MP Motorsport’s Matteo De Palo expressed renewed confidence in his preparations for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 (F3) Championship after setting the fastest time on the opening day of post-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Italian recorded a 1:28.516 during Monday morning’s session, finishing 0.269s ahead of Rodin Motorsport’s Alessandro Giusti and establishing the quickest lap across both sessions.
Having completed his rookie F3 season with Trident, De Palo has joined MP Motorsport for his second campaign in the championship. Although his first season proved challenging, the 19-year-old has approached the post-season tests as an opportunity to establish a productive relationship with his new team and rebuild the confidence that characterised his earlier success in Formula Regional.
Following a productive opening test at Jerez, De Palo’s performance in Barcelona provided another encouraging indication of his progress. However, despite topping the timesheets, the Italian emphasised that testing results offered only a limited indication of competitive performance, with his attention firmly focused on preparing for the opening round of the 2027 season.
De Palo sets Barcelona testing benchmark for MP Motorsport
De Palo entered the final two days of official 2026 post-season testing looking to build on the experience gained during the opening test at Jerez. Having recently switched from Trident to MP Motorsport, the Italian continued familiarising himself with the Dutch outfit’s engineering procedures and approach to car setup as preparations for 2027 progressed.
Monday’s opening session began relatively quietly, with teams completing systems checks before moving towards more representative qualifying simulations. Campos Racing’s Ernesto Rivera eventually established a 1:28.911, becoming the first driver to break the 1:29 barrier, before Van Amersfoort Racing’s Enzo Deligny and Rodin Motorsport’s Giusti challenged the leading time.
However, De Palo delivered the decisive improvement during the closing 15 minutes, recording a 1:28.516 to move ahead of the field. Giusti subsequently improved to 1:28.785, while Rivera completed the leading three with a 1:28.837.
Although Rivera topped the afternoon with a 1:28.549, his lap remained 0.033s slower than De Palo’s morning benchmark. Consequently, the MP Motorsport driver concluded the opening day as the fastest competitor after completing 60 laps across both sessions.
Positive early relationship with MP Motorsport encourages De Palo
Beyond the outright lap time, De Palo highlighted the encouraging relationship he has established with MP Motorsport since joining the organisation. The Italian will compete with the Dutch outfit in 2027 after spending his debut F3 campaign with Trident, making the post-season tests an important opportunity to adapt to a different working environment.
Having confirmed his move to MP Motorsport, De Palo entered the testing programme determined to establish effective communication with his engineers and develop a greater understanding of the team’s approach. His performances across Jerez and Barcelona have provided encouraging early feedback, particularly as he works to regain the form he demonstrated before entering F3.
Reflecting on Monday’s performance, De Palo expressed satisfaction with the atmosphere within the team and the progress they have made together.
“I’m pretty happy because I feel really good with this new team. I think the work we’re doing together with MP is really nice, and that’s shown today on the timing screens. So it’s pretty good to see.”
Nevertheless, the Italian stressed that the positive results should not distract from the work required before the 2027 season begins.
“But, it’s still testing. So we still have to work hard for the first race of next season. But, there are really positive vibes. I’m pretty happy about how it’s going, how it went in Jerez too. So we’ll just keep going on like this.”
De Palo highlights importance of team chemistry in FIA F3
Although De Palo’s performance provided an encouraging result, the Italian placed particular importance on developing a strong working relationship with MP Motorsport. Following his first season in FIA F3, he understands the significance of effective communication, technical preparation and confidence when competing in a championship where small differences can have considerable consequences.
The 2027 campaign will mark his second season in the category, allowing him to build on his existing knowledge of the Dallara F3 2025 while adapting to MP Motorsport’s engineering approach. However, with relatively limited official testing available, developing mutual understanding before the opening race remains an important priority.
De Palo explained that establishing confidence in himself and his surroundings plays a central role in extracting the maximum performance from the car, particularly during Qualifying.
“It’s almost everything at this stage because you really have to feel good with yourself and have everything in your control. There are not many chances in this championship, we just got one lap in quali and that’s it. So everything has to be perfect.”
His comments reflected the pressure drivers face during FIA F3 Qualifying, where traffic, tyre preparation and narrow performance margins can significantly influence starting positions. Consequently, De Palo views his growing familiarity with MP Motorsport as an important foundation rather than simply a benefit reflected in the testing classification.
Barcelona performance offers encouragement after difficult rookie season
De Palo’s positive assessment carries additional significance following a challenging debut FIA F3 campaign in 2026. Despite entering the championship after finishing runner-up in the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC), the Italian struggled to translate his previous success into consistent results with Trident.
His strongest weekend came at Silverstone, where he secured fourth in the Sprint Race before crossing the line first in the Feature Race. However, post-race scrutineering revealed a technical infringement, resulting in his disqualification and denying him what would have been his maiden FIA F3 victory.
The result represented a particularly difficult setback after a competitive performance in which De Palo demonstrated his ability to challenge at the front.
De Palo eventually concluded the season 24th in the Drivers’ Championship with seven points, leaving him determined to rediscover his earlier competitiveness. His move to MP Motorsport therefore represents an opportunity to make a fresh start while applying the lessons from his first year in the category.
De Palo hopes to rebuild confidence before 2027
Although De Palo acknowledged the limitations of interpreting testing results, he also recognised the importance of restoring his confidence following the difficulties he encountered during 2026. Having previously fought regularly for victories in Formula Regional, the Italian entered FIA F3 with considerable expectations, making the challenges of his rookie campaign especially frustrating.
The opening post-season tests have provided an opportunity to return to a competitive environment without the immediate pressure of championship points. Through his work with MP Motorsport, De Palo has begun rediscovering the confidence that supported his progression through the junior categories.
Reflecting on his objectives for the final testing day, he acknowledged that his experiences during the previous season had affected his confidence.
“I just want to take more confidence from tomorrow because this hasn’t been the best season for myself, even if was for things not under my control, it takes out a bit of confidence.”
However, the Italian explained that his early experiences with MP Motorsport have already helped him regain a more positive outlook. In particular, he drew comparisons with his successful Formula Regional campaign, when he regularly challenged for race victories.
“But already from these two tests, I gained much more and I felt much better. I felt like I did when I left FREC having been fighting for wins. So it’s good to have this feeling and to race with this feeling.”
De Palo expects limited track evolution on final Barcelona testing day
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s final session, De Palo acknowledged that track conditions could improve as teams completed additional running. However, he did not expect the same degree of track evolution that drivers experienced during the earlier test at Jerez.
Barcelona hosted racing activity during the preceding week, leaving the circuit in a different condition from Jerez when the teams arrived for their opening post-season sessions. Consequently, De Palo expects the available grip to improve only marginally as the final day progresses.
“There will probably be more grip, but not that much like what happened in Jerez because there was a race here last week. So there shouldn’t be much of a shift from one day to the other.”
Although a further improvement in lap times remains possible, the Italian emphasised that the team still needs to concentrate on completing its technical programme. With the first race of 2027 several months away, outright testing performance remains secondary to developing a stronger understanding of the car.
“So I don’t know if there will be a big improvement. We have much more work to do but you can’t read too much into things, it doesnt count for too much at this stage.”
His assessment also reflects the different objectives teams pursue during testing, particularly when balancing qualifying simulations against longer runs. Although De Palo led the morning, his seventh-place afternoon result came during a session that placed greater emphasis on race preparation, illustrating why individual lap times cannot provide a complete picture of performance.
MP Motorsport looks to build on encouraging post-season testing progress
De Palo’s performance adds to an encouraging post-season testing programme for MP Motorsport as the team prepares for the 2027 championship. Having finished third in the 2026 Teams’ Championship, the Dutch outfit will aim to build on its late-season competitiveness with a revised driver line-up.
Alongside De Palo, MP Motorsport will field Maciej Gładysz and Zhenrui Chi, combining two drivers with previous FIA F3 experience and a newcomer progressing into the category. The team has already confirmed its complete 2027 line-up, allowing its drivers and engineers to concentrate on establishing their working relationships throughout the post-season programme.
During Monday’s Barcelona running, De Palo’s morning benchmark provided the team’s strongest result, while Chi also demonstrated competitive pace by finishing sixth. The trio subsequently completed 125 laps during the afternoon, providing additional information as the engineers continued evaluating longer-run performance.
As detailed in MP Motorsport’s confirmed line-up, the team will aim to combine its returning drivers’ experience with Chi’s potential as a rookie.
For De Palo, however, the primary objective remains regaining the confidence and consistency that previously allowed him to challenge for victories. His encouraging start with MP Motorsport provides an opportunity to establish those foundations before his second FIA F3 season.
De Palo targets further confidence on final day of 2026 testing
The final day of official FIA F3 post-season testing will take place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday, 27 October, with the morning session scheduled from 09:00 to 12:00 CET and the afternoon running from 13:00 to 16:00.
For De Palo, the remaining sessions offer another opportunity to strengthen his relationship with MP Motorsport and continue evaluating the car’s performance across different conditions. Although his fastest lap on Monday provided an encouraging result, the Italian remains focused on gathering information that will support preparations for the opening round of 2027.
The team’s programme will also allow De Palo to continue developing his understanding of qualifying performance, race pace and tyre management, areas that could prove crucial during a championship where opportunities to recover from difficult starting positions remain limited.
Having endured a challenging rookie season, De Palo now enters the winter break preparation period with renewed confidence and an encouraging relationship with his new team. While the Barcelona benchmark does not guarantee competitive results in 2027, his comments suggest that the early stages of his MP Motorsport partnership have already helped him rediscover the confidence he hopes to carry into his second FIA F3 campaign.
