The pressure was on for Théophile Naël during Friday’s FIA Formula 3 (F3) Qualifying session in the 2026 Silverstone Round. After having his opening two flying laps deleted for track limits, the Campos Racing driver had just one final opportunity to secure a representative lap.
Speaking in the post-Qualifying press conference on Friday, attended by Pit Debrief, Naël admitted his final lap was driven differently to ensure he avoided another costly mistake.
“Yeah, it was on the edge. But to be honest, I kept it easy because the two first runs, I did track limits,” Naël explained.
“So yeah, my last lap was fast, but clean at the same time. Maybe I was one or two tenths off in the lap, but still very happy with this P2.”
Although his final effort briefly placed him on provisional pole before teammate Freddie Slater improved moments later, Naël believes there was still lap time left to find.
“Yeah, for sure. T3, the first sector and a bit on the last sector [areas for improvement], but I took it easy to avoid track limits.
“But I think that was a good lap to be on the front row.”
Confidence building at Silverstone
Conditions drastically changed on track between the Free Practice session and Qualifying. Not only was there an increase in wind on track, but there was also substantially more rubber on track as F2 and F1 had ran between the two sessions.
When asked about his confidence heading into the 2026 F3 Silverstone Qualifying session, Naël said he was pleased with the result, particularly given the changing track conditions.
“Yeah, like Freddie [Slater] said, the wind changed a lot. So all the references had to change as well. But I mean, the car was really good in Free practice. We improved a bit for qualifying, but yeah, the team did a really good job. So yeah, happy, happy with this P2.”
Wind and track limits creating a difficult challenge
Track limits played a significant role in Friday’s Qualifying session, with several drivers, including Naël, having competitive laps deleted.
Asked by Pit Debrief how difficult it was to balance finding the limit while avoiding track limits, the Frenchman explained that changing wind conditions made the challenge even greater.
“Like we said, the wind direction changed quite a bit during the session, so [it] was quite difficult to take the marks to nail a clean lap. I was trying to avoid track limits as well. But yeah, I mean, the window was super narrow to make a clean lap.”
Despite the challenges, Naël thoroughly enjoyed tackling one of Formula 3’s most demanding circuits.
“But yeah, I really enjoyed this qualifying. I mean, driving an F3 car around this circuit, it’s always amazing. So yeah, looking forward to both races. I think it’s going to be such a great fight.”
Maintaining momentum in the championship
Sunday’s front-row start also comes at the beginning of the second half of the Formula 3 season, with Naël remaining firmly in championship contention, currently sitting in P3 behind Ugo Ugochukwu and Freddie Slater.
When asked by Pit Debrief about the biggest lesson he has taken from the opening four rounds, Naël pointed to the importance of adapting quickly throughout the season.
“Yeah, from my side, as the second season in FIA Formula 3, I came in with more experience. But yeah, I have to say that to have such a long break between Melbourne and Monaco wasn’t easy, but I think that was a good exercise for all of us.”
He added that the extended gap highlighted which drivers could immediately find their rhythm when the championship resumed.
“It showed the strong, good drivers, the fast drivers are able to be quick straight away in the streets of Monaco.”
Naël believes both he and Campos have continued to grow together throughout the season, and he hopes to carry that momentum into the remainder of the championship.
“I learned quite a lot every weekend. I’m trying to extract more and more with the car, trying to get some experience as well with the team.”
“But yeah, at the moment, I’m super happy. We have to keep this momentum. And yeah, still there for the championship.”
