Feature Race 1 of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 (F3) Madrid Round got underway at the new Madring circuit, with Taito Kato starting from pole alongside Pedro Clerot on the front row at the Spanish GP. Tuukka Taponen lined up third, while Ugo Ugochukwu started fourth as the field prepared for the first of two Feature Races at the new Spanish venue.
On Lap 1, a six-car incident between Turns 6 and 7 brought the race to an early halt, with Del Pino, Deligny, Gładysz, Garfias, Shin and Barrichello all forced to retire. The incident began when Del Pino and Deligny made contact, with the remaining cars caught up in the aftermath as they had nowhere to go.
Strømsted and McLaughlin were also caught in the drama but managed to make their way back to the pit lane. Lacorte stopped on track to avoid the incident before returning to the pits as the race was red flagged.
The race restarted with a rolling start, with Clerot retaining the lead ahead of Kato and Taponen as the field returned to racing conditions.
On Lap 10, championship leader Slater lost the rear through Turn 19 and hit the barrier, bringing out the Safety Car once again. Clerot led the field away at the restart, with Kato and Taponen remaining close behind.
Clerot claimed his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory, leading Kato home in second and Taponen in third to complete the podium.
Ugochukwu finished fourth, moving him level on points with championship leader Slater heading into the final race of the Madrid weekend.
Campos Racing also secured the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Teams’ Championship, with all three of its drivers finishing inside the top 10 to seal the title.
2026 F3 Spanish GP Feature Race 1 report
2026 F3 Spanish GP | Feature Race 1 results
- Pedro Clerot
- Taito Kato
- Tuukka Taponen
- Ugo Ugochukwu
- Jin Nakamura
- Alessandro Giusti
- Alex Powell
- Ernesto Rivera
- Théophile Naël
- James Wharton
- Yevan David
- Mattia Colnaghi
- Matteo De Palo
- Kanato Le
- Hiyu Yamakoshi
- Noah Strømsted
- Brando Badoer
- Niccolò Maccagnani
- Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi
- Nicola Lacorte*
DNF. Freddie Slater
DNF. Fionn McLaughlin
DNF. Enzo Deligny
DNF. Bruno del Pino
DNF. Maciej Gładysz
DNF. José Garfias
DNF. Woohyun Shin
DNF. Fernando Barrichello
Penalties
- Nicola Lacorte received 2 5-second time penalties for speeding in the pit lane.
