Louis Sharp described his third-place qualifying result at Silverstone as a satisfying reward after a difficult opening half of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 (F3) season, with the PREMA Racing driver finally converting the pace he has felt was there all year.
After qualifying third for Sunday’s Feature Race, his best Formula 3 qualifying result to date, Sharp spoke in the 2026 F3 Silverstone post-session press conference, with Pit Debrief in attendance, about adapting to changing conditions, mastering the circuit’s high-speed corners, settling into life at PREMA, and overcoming the setback of his Melbourne crash and injury earlier in the season.
Sharp admitted Friday’s result was especially rewarding given qualifying has been one of the team’s weaker areas so far in 2026.
“I’m really happy to convert. I think so far this year, qualifying has been a bit of a challenge for us. I think we’ve shown really good race pace, but qualifying has kind of been the area to work on.”
Maximising every opportunity that came his way
The New Zealander explained that his focus heading into the session was simply to maximise every opportunity, especially as the circuit evolved dramatically throughout the afternoon.
“Going into this weekend, I was really focused on maximising the job, which I think we were able to do today. So that was a good lap. I think, as the other boys said, the track changed so much from practice with the wind and the grip conditions and obviously the hotter temperatures. So my first push was maybe a little bit off.”
Rather than chasing the ultimate lap immediately, Sharp said he concentrated on resetting between runs during the F3 Qualifying at Silverstone, and building confidence as the session progressed.
“So I think it was just about kind of resetting and retaking the references and kind of taking the next two laps step by step and not trying to overcomplicate things. In the end, I think the last lap was a really strong lap. I think on my side, I did a decent job. And I think for the team as well, it’s nice to be able to convert a result for them because we haven’t really been able to maximise that on Friday this year.”
Changing conditions from Free Practice to Qualifying at Silverstone
Changing wind conditions proved to be one of the biggest talking points throughout Friday’s F3 Qualifying session, with Sharp explaining how difficult they made every lap around the Silverstone Circuit.
“Yeah, definitely. It definitely changed, I think, during the session as well. I think this track is quite open, so it can be quite gusty as well. So even from lap to lap, sometimes you can have big differences.
“So it’s all about adapting in the moment, trying to feel what the car’s doing, what the wind’s doing, which can be difficult. But it’s just about trying to adapt on the fly and not have too many hard-set references because you need to be open to the changing conditions.”
Silverstone’s track layout carrying risks
When asked by Pit Debrief about the role track limits played throughout the session, Sharp explained that Silverstone’s fastest corners also carry the biggest risks.
“I think it’s very similar answers for me to the other boys. I think the places in here where you can make or break your lap is where the track limits are most kind of prominent.”
He highlighted several of the circuit’s iconic corners as the areas where qualifying laps are won and lost.
“You’ve got Copse, T9, Stowe and Vale, Maggots and Becketts as well. These are the places where I feel like the drivers that are able to extract right to the limit can make the difference. And I think at the same time, these are the highest-risk corners.”
For Sharp, finding the balance between pushing hard enough and avoiding costly mistakes is what makes Silverstone one of the most enjoyable circuits on the calendar.
“So it’s always about finding that risk versus reward. Obviously, you need to be on the limit, you need to be fast, but you can’t be over because it can bite you as fast as it can go well.
“So this is what I love about Silverstone. I think it’s a very unique track for that reason. And it’s one of my favourite circuits to drive. I think it really does reward that risk versus reward, who can be right on the limit without overstepping.”
Sharp’s previous Silverstone experience
Having raced extensively around Silverstone before stepping up to Formula 3, Sharp acknowledged his previous experience proved valuable, although he stressed it was only part of the equation.
Sharp previous won both his 2023 F4 British campaign, and then followed it up by winning his 2024 GB3 campaign.
“Yeah, I think Freddie [Slater] pretty much summed it up. I’ve raced British F4, GB3 here. I obviously raced here last year in F3 as well. So I definitely know the circuit better than the rest.”
“I haven’t done much in Europe, but I’ve done quite a lot in the UK. So I definitely know this track well and I think obviously being born in the UK and being part of the BRDC, I know this place very, very well.”
However, he believes experience alone is never enough at a circuit where conditions can change so quickly.
“That’s definitely helped. But no, as Freddie said, just because you’ve got the knowledge, maybe you’ve got a little bit more history, so you know how to manage the situations better, but just because you know the circuit doesn’t mean you’re going to be fast.
“I think it’s still important to be open minded and to take it as it comes because the circuit is so dependent on the wind and on track conditions and grip, it can change so easily. Knowing the circuit can help. But if you’re too stuck in your own way, it can definitely bite you. So you still need to be adaptable and you need to be open to the changing conditions all the time.”
His change from Rodin Motorsport in 2025 to PREMA Racing in 2026
Friday’s result also marked an important milestone in Sharp’s first season with PREMA after making the switch from Rodin Motorsport over the winter.
The New Zealander admitted adapting to a new team had taken time, but said the podium-contending qualifying result was a satisfying way to repay everyone’s hard work.
“Yeah, no, I’m definitely very, very happy to finally convert a good result for the PREMA outfit.”
“Adapting, it’s been a bit of a challenge. Rodin’s the team I’ve been with since moving back over here to pursue this dream. So doing a complete switch-up to go to PREMA has definitely been an adjustment. But the team has been incredibly welcoming of me.”
Sharp believes the underlying pace has been there throughout the year, even if the results had not reflected it.
“As I said earlier, we’ve maybe on paper not looked quite strong this year, especially in qualifying. But I think the potential has been there all season. We’ve just had a few small things go wrong, which have stopped us from being able to show what we’ve got.”
“So to finally be able to go out there and actually put it together and show the pace we have, I’m really happy. It’s a testament to the team’s hard work, but also the hard work of myself behind the scenes. I think as a package, it shows the work we’ve been putting in off the track.”
His season starter in Melbourne
The strong result comes after what has been an interrupted campaign for Sharp. During the Sprint Race at the season opener in Melbourne, the PREMA driver was involved in a heavy collision with teammate James Wharton that left him with fractures to three vertebrae in his back and ruled him out of the Feature Race on medical grounds.
When asked by Pit Debrief about his biggest lessons learnt on the opening half of the season, Sharp admitted the disrupted start had provided plenty of opportunities to learn.
“This year, obviously, it’s been a little bit mixed up, obviously, with everything going on out in the Middle East and obviously Bahrain being cancelled. Obviously, for myself, I had an accident in the first round in Melbourne. So it’s definitely been an unusual start to the year.”
Unable to drive during much of the extended break between Melbourne and Monaco, Sharp instead used the time to analyse where improvements could be made.
“We had a big break from racing as well. So I think in that kind of three months we had off between Melbourne and Monaco, I think it was a lot of time to kind of refocus and learn from round one and learn from pre-season testing to see where the focus was.”
“It was difficult not being able to do any driving because I was injured, so it was quite frustrating.”
However, he believes that period of reflection has helped lay the foundations for stronger performances during the second half of the championship.
“I had a lot of time to reflect and see where the gains were to be made. In the last couple of rounds as well, I think we’ve really learned what we need to do going forward to be able to be up here consistently.
“I think we’ve got an understanding of that. We were able to do that today, but that’s not to say we’re going to do it every time. So we need to keep working, keep working hard and keep making progress and steps forward all the time.”
