Mattia Colnaghi admitted he was left frustrated after narrowly missing out on the podium in the FIA Formula 3 (F3) Budapest Round Feature Race, believing a top-three finish was within reach.
The MP Motorsport driver started from third on the grid and ran second in the opening stages before losing out to championship rivals Ugo Ugochukwu and Brando Badoer in quick succession on Lap 10. Despite remaining in contention throughout the remainder of the race, Colnaghi crossed the line fourth.
Although pleased to be fighting at the front once again, the Argentinian admitted the result felt like a missed opportunity.
“To be honest, I’m not the happiest with the result today,” Colnaghi said.
“I think the podium was definitely on the table, and just a couple of mistakes, especially from my side, didn’t allow us to take it. So, to be honest, a bit disappointed in that, but again, a good learning experience.”
Colnaghi pleased with MP Motorsport’s turnaround
While the podium escaped him in the 2026 F3 Budapest Feature Race, Colnaghi continued an impressive run of form that has seen him finish fourth in the last four races.
After scoring just a single point across the opening five rounds, the MP Motorsport driver has collected 38 points over the Spa-Francorchamps and Budapest weekends, underlining the progress made by both himself and the team.
“No, it definitely feels good to be back fighting at the front,” he said. “I think we’ve had a tough season so far, and to be honest, I never would have said we would be turning it around so much after Silverstone.
“So I’m quite happy with that, quite happy with the work of the team. Obviously, I think they did a good job, especially this weekend. We had a competitive car all weekend, and a bit of a shame not to take it to the top step, or even the podium.”
Sprint and Feature demanded different approaches
Despite finishing fourth in both races at the Hungaroring, Colnaghi explained that tyre management played out very differently between Saturday’s Sprint Race and Sunday’s Feature Race.
Multiple Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car periods in the Feature Race changed how aggressively drivers could approach the race compared to the Sprint, where managing tyre degradation proved much more important.
“Obviously with the amount of stoppages there was, with the cooler conditions, we were still trying to manage the tyres,” he explained. “But it’s also the idea that you want to go forward as well and have fun as well.
“I think it was a difficult one. Yesterday in the Sprint Race, we had only one Safety Car, so managing the tyres was a key part of the race. Whereas today, I have the feeling that some drivers got away with pushing a bit more at the start and gaining positions or gaining time at the start.
“Obviously, with so many Virtual Safety Cars and Safety Cars, you don’t really feel the effect as much. So definitely there was something more to use on the table today.”
Eyes already on Madrid
Following back-to-back race weekends at Spa-Francorchamps and Budapest, Colnaghi is looking forward to the summer break before returning for the Madrid in-season test ahead of the final round of the championship.
“I’m looking forward to the test at Madrid, at the end of August, and obviously, then the race weekend,” he said.
“A bit of a break now to relax a bit as well. We’ve had a few tough couple of weeks, but they have also been good weeks.”
