Théophile Naël claimed victory in the first-ever FIA Formula 3 (F3) Sprint Race at Madrid’s new Madring circuit, leading James Wharton and Alex Powell across the line to take the opening win of the Spanish GP weekend.
The final Sprint Race of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 (F3) season got underway at the brand-new Madrid circuit at the Spanish GP, with James Wharton leading the field away from reverse-grid pole.
The PREMA driver shared the front row with Théophile Naël, while Alex Powell started third alongside Bruno Del Pino in fourth. It marked the first-ever F3 race at the new Madrid venue, with the drivers facing an unfamiliar circuit for the final Sprint of the campaign.
With the championship season reaching its conclusion, the race provided one final opportunity for the field to fight for points before the 2 Feature Races will bring the 2026 season to a close.
Lights out at the Madring
All 28 cars made it safely through the opening lap of the 2026 F3 Madrid Sprint at the Spanish GP, with Naël taking the lead heading into Turn 1. Wharton fought back for the position, but ran off track in the process and was forced to hand the place back to Naël. Powell retained third, while Giusti made his move stick on Del Pino to take fourth.
By the start of Lap 3, Naël had begun to pull away at the front, establishing a 1.2-second advantage over Wharton.
Giusti was instructed to hand the position back to Del Pino following his earlier move, bringing him back into a close fight for fourth with Del Pino and Rivera.
By Lap 7, Naël had extended his advantage at the front to two seconds over Wharton. Powell ran a further 1.5 seconds behind in third, with Del Pino 2.6 seconds adrift of the PREMA driver.
Further down the order, a DRS train had formed from P10 through to P20, with the tightly packed midfield leaving little room for drivers to make progress.
Naël takes the Sprint win
On Lap 10, Giusti lost DRS to Del Pino, opening the gap between the pair and putting him under increasing pressure. Campos immediately noticed the situation, with Rivera instructed to put pressure on Giusti as the battle for fifth continued to develop.
Further down the order, Taponen ran wide, allowing Kato to take advantage and make his move for P10.
At the front, Naël continued to extend his advantage. By Lap 12, the Campos driver had built a four-second gap over Wharton as he remained firmly in control of the Sprint.
Deligny received a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
Naël went on to take a commanding victory, 7.8 seconds ahead of P2 in the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Madrid Round Sprint Race, securing the win at the new Madring circuit.
Wharton crossed the line in second, while Powell completed the podium in third, giving PREMA two cars in the top three at the end of the opening race of the Madrid weekend.
Ugochukwu closed the gap to championship leader Freddie Slater with a P8 finish, securing three points and reducing the deficit in the title fight.
2026 F3 Spanish GP Sprint Race results
