Tuukka Taponen believes he and his new team, MP Motorsport, have what it takes to fight for the 2026 F3 title. At 19, he already showed strong pace in his rookie season, securing three podiums and finishing ninth in the Drivers’ Championship. Building on that momentum, he decided to return for a second year in the Championship. His move to MP Motorsport marks a deliberate step forward in his development, with Taponen feeling that a change of team and environment will provide the ideal platform to push himself further. As a result, he is heading into the busiest winter of his career, fully focused on turning potential into a title challenge.
A change of scenery to strengthen his career
Taponen explained that he is excited to return to the grid with a new team and a fresh outlook. He views his second F3 campaign as a deliberate progression, rather than rushing up the racing ladder. He intends to move forward only when the timing and results feel right. The Finnish driver noted that MP Motorsport has made a significant improvement with their latest car compared to the previous season, which strengthened his belief that a change of environment is the right choice at this stage of his career.
“It’s nice to be back on the grid for sure, with a different team obviously. It’s good to do a second year of F3. I’m not in a rush to go forward because the whole the goal has been to go slowly, step-by-step and to make sure we always make the right decisions, and get the right results before we move forward.
“I felt like MP had done quite a good job with the new car, taking a huge step from last year to this year, and I felt like I needed something new for my second season.”
Comparing multiple F3 Teams before committing to MP Motorsport
Taponen and his team carefully evaluated the F3 field, analysing recent results and considering the frontrunners before deciding on MP Motorsport as the right fit. He felt that this outcome was a strong one, and was keen to highlight that almost everything in his new environment differs from what he was used to before, from team procedures to working methods. Some aspects already stand out as a clear step forward, while in other areas, Taponen believes he can bring in ideas from his past experience to help push the whole team forward.
“We looked at all the other teams and how they had performed before, and there were a couple of teams ahead of MP in the Teams’ Championship, like TRIDENT and Campos. But we chose to go with MP and I think it’s very good that I am here.”
“90% is different compared to what I had this year. There are some things that are very good, but there are also some things that I can bring from the past that we can improve as a team.”
Past experience to help with title plan
Taponen believes he can draw on the lessons learned from previous teams and seasons to help MP Motorsport raise its level in F3. During the post-season tests, the focus has been on experimentation rather than headline times. This explains why his name occasionally appears near the front and at other times further down the order. He stressed that these days are about exploration, not relentlessly chasing P1, because constant dominance leaves little room to push new boundaries. In his view, the team has built a solid testing plan and is executing it well.
“I can bring my knowledge from the previous years, and previous teams and we can get even better. We have been testing a lot of things, so sometimes you see me being good, sometimes very bad, but it’s just because we are testing many things to get better.
“That’s why it’s the post-season test. It’s not that we always need to be P1, P1, P1, otherwise we don’t learn anything, we are just there all the time. I feel like we have done quite a good program.”
Little time for downtime with busy off-season training schedule
The Finn explained that his off-season will focus heavily on physical training, with an added twist this year. He has just begun a period of military service tailored for athletes, which even prompted a fresh haircut. The commitment runs until March, but still provides enough flexibility to fit in simulator sessions and pre-season testing. Taponen expects the coming months to be among the busiest he has ever faced, balancing military duties with race preparation, leaving little room for downtime.
“Honestly I will be doing a lot of physical training. One thing I have started this week is the military training with the army, it’s why I have cut my hair as well. I need to be there until March, but it’s a military for athletes, so I have a bit more freedom to go for the simulator preparation and the pre-season test.
“It will be quite a busy winter for me, one of the busiest in my life, with the military as well as the preparation for the season, so there won’t be too much free time.”
F3 rookie season not as strong as Taponen wanted
Taponen was candid about his rookie campaign, admitting that the season didn’t meet his expectations. He and the team rarely found themselves where they wanted to be, which was disappointing, particularly because he felt his individual performances were generally strong, despite a few errors and various setbacks. However, he believes this experience has now put him in a better position to challenge for the title next season. With MP Motorsport coming off their best-ever result in the Drivers’ Championship, Taponen sees a clear upward trend and has set his sights on taking the next step. His goal is to build on that momentum and turn it into a genuine title fight.
“This season in my opinion wasn’t so good. We were just not able to be where we wanted, and it’s obviously a bit sad, because I felt like I was doing quite a good job and then there were few mistakes as well as some other issues.”
“But I feel like with my experience, next year I can fight for the title. MP has been improving quite a lot, they did their best result this year in the Drivers’ Championship, finishing P4, so obviously we try to improve and fight for the title, that’s the target.”
