Théophile Naël claimed victory in a tight Feature Race at the 2026 F3 Barcelona-Catalunya Round, view the full race report here.
The third round of the 2026 F3 season kicked off with an eventful Sprint Race, which saw James Wharton take PREMA Racing’s first win since Spa-Francorchamps in 2024. However, the race also saw two safety cars, three penalties, and several result-changing post-race penalties.
Now, as preparations for the Feature Race concluded, Théophile Naël lined up in P1 for his third consecutive pole, alongside Ugo Ugochukwu in P2, and Hiyu Yamakoshi in P3. Brando Badoer started behind in P4 as Taito Kato completed the top five. Further back, originally set to start P14, Maciej Gładysz now started P17, serving a three-place grid penalty after impeding Fernando Barrichello during Qualifying.
Lights out for the 2026 F3 Barcelona Feature Race
As the five lights went out, Naël got off to a strong start, while Yamakoshi jumped up into P2. The Japanese driver briefly attempted to challenge Naël for the lead through Turn 1, before cutting across the escape road and falling back to P2.
Further back, Gładysz managed to gain four positions off the line as Freddie Slater moved from P10 to P6. However, Race Control soon noted the TRIDENT driver for leaving the track and gaining an advantage at Turn 1.
A brief Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was released on Lap 3 after Woohyun Shin collided into the rear of Yevan David, leaving debris on the track, as the pair pitted due to punctures. Naël led the field away at the restart, but Yamakoshi managed to stay within DRS range.
DAMS Lucas Oil drivers bring out a second VSC
Drama unfolded on Lap 8 as Nicola Lacorte attempted a move down the inside of his teammate, Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi, spinning Bhirombhakdi around, as Lacorte went off track with damage before retiring. The incident caused another brief VSC, as Race Control handed Slater a 5-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage for his Lap 1 excursion.
As the race resumed, Ernesto Rivera lost P6 to Deligny. Moments later, a third short VSC was deployed due to debris on the exit of the final corner. At the restart, Yamakoshi hung on to leader Naël, while del Pino began closing down the gap to Ugochukwu in P3. The Spaniard managed to get past on Lap 16 as Ugochukwu ran wide at the final corner.
Meanwhile, Race Control handed a 5-second time penalty to Jin Nakamura for a safety car infringement, while Shin received a 10-second time penalty for the earlier collision with David.
Naël extends his lead
By Lap 18, Naël finally broke DRS range with Yamakoshi behind, building a significant gap of 1.6s. Despite taking P3 a few laps earlier, del Pino struggled to create a gap to Ugochukwu, allowing the Campos Racing driver to regain his position in Turn 1 on Lap 20.
Running with his 5-second time penalty, Slater got off the racing line on the final corner, running in the gravel and dropping to P6 before being pressured by Deligny. Deligny got past on the following lap, leaving Slater in P7. Behind, Taponen led a lengthy DRS train, with close racing.
On the penultimate lap, del Pino dropped down from P4 to P6, losing out to Badoer and teammate Deligny. Meanwhile, in the DRS train, Taponen and Gładysz went wheel-to-wheel for P10, with Gładysz staying composed and staying ahead.
At the chequered flag, Campos Racing’s Naël was finally able to convert his pole position into his first 2026 F3 victory. Yamakoshi finished P2, claiming his maiden F3 podium as Ugochukwu completed the podium. With this F3 Barcelona-Catalunya Feature Race victory, Naël now moved up to P2 in the Drivers’ Standings.
