Van Amersfoort Racing’s (VAR) Hiyu Yamakoshi continued his strong run of form during F3 Qualifying at the 2026 Austrian GP, with the Japanese rookie claiming his maiden pole position. The VAR driver has built solid momentum over the past few rounds, emerging as one of the standout performers in the field.
Fresh off his maiden F3 podium in Barcelona, Yamakoshi etches his name in the championship’s history books by becoming the first Japanese driver to claim pole position. Speaking in the post-Qualifying press conference attended by Pit Debrief, the 19 year-old reflected on his session and described the indescriable feeling of achieving the milestone for his country.
“Yeah, it’s like amazing. I mean, I cannot describe by the word, you know, especially from Barcelona, we have the confidence and we have a nice package and come to the Red Bull Ring.”, Yamakoshi said.
“Still, you know, have a nice momentum from Barcelona. So, in the end, qualifying, I made a mistake in the last push. I just cross [my] finger, hold it up and waiting for the pole position.”
“When I got the pole position, it’s just, I cannot describe the feeling. I’m just so happy, so happy with the pole position, especially that this is my first pole position from a Japanese in FIA F3 in history. So, it is a great, great feeling.”
Yamakoshi on achieving the unexpected
Having opted to run out of sync with the rest of the field, the Japanese driver’s early second attempt proved enough to secure pole by 0.015s. Reflecting on the team’s approach and how the session unfolded, Yamakoshi said: “In the end, it was not our like a base plan for us to try to do two sets, but obviously, I made a mistake in the first push. I got track limit and lap time deleted.”
“We know the hardest part, the last push is going to be like mess and by the traffic, in the end, it was a lot of mess. So, for me, I decided to put another tyre on just in case and time was good enough for the pole position.”
He shared that securing his first pole position in his rookie season was not something he had expected, especially given the competitiveness Trident and Campos Racing have demonstrated last year. While he expected both teams to be strong again, Yamakoshi noted that VAR has since made a significant leap forward and expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance since the start of the season.
“I mean, obviously, I didn’t expect I’m going to get pole position this year, especially rookie year and like, we know the Campos and Trident was strong last year. We thought they were going to be as strong as last year.”
He added: “And actually, the team did really good improvement, really good job all the points from the beginning of the year. And then we just built a nice confidence, and then I think we got back some nice speed.”
Setbacks have made Yamakoshi and VAR stronger
Since the start of the 2026 F3 season, VAR have stunned the field with their competitiveness, with their drivers consistently inside the top ten and in the fight for points. When asked by Pit Debrief about how being with the team has strengthened his confidence, Yamakoshi explained that both setbacks and signs of competitiveness have helped him bounce back stronger and showcase the team’s potential and pace.
“I mean, the first round, my teammates did a really nice result. And that time, I know we have a pair fighting for the championship. And after we had a long break, but we had an in-season test and also we had a really good test, really good data and everything.”
“In Monaco, obviously, we [were] very disappointed, like disqualified. But I think that makes us even stronger. And I think that’s the reason why we are in the top of the qualifying.”
Aiming to achieve “maximum result” for the Feature Race
With hopes of repeating his podium result from Barcelona, the 19 year-old said: “For the Feature Race, just a clean start and see what I can do for the first few laps and feel the car. What is the maximum result for us and try to do my best. Obviously, that’s the main thing for the Feature Race.”
“And for tomorrow, just try to finish the race and get the maximum data for the Feature Race and try to use maximum data for the Feature Race as well.”
However, when asked by Pit Debrief how the team can capitalise on an opportunity like this when starting at the front of the field, Yamakoshi noted that, in his rookie season, he is still learning, but that it is also about trusting himself and maximising each result.
“Yeah, I mean, this is my rookie year in F3, so every round is learning for me. But for me, when we have confidence, when we have a chance, just try to get all the maximised opportunities and trust myself. For me, that’s everything we can do.”
New weekend, new challenges
Despite similar hot conditions in Barcelona, Yamakoshi believes the 2026 Austrian GP will present a brand new challenge for the F3 grid. Nonetheless, his focus is on maximising both races.
“Yeah, different track, different compound and obviously if the temperature is similar, it’s always difficult to say even if it’s a different track.”, he said. “But I think we have good data and we have a good result in Barcelona. So for me, try to maximise the data and result from the maximum data there that counts the driver for the Feature Race.”
The session marked a monumental achievement for Japan, with four of its drivers finishing inside the top ten yesterday. Hoping to inspire the next generation of Japanese drivers, Yamakoshi encouraged young racers to never give up and keep pushing.
“This is basically the same weekend as Formula 1, which is like one of my dreams as well. And, you know, what I can say is just, for me, always try to like never give up and try to focus and reset the mind. If you even get results by results, just try to focus again for the next round, the next race and analyse what I can do for the future.”
