Théophile Naël left Monaco with a second-place finish, valuable points, and clear momentum after another strong 2026 F3 weekend for both himself and Campos Racing.
The Frenchman started the Feature Race from pole position, but a difficult launch cost him the lead in the opening phase. Nevertheless, he recovered to secure P2 and continued to underline the speed he has shown across the early rounds of the 2026 season.
After taking back-to-back pole positions and delivering a podium in Monaco, Naël acknowledged his disappointment over the start. However, he also stressed that the overall pace, the points haul, and his growing confidence with Campos Racing gave him plenty to build on ahead of Barcelona.
Naël explains costly F3 Feature Race start in Monaco
Naël started from pole for the Feature Race, but he immediately came under pressure after struggling for traction off the line. While he felt his initial reaction was strong, he admitted that wheelspin in the second phase of the launch compromised his race.
“Yeah, it was a tough start, to be honest. I think the reaction time was good, but then I had quite a lot of wheelspin on the second pace. We looked at some data, and I already know what I must improve for the future for Barcelona. But we know that Monaco, for the grip, for the start, it is typical. I’m a bit disappointed for myself, but the pace over the weekend has been really, really strong. I’m looking forward to the next week.”
Although the start denied him a chance to control the race from the front, Naël still turned a difficult opening moment into a strong result. Moreover, his comments suggested that he had already identified the areas he needed to improve before the next round.
Campos pace gives Naël confidence
Beyond the start, Naël remained highly positive about the performance he and Campos produced in Monaco. The team had already shown strength at the venue in 2025, and Naël felt confident from the early stages of the weekend.
“Yeah, I’m super happy, super confident with the team. They have been working really hard since the start of the year, so I’m really thankful to them. Last year, they were already a super-strong team in Monaco. I just did my best in Practice and Quali. I’ve done a really good lap in Quali, so yeah, I knew that. If I would have been in the lead, maybe the race would have been easier, but that’s how it is. I’m still happy to take some points for the team.”
His Qualifying performance proved especially important around Monaco, where overtaking remains extremely difficult. Therefore, his pole position reflected not only his own execution but also the team’s strong baseline around the street circuit.
Even so, Naël did not dwell on what might have been. Instead, he highlighted the importance of banking points and maintaining momentum after a competitive weekend.
Adapting quickly the biggest challenge for Naël in Monaco
Monaco’s unique layout always places major demands on drivers, but Naël also had to adjust after a long gap in the championship. He identified that rapid adaptation as the weekend’s main challenge.
“The biggest challenge was to adapt very quickly to this track, especially with being three months off [from] the championship. So yeah, I think that was the toughest part. For me, it went quite well. I ended up [top] straight away in the FP and I maximised everything for points. So yeah, that was the toughest part.”
That quick adaptation helped set up the rest of his weekend. By getting up to speed immediately in Free Practice, Naël gave himself a strong platform for Qualifying, where precision and confidence matter heavily on the streets of Monte Carlo.
As a result, he placed himself in a strong position for the Feature Race and ensured he could leave the weekend with a major points return.
Naël highlights F3 Sprint Race chaos as useful preparation for Monaco Feature Race
Before the Feature Race, the Sprint Race brought incidents and disruption throughout the field. Naël described it as chaotic, but he still found value in the experience.
“I mean, for me, the Sprint Race was a bit chaotic, but it was good learning for the race, in terms of how to manage the tyres and where I can rotate if possible or not. But yeah, I mean, the Sprint Race was chaotic for everyone. So it was just, let’s say, like an FP session to learn for tyres and also for some details.”
Rather than allowing the Sprint Race to unsettle him, Naël used it to gather information. Tyre management, rotation, and race-specific details all became useful reference points before Sunday’s Feature Race.
That approach also reflected his ability to reset and focus on the bigger picture. Consequently, he delivered a clean Feature Race and converted his front-row starting position into another podium.
Relief and renewed belief after a tough start to the 2026 F3 season
Naël’s Monaco podium also carried wider significance after a frustrating start to the campaign. He had already shown pace in Melbourne, but a penalty prevented him from fully capitalising on that performance.
In Monaco, however, he converted speed into points. That result gave him a timely boost as the championship gets into its tightly-packed European stretch.
“I mean, I feel great, to be honest. Since the beginning of the season, I showed some great pace, even in Melbourne. Unfortunately, I got the penalty, but the pace was there.
“Yeah, back-to-back pole positions. So we don’t ask for more, to be honest. Unfortunately, some details in my start today pushed me back. Then I went back to P2, so it wasn’t the best start.
“But I mean, the confidence is still there. I feel really good with the team. And I know that the season is just starting now for me, you know. I’m scoring quite a lot of points, and I think [I’m] P5 the championship, so I’m coming back.
His words underlined both satisfaction and ambition. While the missed opportunity from pole still frustrated him, the result confirmed that his pace could translate into a meaningful championship recovery.
Barcelona offers another opportunity for Naël in his 2026 F3 campaign
Naël now turns his attention to Barcelona, a circuit where both he and Campos have reasons to feel optimistic. He performed strongly there in the previous season, while the team also showed encouraging pace during post-season and pre-season testing.
“I think Barcelona was one of my strongest weekends last year as well. I’m looking forward to it. The post-season test and the pre-season test have been really, really strong. Let’s see. It’s going to be super hard, I think, as well. The tyre deg and tyre management is going to be the key there. Let’s see. We have some days off before coming in.”
Barcelona will present a very different challenge from Monaco. Instead of track position dominating the weekend, tyre degradation and management could shape the outcome more heavily. However, Naël’s confidence with Campos, combined with his recent qualifying form, gives him a strong foundation.
After Monaco, he leaves with a podium, important points, and renewed momentum. More importantly, he believes his season has properly started.
