FIA Formula 3 returns to action following its summer break with a two-day in-season F3 test at the brand-new Madring circuit in Madrid on 24–25 August.
All 30 drivers will receive their first opportunity to experience the 5.416-kilometre venue, which will host the final round of the 2026 F3 season in September. The test gives teams valuable data around a circuit where no competitor possesses previous racing experience and comes before the championship resumes at Monza.
The event will also feature two changes to the regular grid. Alex Powell joins PREMA Racing following Louis Sharp’s departure, while Ricardo Escotto returns to AIX Racing in place of Salim Hanna.
F3 gets first taste of Madring
The new Madring circuit will provide an unfamiliar challenge throughout the two days of running.
Located around the IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid, the 5.416-kilometre layout features 22 corners and combines sections of public and private road.
F3 will race at the circuit for the first time during the season finale from 11–13 September, which follows the penultimate round at Monza a week earlier. The championship has also confirmed an expanded format for Madrid, with an additional Qualifying session and second Feature Race forming part of the finale.
That makes the in-season test particularly significant. Rather than using an established venue where teams already possess years of reference data, drivers and engineers will begin building their understanding of Madring from scratch.
The running will also allow officials to assess sporting, operational and safety procedures ahead of the circuit’s first F3 race weekend.
Two days of extensive running
Track action begins at 09:00 local time on both Monday and Tuesday.
Each morning session runs until 11:50 before drivers complete 10 minutes of practice starts through to midday.
Monday features a two-hour break before the afternoon session begins at 14:00. Regular running concludes at 16:50, followed by another 10-minute practice-start window.
Tuesday uses a shorter break. Cars return to the circuit at 13:00, with the final timed running ending at 15:50 before the test concludes with another 10 minutes of practice starts.
The schedule therefore provides teams with almost 12 hours of potential track activity across the two days as they work through both preparation for the final rounds and their first assessments of Madring.
Powell replaces Sharp at PREMA
PREMA Racing arrives in Madrid with a change to its three-car line-up after the team and Louis Sharp mutually agreed to part ways.
Alex Powell takes over the #20 car for the Madring test and will remain with PREMA for the final two rounds of the season.
The American-Jamaican joins James Wharton and José Garfias in the Italian squad’s line-up, giving him an immediate opportunity to familiarise himself with both the F3 machinery and his new team at a circuit that is equally unfamiliar to the rest of the field.
His first competitive appearance will follow at Monza before he returns to Madring for the season finale.
Escotto returns with AIX Racing
AIX Racing will also field a revised line-up as Ricardo Escotto returns to the team.
The Mexican takes over the #26 entry from Salim Hanna and, like Powell, will contest both the test and the final two rounds of the campaign.
Escotto joins Yevan David and Fernando Barrichello in AIX Racing’s three-car squad.
The changes mean both drivers will have an opportunity to complete substantial mileage before the championship returns to racing, while the Madring test also allows them to learn the finale venue at the same time as their rivals.
Championship contenders prepare for decisive final rounds
Beyond the new arrivals, the test represents an important opportunity for the championship’s established contenders to regain rhythm following the summer break.
Campos Racing fields Théophile Naël, Ugo Ugochukwu and Ernesto Rivera, while Trident continues with Noah Strømsted, Freddie Slater and Matteo De Palo.
MP Motorsport arrives with Mattia Colnaghi, Tuukka Taponen and Alessandro Giusti, while ART Grand Prix fields Taito Kato, Maciej Gładysz and Kanato Le.
Van Amersfoort Racing continues with Hiyu Yamakoshi, Enzo Deligny and Bruno del Pino, with Pedro Clerot, Brando Badoer and Christian Ho representing Rodin Motorsport.
Hitech fields Woohyun Shin, Fionn McLaughlin and Jin Nakamura, while DAMS Lucas Oil completes the 30-car field with Nicola Lacorte, Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi and Gerrard Xie.
With the final two rounds following shortly after the test, teams will need to balance learning Madring with preparations for the immediate return to competition at Monza.
Where to follow the Madring test
Formula 3 will provide live blog coverage throughout the two days through its official website.
Session reports and driver reaction will follow after the running, while the championship’s social media channels will provide additional behind-the-scenes coverage from the new circuit.
The Madring test marks F3’s final official testing event of 2026, following pre-season running in Barcelona and the earlier in-season test at Spielberg.
2026 FIA Formula 3 Madring in-season test entry list
- Théophile Naël — Campos Racing
- Ugo Ugochukwu — Campos Racing
- Ernesto Rivera — Campos Racing
- Noah Strømsted — Trident
- Freddie Slater — Trident
- Matteo De Palo — Trident
- Mattia Colnaghi — MP Motorsport
- Tuukka Taponen — MP Motorsport
- Alessandro Giusti — MP Motorsport
- Taito Kato — ART Grand Prix
- Maciej Gładysz — ART Grand Prix
- Kanato Le — ART Grand Prix
- Hiyu Yamakoshi — Van Amersfoort Racing
- Enzo Deligny — Van Amersfoort Racing
- Bruno del Pino — Van Amersfoort Racing
- Pedro Clerot — Rodin Motorsport
- Brando Badoer — Rodin Motorsport
- Christian Ho — Rodin Motorsport
- Alex Powell — PREMA Racing
- James Wharton — PREMA Racing
- José Garfias — PREMA Racing
- Woohyun Shin — Hitech
- Fionn McLaughlin — Hitech
- Jin Nakamura — Hitech
- Ricardo Escotto — AIX Racing
- Yevan David — AIX Racing
- Fernando Barrichello — AIX Racing
- Nicola Lacorte — DAMS Lucas Oil
- Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi — DAMS Lucas Oil
- Gerrard Xie — DAMS Lucas Oil
