FIA Formula 3 CEO Bruno Michel believes the 2026 championship remains finely poised after two eventful F3 rounds at Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring reshaped the title battle heading into the summer break.
Freddie Slater emerged from Budapest as the new Drivers’ Championship leader after finally claiming his maiden F3 victory, overtaking Ugo Ugochukwu at the top of the standings. However, Michel expects the battle between the pair to remain close when racing resumes.
The latest rounds also delivered breakthrough victories elsewhere. Jin Nakamura took his maiden F3 win during the Spa Sprint Race before Ernesto Rivera triumphed in the Feature Race, while Campos Racing continued to establish itself as the benchmark in the Teams’ Championship.
Michel impressed by Nakamura’s Spa breakthrough
Spa-Francorchamps produced two different winners across another demanding weekend at one of the championship’s most challenging circuits.
Michel highlighted the quality of the overall event while praising Nakamura after the Hitech driver converted his opportunity into a breakthrough Sprint Race victory.
“It was a very good race weekend. Spa is always a quite demanding track and it’s very interesting.
Nakamura’s win also represented an important result for Hitech following a period in which the team had struggled to feature as prominently at the front.
“The Sprint Race was good, we had a new race winner, Jin Nakamura, and he did a very good race. It’s good to see Hitech back in the picture because they had not been there for a while. So, all together, it was good.
Michel particularly praised the way Nakamura managed the race once he had completed the overtakes required to reach the front. Rather than allowing the pressure of pursuing a maiden victory to create mistakes, he controlled the contest once he reached clean air.
“Nakamura drove a clean race, got his overtakes done when he needed to and showed great control once he was into clean air and at the front of the pack.
The result added Nakamura to the growing list of winners during a competitive 2026 season and demonstrated Hitech’s ability to return to victory contention.
Rivera continues rapid rise with Feature Race victory
Spa then produced another notable breakthrough when Rivera claimed the Feature Race victory for Campos Racing.
The Mexican missed the opening event of the season through injury, placing him on the back foot before his rookie campaign had properly started. However, his performances have strengthened as the year has progressed, culminating in his first Feature Race victory in Belgium.
“In the Feature, we had another winner, Ernesto Rivera, and he did a fantastic race. It’s a shame that he missed the first race weekend of the Championship due to injury, because now he’s fighting at the front. He’s a strong driver, Campos is doing very, very well and he’s up there with his teammates.
Rivera’s improvement has also brought him increasingly close to teammate Théophile Nael in the Drivers’ Championship. He entered the summer break only three points away from third place after overcoming the disadvantage created by his delayed start to the season.
“He isn’t far off teammate Théophile Nael in the Standings, now just three points back from third place in the Standings. The Mexican driver has hit a great run of form heading into the final rounds and looks to be improving every weekend as he makes up for his delayed start to the 2026 campaign.”
Rivera’s progress provides Campos with another front-running driver as the championship approaches its decisive final events.
Ugochukwu’s Spa setback opens championship door
While Rivera and Nakamura celebrated victories, Spa proved considerably more difficult for Ugochukwu.
The championship contender left Belgium without points, creating an opportunity for Slater to close the gap. Although Slater did not convert pole into victory, another podium allowed him to capitalise on Ugochukwu’s scoreless weekend.
“In terms of the Championship, because Ugo had a difficult weekend in Belgium, he didn’t score points, while Freddie was on pole, didn’t win, but he’s on the podium again.
The contrasting results tightened an already close title fight before the championship travelled directly to Budapest.
Meanwhile, Campos continued to maintain a clear advantage in the Teams’ Championship. Michel believes TRIDENT still has an opportunity to apply pressure, although he recognises the strength of the position Campos has established.
“Campos remain the team to beat, quite a bit ahead of TRIDENT. Let’s see if they can catch up, but Campos has got a solid edge in the Championship at the moment.
That advantage has developed alongside the strong performances of Rivera and his teammates, giving Campos an important cushion as the season approaches its final rounds.
Slater finally converts pace into maiden F3 win
Slater then delivered the result he had been searching for at the Hungaroring.
The Brit had regularly demonstrated the pace required to fight towards the front, but victory had remained out of reach. Budapest changed that as he produced his strongest Sunday performance of the season and converted it into his first Formula 3 win.
“Freddie Slater finally won a race at the Hungaroring, and at the perfect time. I must say, he had a very, very strong race on Sunday, and now he’s leading the Championship.
The timing proved particularly important because Ugochukwu also enjoyed a competitive weekend. Rather than allowing his title rival to escape after Spa, Ugochukwu fought through the field from sixth and remained directly involved in the championship battle.
“Ugo has been very, very strong as well in Hungary. He started from P6, overtook quite a few cars, and there was a great fight between the two at the top of the Championship, so it’s getting extremely exciting.
Slater nevertheless left Budapest ahead, giving him the psychological advantage of entering the summer break as the championship leader for the first time.
Michel expects title battle to remain unpredictable
Despite Slater’s momentum, Michel sees little separating the championship’s leading pair.
Slater can take confidence from finally converting his pace into victory at a crucial point of the campaign. However, Ugochukwu has repeatedly demonstrated his strength in race conditions and remains close enough to immediately respond when competition resumes.
“It’s very difficult to know who will come out on top. Freddie is now going to have more confidence because he’s done a very strong job in Budapest, but Ugo is strong, and he’s a great racer. So, let’s see.”
The uncertainty leaves both drivers under pressure heading into the remaining events. With the championship having already changed significantly across Spa and Budapest, another swing could quickly alter the order when F3 returns.
Summer break follows decisive championship swing
The summer break gives teams and drivers time to reset following a demanding run of events that ultimately placed Slater and Ugochukwu at the centre of the title picture.
Michel believes the latest two rounds have strengthened what was already an engaging championship battle.
“We head into the summer break after a thrilling couple of rounds that has helped shape an already exciting title battle between Freddie and Ugo.
Neither contender has established enough of an advantage to approach the final rounds conservatively. Michel therefore expects both to deliver further standout performances before the championship reaches its conclusion.
“I have no doubt they will both have more highlight moments in the races to come, and whoever comes out on top will be a worthy Champion in the end.
The championship will first return at Monza, where slipstreaming, heavy braking zones and traditionally unpredictable racing can create dramatic changes in the order.
Monza provides first challenge after summer break
Michel expects the Italian circuit to immediately test the title contenders when competition resumes.
Monza has repeatedly produced unpredictable F3 races, while its Qualifying sessions can also dramatically influence a championship weekend. With Slater and Ugochukwu separated by a narrow margin, even a small change in their respective fortunes could alter the standings again.
“Next up we go to Monza, a circuit that always delivers thrilling racing no matter what, and we’ve seen time and time again how title fights can change lap by lap and even corner by corner.
That unpredictability places additional importance on maximising every scoring opportunity. Neither Slater nor Ugochukwu can afford to assume that the championship situation entering a race will remain unchanged by the chequered flag.
Monza will also represent the first opportunity to determine whether Slater can maintain the momentum generated by his Budapest victory or whether Ugochukwu can immediately respond.
Madring test prepares field for unfamiliar finale
After Monza, Formula 3 will head to the Madring for the first time. Teams and drivers will receive valuable preparation through a two-day test before the race weekend, allowing them to develop an understanding of the new venue before the championship finale.
“Then, we go to the Madring for the first time. Teams will have a test there ahead of the race weekend in what will be a vital two-days of track time.
The test should carry considerable importance because every driver will approach Madrid without the extensive historical data available at established circuits such as Monza or Spa.
That creates another variable in a championship already defined by changing momentum and several different winners.
Double Feature Race finale leaves major points available
Madrid will also feature an unusual format for the ninth and final round, with an additional Feature Race significantly increasing the number of points available.
That structure could keep the championship alive deep into the final weekend, particularly if Slater and Ugochukwu remain closely matched after Monza.
“There’s an extra Feature Race for the ninth and final round of the season, so there is still plenty of points to play for. Let’s see who comes out on top!”
The additional scoring opportunity means neither driver can rely solely on building a modest advantage before Madrid. Instead, the title could continue changing hands throughout the final event.
Slater enters the summer break with the momentum of his first F3 victory and the championship lead, while Ugochukwu remains firmly positioned to respond. With Monza’s unpredictability followed by an unfamiliar Madrid finale carrying additional points, Michel expects the 2026 title fight to remain unresolved until the closing stages.
