultimately displaced by Naël, who set the fastest time in Group B to secure pole position. In the Sprint Race, Badoer was caught up in an incident at the hairpin, which led to his retirement. However, he bounced back strongly in the Feature Race, taking the lead from Naël at the first corner and remaining in the fight at the front throughout the race. He went on to claim his maiden Formula 3 victory, earning 25 points for the win. Following a stellar weekend in Monaco, Badoer now sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship standings with 28 points.
Théophile Naël – Campos Racing
After a disappointing weekend in Melbourne, Naël finally converted his strong pace into points in Monaco. The Campos Racing driver topped Thursday’s Free Practice session before securing his second pole position of the 2026 season by setting the fastest time in Qualifying Group B.
Naël’s hopes of scoring in Saturday’s Sprint Race were ended by contact involving team-mate Ernesto Rivera and Freddie Slater, dropping him to the back of the field. However, he bounced back in the Feature Race, where he started from pole but lost the lead to Badoer at Turn 1 before finishing a close second.
The runner-up finish earned Naël 20 points and moved him up to fifth in the Drivers’ Championship standings. After showing strong pace since the season opener in Australia, Monaco was the first weekend where he was able to fully capitalise on it.
Ugo Ugochukwu – Campos Racing
Ugo Ugochukwu may not have challenged at the very front throughout the Monaco weekend, but the American still emerged as one of its biggest points scorers. He collected 18 points across the two races, the third-highest total of any driver, behind only Badoer (25) and Naël (20).
Consistency proved to be Ugochukwu’s greatest strength. While many of his rivals encountered incidents, penalties, or retirements, he scored points in both races and joined only five other drivers in achieving that feat over the weekend.
The Campos Racing driver laid the foundations early, finishing third in Free Practice before qualifying second in Group A. He then converted that pace into a sixth-place finish in the Sprint Race after penalties and disqualifications reshuffled the order, before adding fourth place in the Feature Race.
By delivering strong results in both races, Ugochukwu extended his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings. He now holds 43 points after two rounds and leaves Monaco with his title challenge firmly on track.
Bruno del Pino – Van Amersfoort Racing
Bruno del Pino has been the benchmark for consistency so far in the 2026 Formula 3 season, extending his points-scoring streak to every race held this year.
The Spaniard enjoyed another productive weekend in Monaco, starting with Saturday’s Sprint Race, where he crossed the line in third place. He was later promoted to second after Hiyu Yamakoshi was disqualified, adding another podium finish to his growing tally.
In Sunday’s Feature Race, del Pino continued his strong run of form by securing sixth place, bringing his total points haul for the weekend to 17. While others around him experienced mixed fortunes, the Van Amersfoort driver once again maximised his opportunities and added valuable points to his championship campaign.
His consistent performances have allowed him to maintain second place in the Drivers’ Championship standings as the series heads to Barcelona.
Gerrard Xie – DAMS Lucas Oil
After scoring just a single point during his rookie Formula 3 campaign in 2025, Xie produced a breakthrough performance in Monaco.
The Chinese driver started second on the grid for Saturday’s Sprint Race and kept himself out of trouble throughout the event, taking the chequered flag in second place. After stewards disqualified Hiyu Yamakoshi from the results, Xie inherited victory, securing both his maiden Formula 3 win and first podium in the championship.
The result marked a significant milestone in Xie’s career and delivered DAMS Lucas Oil its first-ever podium in FIA Formula 3. By surpassing his entire 2025 points tally in a single weekend, Xie has positioned Monaco as a potential turning point in his sophomore campaign.
Losers of the 2026 F3 Monaco GP
Hiyu Yamakoshi – Van Amersfoort Racing
Hiyu Yamakoshi experienced one of the most frustrating weekends of any driver in Monaco. The Japanese driver appeared set for a breakthrough result after a strong Qualifying performance put him in contention for points across both races.
In Saturday’s Sprint Race, Yamakoshi crossed the line first on the road and looked to have secured a maiden Formula 3 victory. However, post-race scrutineering found his car in breach of the technical regulations, resulting in his disqualification and the loss of 10 valuable points.
The disappointment continued in Sunday’s Feature Race. After starting inside the top 10, Yamakoshi was unable to convert his pace into a strong result and ultimately finished outside the points.
A weekend that initially looked set to be a major turning point instead ended with the Japanese driver leaving Monaco empty-handed, despite showing the speed to challenge at the front throughout the event.
Tuukka Taponen – MP Motorsport
Tuukka Taponen endured a disastrous Monaco weekend, leaving the Principality without a single point after retiring from both races.
The MP Motorsport driver showed promising pace throughout the event and put himself in a position to fight near the front. However, his weekend quickly unravelled as he became involved in separate incidents in both the Sprint and Feature Races, resulting in two DNFs.
Retiring from either race in Monaco is costly, but failing to see the chequered flag on both days proved particularly damaging. While several of the drivers capitalised on the opportunity to score heavily, Taponen left Monte Carlo empty-handed despite showing the speed to challenge for a strong result.
It was a weekend of frustration for the Finn, who will now look to bounce back in Barcelona and recover the momentum lost during a difficult second round of the season.
Nicola Lacorte – DAMS Lucas Oil
Nicola Lacorte endured a frustrating Monaco weekend, with penalties and misfortune preventing the DAMS Lucas Oil driver from making the most of the second round of the season.
His troubles began in Saturday’s Sprint Race, where he was handed a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at Turn 1 on the opening lap. He was later given a post-race Stop & Go penalty for a starting procedure infringement, which was converted into a 30-second time penalty and dropped him to 22nd in the final classification.
Things went from bad to worse in Sunday’s Feature Race. After looking to put the disappointment of the Sprint behind him, Lacorte’s race ended prematurely with a DNF, meaning he left Monaco without any points to show for the weekend.
Enzo Deligny – Van Amersfoort Racing
Enzo Deligny endured a frustrating Monaco weekend, with a disappointing qualifying result and post-race penalties leaving him with little to show for his efforts.
The Frenchman put himself on the back foot after qualifying 22nd, leaving him with a significant challenge to score points around Monaco’s notoriously difficult street circuit. He made progress during Saturday’s Sprint Race and worked his way forward through the field, but post-race penalties ultimately undid his efforts.
Stewards handed Deligny a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at Turn 1, before issuing a further 30-second penalty for a restarting procedure infringement. Those penalties dropped him to 23rd in the final classification and erased the gains he had made on track.
Despite the setbacks, Deligny recovered well in Sunday’s Feature Race, gaining several positions and maximising the result available to him from his lowly starting spot. However, finishing outside the points meant Monaco ultimately delivered little reward for his efforts.
Brad Benavides – AIX Racing
Benavides endured a nightmare weekend at the 2026 F3 Monaco GP, with his campaign ending almost as soon as it began. Starting from P21 for the Sprint Race, the driver failed to complete a lap after becoming involved in a collision with Christian Ho and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi at Turn 6. The incident resulted in the retirements of both Benavides and Ho.
He was initially handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision, which was later converted into a five-place grid penalty for his next race due to his retirement.
However, Benavides would not take any further part in the Monaco weekend, withdrawing from the remainder of the event. He is also expected to miss an extended period, as his injuries could rule him out for the rest of the 2026 Formula 3 season.
