Kanato Le believes his maiden Formula 3 podium has given him a significant “confidence boost” after securing P2 during the Sprint Race at the 2026 F3 Budapest Round.
Starting from reverse-grid pole, Le endured a difficult start, briefly losing P1 to Gerrard Xie before taking it back in between Turns 1 and 2. The ART Grand Prix driver led the opening stages until Théophile Naël used DRS to make a decisive move at Turn 1 on Lap 9. Despite remaining close behind, Le was ultimately unable to challenge for the lead, crossing the line in P2 to secure his maiden FIA Formula 3 podium.
Le: “I’m quite happy with how the race went”
Reflecting on his race during the FIA F3 post-Sprint Race press conference, attended by Pit Debrief, Le shared:
“Yeah, start wasn’t great. I lost the position into T1, but managed to stay calm and take back the lead into T2. So, yeah, I’m quite happy with how the race went. I think a first podium for me in F3. So, I’m really happy with that, and yeah.”
His performance proved even more impressive considering the high degradation at the Hungaroring. With track temperatures reaching 40°C this morning, tyre management remained crucial as overheating and degradation quickly compromised race pace.
Asked how he managed his tyres, Le explained that tyre preservation had simply been his main priority from the opening lap.
“I think yeah it was a challenge and for sure a challenge for everyone,” he said. “I was focussing on managing the tyres from the start of the race. But yeah, like everyone else, I had a bit of front graining and it was a bit hard to drive. But I think it’s the same for everyone and you have to learn for tomorrow.”
Le on a breakthrough result at the 2026 F3 Budapest Sprint Race
Le’s 2026 F3 rookie campaign has so far been a challenging learning experience, with the ART Grand Prix driver often finishing outside the points. However, this P2 Sprint Race result now marks his best and fourth points-scoring finish of the season, lifting him from P21 to P17 in the Drivers’ Standings.
Speaking about his difficult first half of the season, Le said: “Yeah, for sure, the first races for me hasn’t been the best, but having this P2, I think it’s giving me quite a bit of confidence. I think leading the race for a few laps was a good feeling.”
Eyeing further progress in the Feature Race and the final two 2026 F3 rounds, he added: “I’m more motivated to do the same and head down and focus on the rest of the season.”
Managing tyre degradation at the Hungaroring
With the Hungaroring’s narrow, technical layout making overtaking tricky, drivers often spend long periods running in dirty air, placing an even greater emphasis on tyre management.
When asked by Pit Debrief how difficult it was to follow Naël for multiple laps around the circuit, Le shared:
“Yeah, I think it’s quite hard to follow a car behind on this track. Obviously, sector 2 especially is quite hard with the dirty air. So you really have to be careful with your tyres, and I think, just in general, not to grain them. But I think in the end, it’s just the nature of the track and you just have to do your best and manage it.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s 24-lap Feature Race, Le expects tyre management to become an even greater challenge over the longer distance. After a strong Qualifying session, the 19-year-old will line up P12 on the grid.
“I think, yeah for sure it’s going to be important to manage the tyres, with the race being longer. So I think just doing a clean start, staying out of trouble and managing the tyres until there’s some deg for other drivers. I think that would be the plan to move forward.”
Motivated for more success
In response to a question from Pit Debrief, Le highlighted how significant his P2 result in the 2026 F3 Budapest Sprint Race was on a personal level.
“I think it means quite a lot to me,” he said. “Obviously for me it’s been difficult so far. But, yeah, having the opportunity to start from pole in the Sprint Race and getting a podium, I think it’s been somewhat of a confidence boost. And I think it’s finally a good result for me. So hopefully I can continue and do better for the next rounds.”
Looking back on his development, the Japanese driver credited both his own driving progress and the team’s continued work on improving the car.
“I think for me the biggest improvement has been just the pace in general. I think the team has been working quite hard. And I think the car is getting better each round. And I think for me the driving has been improving from round one where I think I struggled quite a bit.”
“But yeah, I think the steps I’ve been making has been good. And obviously now it’s resulted into a podium in the sprint. So I think it’s been a good improvement,” he concluded.
