As he prepares for his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign with MP Motorsport, Mattia Colnaghi enters the 2026 season carrying momentum, continuity and academy backing. The Italo-Argentine driver secured the Spanish F4 title and impressed in Eurocup-3 before stepping up to Formula 3, where he now competes as part of the Red Bull Junior Team programme — a pathway renowned for developing elite talent.
Speaking during a press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Colnaghi outlined his preparation, expectations and mindset ahead of his first season in F3.
Colnaghi on Red Bull Junior Team support ahead of rookie F3 season
Colnaghi joined the Red Bull Junior Team prior to his F3 step-up and now benefits from development sessions alongside fellow academy prospects. The programme provides structured guidance from figures with long-standing experience at the very top of the sport — an environment he believes offers both clarity and direction.
“Regarding, obviously, the Red Bull Academy, they do support me with, obviously, same sessions as the other two already mentioned. And, yeah, it’s just a general guidance where they’ve been in the sport for very long, in Formula One for very long, so that they know what works and what doesn’t. So it’s good for them to guide me through this process of my career in F3 and hopefully as well in F2.”
Red Bull backing and the mentorship that it provides come with expectations. Red Bull’s system prioritises results, and while Colnaghi acknowledges that performance pressure is inherent, he has aligned it to his own internal standards.
“I think it’s a situation where, obviously, you need the results to get to F1. You need the backing of the results. At the end of the day, it is a performance sport. So I’m not surprised that they are putting expectations, and there is pressure.
“But to be honest, I’m quite hard on myself already without pressure. I expect the best from myself. I have in the past two years of my career, and I will also this year. So, yeah, it’s kind of a mutual thing where they expect something, but I also expect it from myself. So it’s not too different to what I would do.”
For Colnaghi, the pathway remains direct: deliver on track and progression will follow. His standards align with those placed upon him, creating what he describes as a “mutual” dynamic between driver and academy.
Continuity with MP Motorsport a key factor for Colnaghi
While academy backing provides external structure, continuity at MP Motorsport offers familiarity and stability. The 2026 campaign marks his third consecutive season with the Dutch outfit, having already shared championship success in Spanish F4 and strong results in Eurocup-3.
Although F3 introduces a new framework and different operational demands, Colnaghi emphasised that the team’s core identity remains unchanged.
“I think, obviously, MP is now a lot like a family for me. I’ve been here already now two years, the third year for this year. Obviously, the structure is different in F3. There’s new personnel. There’s different personnel to what I have known in F4 and Eurocup. But still, the philosophy is the same. The family is the same. The idea is the same.
That sense of belonging, he suggested, allows him to focus entirely on performance. Rather than setting bold public targets, he centres his approach on extracting the maximum from the car and executing consistently across the season.
“So it’s good for me to kind of maintain that philosophy, let’s say. That has brought me success in the last two years. Obviously, regarding the season, it is my first season in F3. Obviously, I will just try to maximise the car, maximise what we have and do the best we can.”
Learning from experienced teammates in Formula 3
Colnaghi joins a line-up that includes returning FIA Formula 3 drivers Tuukka Taponen and Alessandro ‘Sandro’ Giusti. Their prior experience in the category — particularly at circuits new to him — presents an additional layer of support as he adapts to the championship’s demands.
He underlined the importance of data comparison, technical understanding and shared learning within the team environment.
“Yeah, I think it’s very good for me. Obviously, Tuukka and Sandro have done very well in their rookie season and are doing now very well as well in the days we’ve had so far. So it’s good for me to learn a lot from them. Obviously, they have a lot of experience in the car with some systems or some things that maybe I haven’t really explored yet. So yeah, it’s good for me to learn that from them. And obviously, in tracks like Melbourne or Monaco, where they’ve driven already, in the free practise, it’s good for me to have their data and to be able to compare myself with them.”
With Red Bull academy backing, long-standing ties to MP Motorsport, and experienced teammates alongside him, Colnaghi approaches his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign with clarity and composure. He does not overstate expectations, nor does he shy away from them.
Instead, he focuses on a straightforward objective: maximise performance at every opportunity, convert potential into results and continue building towards the next stage of his career.
