Pedro Clerot believes Rodin Motorsport finally showed its true potential in Spielberg after the Brazilian rookie enjoyed his strongest FIA Formula 3 (F3) weekend of the season.
Clerot qualified 10th on Friday, just over three-tenths adrift of pole position, before producing two impressive recovery drives across the weekend.
In the Sprint Race, the Rodin driver looked set to miss out on the podium before pulling off two overtakes on the final lap to snatch second place from Jin Nakamura and James Wharton.
He backed that up in Sunday’s Feature Race, spending much of the afternoon in the midfield battle before another bold move at Turn 6 on the final lap saw him overtake Nakamura and Taito Kato to secure fourth.
Reflecting on the Spielberg Round
Looking back on the 2026 F3 Spielberg weekend, Clerot said the results reflected the pace he and Rodin had shown throughout the season.
“I felt like this was the first weekend where we truly showed what we had the whole year,” he said.
“Australia, we had an issue in Qualifying and then we came from P19 to P8 in the Feature. Monaco, we didn’t do the last lap in Qualifying, which in the end doesn’t really show our potential. Still, we got a P3 there in the Sprint and a P8 in the Feature.
“Barcelona did not really go our way. We had a lot of issues there, and we’re still trying to understand exactly what happened. But then here, again in Qualifying, it was a bit hectic and I only got one run and still managed to put it in the top 10 with quite a big mistake in my lap.
“Yesterday, we had really good pace. Again, attacking late in the race and showing that we took good care of the tyres and made the right decisions. Today was all about waiting, making the correct decisions and saving tyres.
“At some point, I had a lot more grip and pace than the cars around me, but that wasn’t the right time to use it. As soon as the big mess started, I knew it was time to use it to my advantage and we pulled it off.”
The last lap masterclass in the Feature Race
The decisive move in the F3 Spielberg Feature Race came with a double overtake into Turn 6 on the final lap, a move Clerot said he already knew was possible despite some doubts from his engineers.
“I tried the move yesterday in the Sprint and I knew it was possible,” he explained. “That’s a move I’ve pulled before in my career in different categories.
“I managed to take really good care of my tyres, and I think me and Hiyu were the only ones in the top 10 without new tyres. We did a good job and I was waiting for the right opportunity to attack. Everyone sort of got into a mess and I made the right decisions at that point.
“I saw the opportunity open up in T6 and I took it. It was a bit of a risk, but my tyres were still quite good at that stage of the race compared to everyone else. So I had the grip to do it and it was a nice move.
“I was laughing with the engineers because they were like, ‘Mate, you’re crazy to do this,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I think we can do it.’ But I’m just happy we could pull it off. It was a good race.”
His work with Rodin Motorsport in his rookie year
With two podiums already to his name in his rookie campaign, Clerot sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship on 37 points. The 19-year-old credits much of that progress to the work Rodin Motorsport has put in alongside him.
“I’m pretty happy with the learning curve I’ve been having,” Clerot said. “The team have been helping me a lot with that. It’s been really good to work with Rodin.
“They give me a lot of support and the main thing is that I continue to learn and build every weekend. You get better after every round.
“Generally, I’m very happy with everything we’re doing and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. We have a home race weekend next for us in Silverstone and I’m sure we’ll have great pace there. It’s about maximising the result.”
Although Silverstone will be his first visit to the iconic circuit, Clerot is looking forward to the challenge.
“It will be my first time going to Silverstone, so I don’t really know what to expect. I’m not going to go with any expectations.
“I’m just going to rock up and drive and feel how it goes. Silverstone has great racing. I remember watching in 2024 when Arvid won both races. That was a really nice weekend to watch.
“It’s a very nice track to drive and I am excited. Hopefully we can make it another good weekend for the team.”
