Fernando Barrichello will step into F3 for his first full season in 2026, realising a lifelong dream. The Brazilian takes another significant step on his path to Formula One. He joins AIX Racing’s 2026 F3 line-up, and he could not be more excited. After two seasons in the Euroformula Championship—where he claimed two victories and 11 podiums— AIX Racing offered him the opportunity to graduate to F3 for 2026. He also made an early debut at the 2025 F3 season finale in Monza. Since then, he has taken part in three post-season testing sessions, using these sessions to prepare himself and acclimatise to the new racing series ahead of the upcoming 2026 F3 season.
Expressing his excitement on graduating to F3
When discussing his move to the F3 racing series, the Brazilian expressed his anticipation for the opportunity.
“It’s truly a dream come true, I was just talking about it just now,” said Barrichello. “I am trying to keep it cool but honestly, it’s a big dream, being here you dream of it. It’s always very distant just with how difficult things become and with how many good drivers there are, you dream of it and you have to believe it, but it’s tough, so it’s a big dream to be here.”
Debut in Monza
Barrichello drove an F3 car on track for the first time earlier this year at Monza. AIX Racing announced him for the 2025 F3 championship finale ahead of the weekend. On debut, he qualified towards the back of the grid in P29, setting a 1:39.319. He then delivered an impressive Sprint Race, racing forward to P17. He retired from the Feature Race after he beached his car in the gravel, which brought out the second safety car of the race.
Despite the disappointing early end to his debut weekend in F3, Barrichello treated the event as a valuable learning opportunity for next season, as it gave him first-hand experience of the structure and rhythm of an F3 race weekend.
“The start has been quite tough for me,” he said. “I obviously had not driven in F3, so it was the first time driving the car in Monza, I only got to do a couple of laps in Monza, so it’s been a bit tough to understand everything, it’s very different to what I was used too.
“So because of the lack of experience, having to learn everything in front of everyone, but that’s okay. I think putting the ego aside, and just learning as much as possible has been great for me.”
Showing his potential in the coming season
Barrichello noted that his initial time behind the wheel was limited, leaving little opportunity to get fully acquainted with the car before hitting the track. Even so, he views that challenge as motivation—eager to demonstrate his full potential in 2026 with more preparation and a deeper understanding of the machinery.
“Having to learn everything in a short period of time, adapting to different situations, new tracks, and everything, it’s exciting, and the potential is there. So I am sure we are going to do some special things next year.
Barrichello expressed his confidence in AIX Racing coming into the 2026 F3 season, taking the opportunity to shout out his new teammates: Brad Benavides and Yevan David.
“We have three very strong drivers, and in such a competitive series to have three good guys working together to evolve the car, so it’s happy days.”
While Barrichello worked together with Benavides and David for the first time during pre-season testing. The Brazilian has raced both drivers prior in other racing categories.
Confidence in AIX Racing heading into the 2026 season
Barrichello highlighted the strong potential he sees at AIX Racing, pointing to a cohesive driver lineup and an energising team environment. Having completed six days of pre-season testing, the Brazilian has already felt meaningful performance improvements in the car—fueling his excitement for the 2026 F3 campaign with AIX Racing.
“I think what’s great is that every session you go out there are more things to understand, you get more comfortable in the car,” he said.
“In the beginning everything is going very quickly because you have never driven the car before but the more you drive, the calmer everything becomes. You can think more and get yourself more comfortable. The more time I get on track, the better it is.”
On being competitive in 2026
Like every racer, Barrichello enters the 2026 FIA F3 season determined to be fast and competitive—but as a 20-year-old rookie, he’s also out to make a statement. The plan is simple: approach it race by race, with the podium’s top step as the ultimate goal. His confidence is justified by AIX Racing’s momentum from 2025, highlighted by two pole positions in the last three rounds and a sprint-race podium, as the team cements its status as a rising force on the grid.
“Obviously, you have to acknowledge that some teams are at a high level,” he added. “You have to give kudos to them. But if you look at AIX Racing, they have been improving so much, they scored poles this season. For you to score a pole, you need to have a good driver, but also a good car.”
“We see a lot of potential in them, we look at them as an underrated team. I’m here to win, and I believe we can fight for it. But we need to be there, and then we need to find the consistency to always be there, and then we can think in advance.”
“But I don’t like to think championships, I go one race at a time. We have to be consistently in the top 10 and top five to fight for things.”
