Enzo Deligny’s maiden season in the FIA Formula 3 Championship was a campaign of mixed results, with flashes of potential but a struggle to maintain consistent results throughout the year. The Frenchman finished 16th in the Drivers’ Championship with 40 points, showing promise during his rookie campaign but ultimately falling short of being a consistent front-runner.
Deligny enjoyed several strong performances, including a podium on his F3 debut in Melbourne and two fifth-place finishes in Barcelona. He also collected points in both races at Monza, providing further evidence of his potential. However, several difficult weekends throughout the season prevented him from building consistent momentum.
Deligny enters maiden season ready to “fight in the front”
Deligny entered the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship with three years of single-seater experience behind him. He made his debut in the Spanish Formula 4 Championship in 2023, where he secured the rookie title, before progressing to Formula Regional competition the following year.
In October 2025, Deligny was announced as a PREMA Racing driver for the 2026 season. However, his plans changed shortly before the championship began, with Van Amersfoort Racing confirming his intentions to join their team for the season in February 2026. Despite the change, Deligny entered the championship looking to make an immediate impression and establish himself among the competitive front-running drivers.
Strong start to season with podium
Deligny began his maiden F3 campaign with an encouraging performance in Melbourne, qualifying 11th and starting the Sprint Race from second on the grid. Despite an early DRS issue, he maintained his position behind teammate Bruno del Pino before the race was red-flagged following a heavy collision between PREMA teammates Louis Sharp and James Wharton. With the race unable to resume, Deligny secured second place and his first F3 podium, although only half points were awarded.
The Frenchman continued his strong start in Sunday’s Feature Race, starting 10th following Wharton’s withdrawal. He made progress through the field to finish seventh, collecting another eight points. With two points-scoring finishes on his debut weekend, Deligny made an immediate impression in the championship and provided an encouraging foundation for his rookie season.
The opening weekend provided an encouraging indication of Deligny’s ability to adapt to the demands of F3, particularly after making the late switch from PREMA to Van Amersfoort Racing ahead of the season. Although the shortened Sprint Race limited his opportunity to demonstrate his pace over a full distance, his Feature Race performance reinforced the promise of his debut podium. With 12 points collected in Melbourne, the Frenchman had made a positive start to his rookie campaign and looked to carry that momentum into the following rounds.
A challenging weekend in Monaco to a strong showing in Barcelona
Following his promising debut in Melbourne, Deligny faced a more challenging weekend in Monaco. The Frenchman struggled to find pace during qualifying, starting the sprint race towards the back of the grid. His race was further complicated by post-race penalties, including a 10-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He eventually finished 14th in the feature Race, leaving the weekend without any championship points.
Deligny looked to put the difficult Monaco round behind him as the championship moved to Barcelona. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver delivered a much stronger performance, finishing fifth in both the Sprint and Feature Races to secure his best points return of the season. The double top-five finish demonstrated his ability to recover from a difficult weekend and compete towards the front of the field.
The strong result in Barcelona was particularly important for Deligny as he continued adjusting to his first season in F3. After struggling to make an impact in Monaco, he showed improved consistency across both races and collected valuable championship points. The performance provided an encouraging response and appeared to put him back on track following his difficult weekend in Monaco.
Deligny continues to struggle through European rounds
Following his double top-five finish in Barcelona, Deligny struggled to maintain that level of performance as the championship moved into the following European rounds. At the Austrian Grand Prix, the Frenchman qualified 15th, leaving him with work to do across both the sprint and feature race. He finished 20th in the sprint race before making some progress in the feature race, crossing the line in 12th.
The following round at Silverstone brought another challenging weekend. Deligny qualified 24th, placing him towards the back of the grid for the feature Race. He was unable to make significant progress during either race, finishing 22nd in the sprint and 16th in the feature. His difficulties continued at Spa-Francorchamps, where he qualified 27th. He finished 17th in the Sprint Race before another difficult afternoon in the Feature saw him classified 25th.
The Hungarian round marked the end of an especially difficult stretch for the Van Amersfoort Racing driver. Deligny qualified 21st and finished 16th in Saturday’s Sprint Race. However, his Feature Race came to an early end with a retirement, leaving him without any points for the fourth consecutive round. After struggling to find qualifying pace and make progress through the field, Deligny headed to Monza looking to turn his form around.
Deligny returns to the points at Monza
After a difficult stretch at the European rounds, Deligny showed signs of improvement as the Monza weekend approached. The Frenchman qualified 21st, leaving him with plenty of ground to make up during the weekend. He was able to put up a strong performance in the sprint race, working his way into eighth place to secure his first points since the Barcelona round.
Deligny kept that consistency going for the feature race, where he once again finished inside the top 10. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver crossed the line in ninth place, tallying an extra two points. Additionally, he also recorded the second-fastest lap of the race, earning an additional point and bringing his Feature Race tally to three.
The double points finish proved positive after four consecutive rounds without scoring a single point and finishing in the top 10. Although his qualifying result showed there was still room for improvement, Deligny demonstrated much better race pace and was able to make progress across both races. The Monza weekend gave him a much-needed return to the points as the season approached its final round in Madrid.
Mixed results in the season finale at Madring
Deligny headed into the final round of the season at Madring looking to build on his return to the points at Monza. The Frenchman had a positive start to the weekend, qualifying fifth in the first session and sixth in the second session. With the Madrid finale featuring two feature races along with the sprint race, strong qualifying results gave him an opportunity to finish his rookie campaign on a high note.
However, Saturday proved more difficult than expected. Deligny crossed the line seventh in the sprint race, but was handed a 10-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, dropping him down to 15th in the final classification. His first feature race ended in another disappointing way, as he was involved in a collision with Van Amersfoort Racing teammate Bruno del Pino at Turn 8, bringing both of their races to a premature end.
Deligny had one final opportunity to end the season with a points finish in Sunday’s feature race. The Frenchman made the most of it, finishing seventh and collecting six championship points. After a challenging run through much of the European rounds, the result provided a positive conclusion to his maiden F3 campaign where he collected a total of 40 points, placing him 16th in the drivers championship.
Looking ahead after a mixed rookie campaign
Deligny’s first season in Formula 3 provided a mixture of strong and difficult weekends as he adjusted to the expectations of the championship. His second-place finish in the Melbourne Sprint Race immediately showed the field his potential, while his double fifth-place finish in Barcelona showed that he was capable of competing towards the front of the field. However, maintaining that consistent performance proved challenging, with several rounds throughout the European leg limiting his opportunities to build on those results.
Finishing 16th in the Drivers’ Championship with 40 points, Deligny ended the season with a handful of strong results but was unable to establish himself as a consistent points scorer. His performances at Monza and Madrid provided a positive finish to his maiden season, particularly after the difficult run of races that preceded them. Those weekends also demonstrated his ability to recover from setbacks and make the most of opportunities when they arose.
Although his rookie season did not deliver consistent results, Deligny gained valuable experience competing in one of the most competitive junior single-seater championships. With a full season of F3 experience behind him, the Frenchman will have a foundation to build upon as he looks to improve his consistency next season with Van Amersfoort Racing and translate his promising individual performances into stronger championship results.
