PREMA Racing’s Alex Powell secured his first FIA Formula 3 podium in just his second round in the Championship, finishing third in the Madrid Sprint Race at the Madring.
Powell converted a strong Qualifying performance into a place on the second row of the reversed Sprint grid before keeping himself out of trouble across the inaugural F3 race at the venue. The result continued an encouraging second weekend in the category after he joined PREMA for the final two rounds of the 2026 season.
Speaking in the post-Sprint press conference, Powell reflected on his rapid adaptation to F3, the value of testing at the Madring and the support PREMA has provided since his late-season arrival. He also looked ahead to the two remaining Feature Races as he continues gathering experience in the car.
Powell calls maiden F3 podium “super cool”
Powell arrived in F3 with little preparation after joining PREMA for the final two rounds of the season. However, he showed competitive pace from the beginning of the Madrid weekend and qualified 10th in the opening session, which gave him a second-row Sprint start through the reversed grid.
The 18-year-old then focused on completing a clean race while continuing to learn an area that remains relatively unfamiliar to him: managing the tyres over a full F3 race distance. That approach helped him reach the chequered flag in third and secure his first podium in the category.
“Yeah, of course, it’s super cool to be on the podium. Unexpected. Obviously, it was very last minute to join in the final two rounds, but we’ve been pretty competitive since the start of the weekend, since FP. We had pretty good potential. And yesterday, Qualifying was executed pretty well.
“So, today was just about staying out of trouble, learning about tyre management. That’s quite new for me as well. And then, yeah, just staying clean and making it to the end of the race.”
The podium gave Powell his first F3 points and rewarded the progress he and PREMA had made since his debut at Monza one round earlier.
Madring testing gives Powell more familiar starting point
Powell faced a steep learning curve during his F3 debut at Monza, where almost every aspect of the weekend presented something new. Madrid offered a different situation because he had already driven the Madring during F3’s in-season test several weeks earlier.
That previous running gave him experience of both the circuit and the car before the competitive weekend began. Powell believes that familiarity helped create more opportunities than he had during his debut.
“For sure. I think it’s helpful for me, seeing as though it’s new for everyone. Monza was definitely baptism by fire. It was a weekend of firsts, so it was about learning as much as possible.
“This weekend, I knew there was probably going to be a bit more opportunity. So, yeah, I’m glad that we capitalised on it in the Sprint Race. But, of course, we have two more races to look forward to, to try and extract a little bit more.”
Madrid still presents a significant challenge, particularly because the circuit is new to the entire field. However, Powell entered the weekend with a much stronger foundation than he had at Monza and converted that preparation into his first podium.
Powell expects overtaking challenge from P11
The Sprint also gave Powell and PREMA their first proper race data from the Madring. With no previous F3 event at the circuit to study, teams entered Saturday without historical information on tyre behaviour, overtaking or how the field would spread during a race.
Powell expects that information to help in Feature Race 1, although his starting position changes the nature of the challenge. He will line up 11th rather than near the front and believes patience could prove important on a circuit where overtaking remains difficult.
“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s going to be an interesting one. Of course, we have the info from the Sprint Race, which can help us.
“But, at the end of the day, overtaking is quite tricky around here. So, it’s just going to be about capitalising on other people’s mistakes and looking forward. I mean, just trying to make every opportunity count. And it will just kind of be how we see how we end up.”
After using the Sprint primarily to learn and stay out of trouble, Powell will now need to combine that experience with a more attacking approach if he wants to move into the points from 11th.
Inaugural Madring podium adds significance to first F3 top three
Powell’s first F3 podium also came during the first Championship race ever held at the Madring, adding another layer of significance to the result.
During the post-Sprint press conference, Road to Sport Week’s Tiana Swords asked the podium finishers what it meant to form part of the inaugural top three at the circuit. For Powell, the milestone carried particular importance because it coincided with his first podium in Formula 3.
“Yeah, I shadow these guys’ comments. I mean, it’s incredible to be on the podium for the first race in Madrid, and especially for me, my first podium in F3. So, I’ll definitely take it in my career.”
Powell therefore leaves the Sprint with a result that marks both his own early F3 career and the beginning of the Championship’s competitive history at the Madrid circuit.
Powell credits PREMA for helping rapid F3 adaptation
Powell’s arrival at PREMA came at short notice, leaving him with limited time to prepare before making his debut at Monza. He has therefore relied heavily on information from the team as he learns the car, tyres and race weekend procedures.
During the post-Sprint press conference, Powell highlighted the help he has received from his engineer, teammates and the wider PREMA operation. He believes that support contributed to the step forward he made between his first and second F3 weekends.
“Yeah, it was very last minute, so they really were a big help. Everyone inside the team, especially my teammates and my engineer. Any information that I could get was helpful, as everything was new to me.
“So, of course, last weekend was a learning process, and everything of the race weekend. And this weekend, we made a good step forward. But it has been extremely challenging, especially coming in at the last part of the year. But they’ve really been a big help.”
The Madrid podium provided the clearest result of that progress so far, but Powell still has two races remaining to continue developing his understanding of the category.
Extra Madrid track time gives Powell another learning opportunity
The Madrid finale uses an expanded format that includes two Feature Races, giving the F3 field more competitive running than during a conventional weekend. While the schedule places additional physical and mental demands on the drivers, Powell also sees the extra track time as valuable.
The Madring itself adds to that physical challenge. Powell highlighted the high-banked Turn 12, La Monumentale, as a particularly demanding section and a new experience in his career.
“For me, it’s cool because we have more track time, so more driving. Of course, it’s quite a physical circuit. Turn 12, La Monumentale, is quite physical.
“First time for me driving on such high banking. So, it’s definitely physically demanding, but also from a mental side, it’s more driving than the usual F3 weekend. But, yeah, as I mentioned, it’s enjoyable because it’s just more time in the car.”
For a driver who entered the Championship only one round ago, every additional lap provides an opportunity to accelerate the learning process. Powell has already converted that rapid development into a maiden podium, and the two Madrid Feature Races now give him further chances to build on his strongest F3 result so far.
