Mattia Colnaghi believes his double fourth-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps gave him renewed confidence following a difficult start to his 2026 F3 campaign.
The MP Motorsport driver struggled to convert the team’s work into strong results during the opening part of the season. However, he returned to the front-running group in Belgium and fought near the podium throughout the weekend.
Although Colnaghi still wants stronger results, the Italian now hopes to build on that momentum across the remaining rounds in Hungary, Monza and Madrid.
Spa progress rewards MP Motorsport’s continued work
Colnaghi entered the 2026 Belgian GP weekend after a challenging sequence of F3 rounds in which his results failed to reflect his expectations. However, the Spa weekend gave him an opportunity to fight near the front and demonstrate the progress that he and MP Motorsport had made behind the scenes.
While speaking to select media, including Pit Debrief, ahead of the 2026 Budapest F3 weekend, Colnaghi welcomed the Spa result after a difficult opening phase but also stressed that the championship standings had not always reflected the team’s efforts.
“Yeah, obviously not been the start of the season we wanted, not been so great so far, to be honest. But [it’s] good to be back up there at Spa, fighting for points, fighting for something. And I think that shows just the work that we’ve been doing together with the team over the rounds. Sometimes the results don’t tell the full story, but it’s good also that we’ve shown that we’ve been working hard.”
The Belgian GP therefore provided more than a points-scoring opportunity. It also gave Colnaghi and MP Motorsport visible evidence that their work had moved them closer to the leading group.
Colnaghi gives difficult season a low rating
Despite the improvement at Spa, Colnaghi offered a frank assessment of his season. He rated his campaign either three or four out of 10 after considering the results from the opening rounds. While he recognised the work that MP Motorsport had completed since Melbourne, he acknowledged that the team had not achieved the results it wanted.
Nevertheless, the recent improvement gave him greater optimism ahead of the final phase of the campaign.
“Out of 10, I would probably give it a 4 or 3. It hasn’t been obviously very great in terms of pure results. I think we’ve been working very hard since Melbourne, obviously. But it hasn’t been very great in most of the rounds, to be honest. Now we’re starting to show some form and some progress.
“So yeah, to be honest, not great, but [there’s] still a long way to go, still three or four rounds on the table.”
Colnaghi’s assessment reflected the gap between his expectations and his results. However, his focus on the remaining opportunities also underlined his determination to improve his final championship position.
Double fourth-place finish in Spa restores confidence for Colnaghi ahead of final 2026 F3 rounds
Colnaghi finished fourth twice during the 2026 F3 Spa weekend, producing one of his strongest overall performances of the season. While he does not consider fourth place his ultimate target, the two results represented a significant step forward after his difficult start.
Moreover, the weekend allowed him to approach the remaining rounds with greater confidence. Colnaghi now believes MP Motorsport can use the momentum from Spa as it prepares for three different challenges in Hungary, Italy and Spain.
“I think we had a decent weekend in Belgium. Obviously, a double P4 is not something to be disappointed with considering how the rest of our season has gone. Obviously, in an ideal world, I don’t aim to be P4. But I think, yes, it’s something good that finally we have a bit of, let’s say, momentum on our side. We have a bit more confidence than we did going into the Spa weekend, for sure. That will help us throughout the rest of the season here in Hungary and Monza and Madrid.”
The double fourth-place finish did not completely change Colnaghi’s assessment of his campaign. However, it gave him a stronger platform for the final rounds and showed that MP Motorsport could compete closer to the front.
Colnaghi targets stronger finish to 2026 F3 rookie campaign after Spa progress
Colnaghi must now convert the progress from Spa into consistent results. The Belgian weekend showed that he could challenge for significant points when the car and his performance came together. However, he also recognised that he must aim beyond fourth place as he continues his development.
Hungary offers the first opportunity to confirm that Spa marked the start of a sustained improvement rather than an isolated result. Monza and Madrid will then give Colnaghi further chances to strengthen his season before the campaign concludes.
Although he remains critical of his results so far, Colnaghi enters the final rounds with greater confidence, visible momentum and renewed belief in the work completed alongside MP Motorsport.
